DC Metrocentric

We bet you didn’t realize that you almost always have little architectural drawings of some of our cities most famous buildings right in your pocket! This incredible shot by Brendon McKeon uses a wide angle lens with a small aperture to take photos of the buildings which inspired the likeness on our currency. 

Pictured fittingly is the treasury building on the $10, you can find the shots of the other buildings and bills on Brendon’s flickr site, but not the $1 bill because the pyramid with the eye obviously isn’t real! [Flickr Photo: Musely]

For most of the life of the Capitol Hill building at the corner of 8th and D St SE it was a furniture store. Originally built back in 1882 by the building’s name sake, not much has changed except an additional story was added on top, oh and now its tenants are a tad bit tastier… with a Baskin Robbins/Dunkin Donuts on the corner!

[Photo Credit: LOC]

Back in 1920 if you needed some shoes and were in the District you didn’t have to go far to find a Hahn shoe store. Pictured is the Hahn’s shoe store that was located at Seventh and K streets N.W. How incredible is the architectural detail that went into this building?

Now-a-days where can you get a good pair of shoes downtown? and don’t you dare say the Payless at Metro Center! [Photo: National Photo Co. via Shorpy]

We’re always amazed at how vibrant and packed the streets of downtown DC were back in the day. This photo is looking north from Ninth and D street where the FBI building currently is located on the left side of the street. Look at all the amazing little shops along the street and the detailed varied facades.

Today’s FBI building is basically the definition of a block killer, though it’s understandable for security concerns we guess (however there’s no excuse for the extreme brutalism architecture). [Photo: Shorpy]

Really this is more like “Then, Then & Now” because the history of Engine Company 23 located in Foggy Bottom has a very long past. As you can see when the building was first built, they were still relying on horses. Amazing it is really only the mode of transportation that has changed over the last 100 years, the building is pretty much untouched!

[Photos: Parkview DC and DCPL]

It is pretty special when a building from 1865 is still around today, and the property at the corner of 7th & G St. NW is one of a few remaining examples left around representing the style of the day. It is even still being used for its original purpose as a bank. How do you think the architecture has held up over the years?

[Photo: Marcfoto]

Check out this amazing photo from back in 1863 with the Capitol building under construction in the background. The photo was taken looking SE  and other than the Capitol, the view is a very different one today (including paved roads). Unfortunately the church in the forefront, Trinity Episcopal Church, was demolished during the construction of the I-395 tunnel.

All that is really left today is a historic marker at 526 D St NW with this photo and a little description of what once was.

[Photo: Shorpy] – Click Photo for Larger View

Built back in 1818, the Decatur House on Lafayette Square is one of the oldest homes still standing in the District. The namesake was naval hero Stephen Decatur who commissioned the house as his “Southern” residence. We always wondered about the bricked over windows, but from the picture it looks like even back then they were blocked off.

[Photo: vpickering and DCPL]

Ever driven through Dupont Circle in need of some quick cash and wished there was another option than hoping for a good parking spot… Well back in 1924 the District National Bank had the answer with one of the areas first “drive by” banks… PNC are you listening?

Love the building in the picture too, how great is that greenery midway along the facade highlighting the break between the first floor retail and the structure above? Area designers should take note of this mechanism of structural definition. [Photo: Shorpy]

A little news that should come as no surprise this week that the old Wonder Bread Bakery is being nominated by the DC Preservation League and Douglas Development to be given Historic Landmark status. This building has gone through a number of different iterations and proposed uses over the years (the latest of which is offices) but all the plans have always prominently featured an adaptive reuse of the great looking front facade of the building.

This is great news the current developer and the Preservation Leauge are working together and at the end of the day this would permanently prevent the building from ever  being razed or altered in a way that could impact the historical character of the building. [Credit: Otavio_DC]

In 1918, the land pictured below was nothing but a swampy piece of land occupied by a few small structures. However a few years later, plans swung into action to build a new project where the arrow is pointing. Lets see if you can guess what Neoclassical structure currently occupies this land. We will give you a clue, it was designed by John Pope.

Follow the jump for the same picture taken 40 years latter, with one significant addition…

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Think traffic sometimes gets bad in DC? Well back in 1945 the area was just starting to deal with the popularity of cars in the first place and many major intersection didn’t have traffic lights at all.

Check out the intersection of H Street and 15th Street NE looking toward Benning Road from 1945. No traffic signal, no traffic cop, not even discernible painted street lines.

Though something even more interesting from this picture is how much more street level retail there was at the intersection back then. Follow the jump for a birds eye view of what it looks like today…

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Not unlike the skyline of today, back in 1890 the DC skyline was filled with cranes, but unlike most of the projects going up these days, the cranes were helping to put up some architecturally stunning and enduring buildings. This photo is taken from the Capitol building towards the new Library of Congress and you can see how many cranes had to be constructed on site to build such a large building.

[Photo: Dullshick]

Do you like to write? Are you interested in writing about the issues and have an extreme addiction to everything architecture and new developments around town? We are looking for a feature writer with a sense of humor who wants to join the DCMetrocentric team. Sound interesting? Details and requirements after the jump…

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Hard to imagine, but the Old Post Office Building along Pennsylvania Ave NW was once brand new. This great photo circa 1900 shows the building pretty much exactly as it looks today, however the interior has gone through numerous changes and tenants over the years, and with the RFP from this Spring to re-purpose and refurbish the building yet again, the buildings future is going to be much clearer. What ever plan is chosen, we’re hoping it stays open and accessible to the public.

[Credit: Shorpy] [Click the Photo to Enlarge]