Senior District residents can reminisce on cityscapes of the past, but younger Washingtonians have to see historic sites through photos and videos. Fortunately, we live in an age where we can watch a Smithsonian museum being built in less than two minutes, or four months of downtown demolition take place in under a quarter of an hour, or the decades-long transformation of a neighborhood through photos.
In the latest visual display of how D.C. is changing, RENTCafé, a national apartment listing site, put together an interactive then-and-now photo collection that’s worth a gander. The complete collection includes nearly a dozen photos, but here are five of our favorite that offer views from about 100 years ago that slide to now. RENTCafé also provides insight into how and why some places have changed over time.
Masonic Temple Building: On the corner of 9th and F Streets NW, this building was completed in 1870. As the first large-scale private development built after the Civil War, it became D.C.’s first major property to be preserved by the city’s Historic District Protection Act of 1978, according to RENTCafé. Today, it’s home to an office space and restaurant “with much of its original elegance and intrigue intact.”
Portland Apartments: Just off Thomas Circle, this was the District’s first luxury apartment complex, which operated from 1880 to 1962, according to RENTCafé. A Marriott Residence Inn and a CVS pharmacy now sit on the site.
The Arcade/DC USA: This Columbia Heights structure was one of the city’s first multi-use developments. After being torn down in 1948, the site is now home to the largest retail development in the city, which houses a Bank of America, Best Buy, and Target, among other stores.
Northern Liberty Market-Convention Hall: This was D.C.’s first major convention center located in what we now call Mount Vernon Triangle. Built in 1875, a fire destroyed the building’s upper level, leaving just an original market space. It eventually shuttered in 1963, and was demolished in 1985. Today, it’s home to City Vista, a luxury mix-use property, which includes a Safeway, Busboys and Poets, and Chipotle, among other amenities.
Verizon Center: In the 1920s, this site was occupied by a large federal building, which housed offices for patent attorneys, and a series of shops, restaurants, and commercial offices—much like today. In the 1980s, the block was cleared of buildings, and a decade later, the Verizon Center was born.
