DC History Center
@dchistorycenter.bsky.social
An educational nonprofit that deepens understanding of DC's past to connect, empower, and inspire.
dchistory.org
dchistory.org
🎄🎤 IT’S TIMEEEE! Asking for a friend – is your tree already up or are you grabbing it this weekend?
📸 Woman on bicycle with Christmas tree leaving Hechinger Company Store #19, in Woodbridge, Virginia, c. 1976-1985 (Hechinger Company records, CHS 12672.52)
📸 Woman on bicycle with Christmas tree leaving Hechinger Company Store #19, in Woodbridge, Virginia, c. 1976-1985 (Hechinger Company records, CHS 12672.52)
November 29, 2025 at 12:45 PM
🎄🎤 IT’S TIMEEEE! Asking for a friend – is your tree already up or are you grabbing it this weekend?
📸 Woman on bicycle with Christmas tree leaving Hechinger Company Store #19, in Woodbridge, Virginia, c. 1976-1985 (Hechinger Company records, CHS 12672.52)
📸 Woman on bicycle with Christmas tree leaving Hechinger Company Store #19, in Woodbridge, Virginia, c. 1976-1985 (Hechinger Company records, CHS 12672.52)
Forget buying something new this #BlackFriday and purchase a frame and upcycle from our special frame sale tomorrow from 12 – 6 pm! ♻️🖼️
November 28, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Forget buying something new this #BlackFriday and purchase a frame and upcycle from our special frame sale tomorrow from 12 – 6 pm! ♻️🖼️
If only picking up pies today felt as relaxed as this vintage moment at the Woodward & Lothrop Department bakery counter. 🥧✨
Wishing everyone a cozy, sugar-filled Thanksgiving from the DC History Center!
Wishing everyone a cozy, sugar-filled Thanksgiving from the DC History Center!
November 26, 2025 at 3:47 PM
If only picking up pies today felt as relaxed as this vintage moment at the Woodward & Lothrop Department bakery counter. 🥧✨
Wishing everyone a cozy, sugar-filled Thanksgiving from the DC History Center!
Wishing everyone a cozy, sugar-filled Thanksgiving from the DC History Center!
Celebrate #SmallBusinessSaturday with us! 🎉
🛍️ Shop locally made products in the gift shop and be the first to check out our new merch
✂️ Collage holiday cards and paper ornaments using reproduction images from our collection, festive paper, and sparkly adornments
🔵 Play classic recess games
🛍️ Shop locally made products in the gift shop and be the first to check out our new merch
✂️ Collage holiday cards and paper ornaments using reproduction images from our collection, festive paper, and sparkly adornments
🔵 Play classic recess games
November 24, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Celebrate #SmallBusinessSaturday with us! 🎉
🛍️ Shop locally made products in the gift shop and be the first to check out our new merch
✂️ Collage holiday cards and paper ornaments using reproduction images from our collection, festive paper, and sparkly adornments
🔵 Play classic recess games
🛍️ Shop locally made products in the gift shop and be the first to check out our new merch
✂️ Collage holiday cards and paper ornaments using reproduction images from our collection, festive paper, and sparkly adornments
🔵 Play classic recess games
Sunday plans: add grocery shopping before Wednesday’s annual ‘why did I do this to myself’ rush. Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving or just trying to buy your snackies, skip the chaos. 🛒
November 23, 2025 at 9:41 PM
Sunday plans: add grocery shopping before Wednesday’s annual ‘why did I do this to myself’ rush. Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving or just trying to buy your snackies, skip the chaos. 🛒
We're opening a new chapter for Washington History. We've has been sharing research on Washington’s past since 1897, when we published the first volume of Records of the Columbia Historical Society. For nearly a century, the hardcover Records offered an essential forum for documenting DC’s history.
November 20, 2025 at 12:30 PM
We're opening a new chapter for Washington History. We've has been sharing research on Washington’s past since 1897, when we published the first volume of Records of the Columbia Historical Society. For nearly a century, the hardcover Records offered an essential forum for documenting DC’s history.
#OTD in 1804 a line engraving of one of the earliest known views of Washington was published in England in Vol. III of the English edition of Marshall's Life of Washington.
📸 “The City of Washington in 1800,” from the Thomas Machen collection of Early Prints Relating to Washington, DC (MA 015)
📸 “The City of Washington in 1800,” from the Thomas Machen collection of Early Prints Relating to Washington, DC (MA 015)
November 19, 2025 at 12:30 PM
#OTD in 1804 a line engraving of one of the earliest known views of Washington was published in England in Vol. III of the English edition of Marshall's Life of Washington.
