Martin Austermuhle
When the City Museum closed its door in late 2004 after a mere 18 months in existence, the one place to go for a comprehensive history of Washington, D.C. disappeared. But for those of you interested in the city’s history, the next few days should be quite satisfying — it’s time for the annual Washington Studies Conference.
The conference, now in its 34th year, kicks off tomorrow at The Carnegie Library building (801 K Street, NW) and runs through Saturday. It will feature 29 different events on everything from race relations, design and architecture, arts and culture, and the struggle for voting rights. Best of all, it’s free.
If you want to brush up on Washington’s history before you go, get crackin’ — there are some great books out there to read. We dare you to go in there and claim that the city was built on a swamp, or that no J Street exists because of a historical grudge against John Jay and Thomas Jefferson. Just watch the historical smackdown you’ll get.