📸 “The City of Washington in 1800,” from the Thomas Machen collection of Early Prints Relating to Washington, DC (MA 015)
📸 “The City of Washington in 1800,” from the Thomas Machen collection of Early Prints Relating to Washington, DC (MA 015)
We’re proud to share a big step forward in expanding access to DC history education. 📚✨ We launched the “Home Rule Curriculum,” a free, four-lesson resource for grades 9-12 that helps teachers and students explore DC’s long, people-powered fight for self-government.
November 18, 2025 at 10:51 PM
We’re proud to share a big step forward in expanding access to DC history education. 📚✨ We launched the “Home Rule Curriculum,” a free, four-lesson resource for grades 9-12 that helps teachers and students explore DC’s long, people-powered fight for self-government.
We’re excited to share a delicious new collaboration that celebrates DC’s flavor! We partnered with local artist Carlos Carmonamedina, the creative force behind The Culture Curious, to bring you Snackin’ in the Capital—anl illustration of some of the District’s iconic eats. 🥂🍕🧁🥧🥟🍜
November 12, 2025 at 12:30 PM
We’re excited to share a delicious new collaboration that celebrates DC’s flavor! We partnered with local artist Carlos Carmonamedina, the creative force behind The Culture Curious, to bring you Snackin’ in the Capital—anl illustration of some of the District’s iconic eats. 🥂🍕🧁🥧🥟🍜
Thank you to all who have served. 💙 At the Little Harbor Salvation Army USO Club, moments like these show how community and camaraderie have always gone hand in hand. Today, we honor that legacy and the veterans who continue to inspire it.
#VeteransDay
#VeteransDay
November 11, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Thank you to all who have served. 💙 At the Little Harbor Salvation Army USO Club, moments like these show how community and camaraderie have always gone hand in hand. Today, we honor that legacy and the veterans who continue to inspire it.
#VeteransDay
#VeteransDay
Come raise a glass to DC history! 🍻 Join us for a gathering of scholars, community members, and readers to celebrate the latest issue of Washington History magazine at Jackie Lee's on Tuesday, November 18th from 6-8pm.
November 10, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Come raise a glass to DC history! 🍻 Join us for a gathering of scholars, community members, and readers to celebrate the latest issue of Washington History magazine at Jackie Lee's on Tuesday, November 18th from 6-8pm.
🎙️ Calling all storytellers and history-lovers! Join us on Monday, November 17 at 6pm at the DC History Center for the next meetup of the DC Oral History Collaborative in partnership with HumanitiesDC.
November 6, 2025 at 11:33 PM
🎙️ Calling all storytellers and history-lovers! Join us on Monday, November 17 at 6pm at the DC History Center for the next meetup of the DC Oral History Collaborative in partnership with HumanitiesDC.
Take your class on a field trip that brings DC history to life! 🚌✨ At the DC History Center, students explore how activists shaped our city—analyzing real objects tied to civic engagement and even creating a piece of wearable art to express their own voices.
November 5, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Take your class on a field trip that brings DC history to life! 🚌✨ At the DC History Center, students explore how activists shaped our city—analyzing real objects tied to civic engagement and even creating a piece of wearable art to express their own voices.
You're invited to a one-of-a-kind “processing party” celebrating the remarkable Martha Tabor Photograph Collection—a treasure trove of photographs, ephemera, and personal papers documenting art, labor, and community life in Washington, DC. 👀📸🗃️
October 30, 2025 at 11:30 PM
You're invited to a one-of-a-kind “processing party” celebrating the remarkable Martha Tabor Photograph Collection—a treasure trove of photographs, ephemera, and personal papers documenting art, labor, and community life in Washington, DC. 👀📸🗃️
ICYMI: The Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library Community Archiving Day has been rescheduled to November 8th!
Celebrate the Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library’s 100th birthday on Saturday, November 8th from 2-5pm!
Celebrate the Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library’s 100th birthday on Saturday, November 8th from 2-5pm!
October 29, 2025 at 12:24 PM
ICYMI: The Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library Community Archiving Day has been rescheduled to November 8th!
Celebrate the Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library’s 100th birthday on Saturday, November 8th from 2-5pm!
Celebrate the Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library’s 100th birthday on Saturday, November 8th from 2-5pm!
Until the 1860s, most children did not go to school. In DC, there were just a few “common schools” for white children whose parents could not afford private education, so Black residents opened their own private schools. When Congress established public schools for all, Washingtonians embraced them.
October 25, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Until the 1860s, most children did not go to school. In DC, there were just a few “common schools” for white children whose parents could not afford private education, so Black residents opened their own private schools. When Congress established public schools for all, Washingtonians embraced them.
Three spine-chilling local ghost stories for #SpookySeason in DC—all drawn from our own archives. 👻
October 23, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Three spine-chilling local ghost stories for #SpookySeason in DC—all drawn from our own archives. 👻
Just released: the new issue of Washington History Magazine. The fall 2025 issue contains four essays in four time periods—the early 1800s, World War II, the 1950s, and the 1960s and ‘70s—deepening understanding of federal/local relationships, social justice, and commerce.
October 22, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Just released: the new issue of Washington History Magazine. The fall 2025 issue contains four essays in four time periods—the early 1800s, World War II, the 1950s, and the 1960s and ‘70s—deepening understanding of federal/local relationships, social justice, and commerce.
In Southeast DC, residents are fighting to protect a community-owned green space whose history, identity, and future are under threat. This isn’t just a park, it’s a living symbol of local power, memory, and resistance.
October 14, 2025 at 11:30 AM
In Southeast DC, residents are fighting to protect a community-owned green space whose history, identity, and future are under threat. This isn’t just a park, it’s a living symbol of local power, memory, and resistance.
This summer, DC educators joined our Teach the District program—a weeklong experience connecting teachers to the local history and cultures that shape our region. The teacher’s visited Accokeek Foundation at Piscataway Park, where participants experienced their reimagined Land Echoes Field Trip.
October 13, 2025 at 7:36 PM
This summer, DC educators joined our Teach the District program—a weeklong experience connecting teachers to the local history and cultures that shape our region. The teacher’s visited Accokeek Foundation at Piscataway Park, where participants experienced their reimagined Land Echoes Field Trip.
Charles Hamilton Houston: “The Man Who Killed Jim Crow”
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Charles Hamilton Houston (1895–1950) was a brilliant legal mind whose work laid the foundation for the end of segregation in America.
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Charles Hamilton Houston (1895–1950) was a brilliant legal mind whose work laid the foundation for the end of segregation in America.
October 10, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Charles Hamilton Houston: “The Man Who Killed Jim Crow”
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Charles Hamilton Houston (1895–1950) was a brilliant legal mind whose work laid the foundation for the end of segregation in America.
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Charles Hamilton Houston (1895–1950) was a brilliant legal mind whose work laid the foundation for the end of segregation in America.
📣 This Weekend: Walks That Give Back! From October 10 to 13, during Indigenous People’s Weekend take a walk through history—and give back while you do it. Join Washington Walks for a special weekend of guided tours that bring DC’s neighborhoods and stories to life. 🌆
October 9, 2025 at 10:59 PM
📣 This Weekend: Walks That Give Back! From October 10 to 13, during Indigenous People’s Weekend take a walk through history—and give back while you do it. Join Washington Walks for a special weekend of guided tours that bring DC’s neighborhoods and stories to life. 🌆
We’re thrilled to unveil two brand-new neighborhood history booklets: Hillcrest and Woodridge! 🏙️ The newly released booklets are more than just simple guides—they’re compact maps with striking illustrations and carefully selected stories.
October 8, 2025 at 11:54 AM
We’re thrilled to unveil two brand-new neighborhood history booklets: Hillcrest and Woodridge! 🏙️ The newly released booklets are more than just simple guides—they’re compact maps with striking illustrations and carefully selected stories.
Just a few spots left for the DC Archives Crawl! Go behind the stacks with us next Wednesday!
Celebrate #ArchivesMonth with a DC Archives Crawl! 📜✨ On October 15 from 5:15 - 7:45pm we’ll take you through two local archives where you’ll meet staff, go behind the scenes, and demystify what these spaces hold and how you can use them:
✨ The DC Archives
✨ DC History Center
(1/5)
✨ The DC Archives
✨ DC History Center
(1/5)
October 7, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Just a few spots left for the DC Archives Crawl! Go behind the stacks with us next Wednesday!
📚 “Class Actions Reads! Model Schools in the Model City” on Thursday, October 23 from 6-8pm at the DC History Center.
Join the DC History Center & Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives for a book talk about the history of Black public education and school architecture in the nation’s capital.
Join the DC History Center & Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives for a book talk about the history of Black public education and school architecture in the nation’s capital.
October 6, 2025 at 12:50 PM
📚 “Class Actions Reads! Model Schools in the Model City” on Thursday, October 23 from 6-8pm at the DC History Center.
Join the DC History Center & Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives for a book talk about the history of Black public education and school architecture in the nation’s capital.
Join the DC History Center & Charles Sumner School Museum and Archives for a book talk about the history of Black public education and school architecture in the nation’s capital.