DC History Center

Last year we launched the “Neighborhood History Project” in partnership with DC Public Library and the DC Public Library Foundation, aimed at studying and documenting the history of often overlooked DC neighborhoods. Our current focus is on Woodridge (Ward 5) and Hillcrest (Ward 7).

Explore Woodridge & Hillcrest on a walking tour this summer:

🚶‍➡️Hillcrest: Saturday, May 9, 10 am-12:30 pm
🚶‍➡️Woodridge: Saturday, May 16, 10 am-12:30 pm
🚶‍➡️Hillcrest: Saturday, June 6, 10 am-12:30 pm
🚶‍➡️Woodridge: Saturday, June 27, 10 am – 12:30 pm

Can’t make it? You can access our Self-Guided Walking Tour and Neighborhood History booklets through our website https://bit.ly/4241MWl

➡️ These booklets are an illustrated expression of the walking tours developed in partnership with the DC History Center, Briana Thomas of Black Broadway Travel, and longtime Hillcrest community historian Jim Beyers and Woodridge Civic Association’s Jeremiah Montague, Jr. (respectively). Designed by Carlos Carmonamedina, they include a neighborhood introduction, map, and historical information about each tour site.

Join us on Thursday, May 14 at 6 pm for a book talk with our exhibit curator Erica Sterling and historian Kate Masur on how Black Americans educated their children after the Civil War.

The program highlights Emma Brown—one of Washington’s first Black public school teachers—exploring her life as an educator and advocate, and her role in shaping the city’s early education system.

Drawing on the DC History Center’s exhibit “Class Action: Education and Opportunity in the Nation’s Capital” and Masur’s book “Freedom Was in Sight,” the discussion places Brown’s story within the broader context of Reconstruction-era Washington, DC.

RSVP to this free program: https://bit.ly/42pcKG0

📸 Inner pages from Freedom Was In Sight

We’re excited to announce a series of walking tours this spring and summer with Joe Himali, storyteller, real estate agent, and the voice behind Best Address on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Check out the first two tours:

🏛️ Kalorama: “Center of Politics and Power” | Saturday, April 18, 10 am - 12 pm
On this tour, we’ll wander past some of the city’s most stunning pre-war architecture (Beaux Arts, French Renaissance Revival, even the flamboyant Churrigueresque) and hear stories that bring these blocks to life. Did you know one of WWII’s most important espionage events unfolded right here in Kalorama? That’s just one of the many surprises our guide, Joe Himali, has waiting for you.

🧱 Georgetown: “South of M Street” | Saturday, May 30, 10 am - 12 pm
Step into Georgetown, where cobblestone streets, hidden alleys, and historic architecture tell the story of a neighborhood that has been at the heart of DC since before the city existed. From the waterfront and the C&O Canal to tucked-away landmarks and secret corners, Georgetown reveals its history in the most unexpected places.

🎟️ Tickets are $50 ($40 for DC History Center Members). All tour proceeds go to the DC History Center. More tours will be available in June and September! Stay tuned.

Purchase your tickets: https://bit.ly/439cED4

Tomorrow, April 9th at 6pm, celebrate the voices shaping health in DC—from organizational leaders to residents sharing their everyday experiences through collected oral histories. 🧑‍⚕️

This event highlights a diverse group of organizational leaders in DC advancing care, well-being, and equity across the city through the DC Voices of Care: Oral History Project, led by a team as part of the Georgetown University Global Cities Urban Innovation Initiative. We will also feature the stories of native Washingtonians shared through the Listening for Health project, sponsored by the Georgetown-Howard Center for Medical Humanities & Health Justice.

RSVP: https://bit.ly/4txIynF

Last week Tikia K. Hamilton led a talk on her new book, “Nothing Less Than Equality: The Battle over Segregated Education in the Nation’s Capital,” released on March 31, 2026.

📚 We highly suggest this read! Grab a copy in our Bookshop or visit us this weekend. We’re open Thursdays – Sundays 12-6pm: https://bit.ly/4nKGPt2

This lecture is part of our “Class Action” programming which explores how DC’s Black communities advocated for educational opportunities for their children. Connect with family, meet your neighbors, and play with new friends at lively programs meant to encourage civic engagement and inspire you to make a difference in your community.

📸 Photos by Maren Orchard

Our collection bloomed with newly digitized photos from the 1960 Cherry Blossom Festival! 🌸

The first annual festival was held in 1934 and celebrated the 1912 gift from Japan of 3,000 trees. In 1915, the US reciprocated the gift with flowering Dogwood trees.

These 1960 festival photos feature the Parade of the Princesses, which is not a beauty pageant, but a celebration of young women for their service to community and culture. 💪

Enjoy peak bloom this weekend!

📸 Del Ankers and Elizabeth Freire Collection, SP 0183

Registration for is now open! Join us May 1-2 at the largest annual gathering for history and humanities-minded Washingtonians. ⭐⭐⭐

Register here: https://bit.ly/3J73paR

The DC History Conference’s mission is to highlight outstanding recent scholarship and engagement with the history of Washington, DC and to share that knowledge with an interested community of scholars, neighbors, students, history enthusiasts, policy makers, activists, artists, and more.

Since 1973, trained scholars and community members have had the opportunity to present their work at this welcoming annual gathering. This interdisciplinary community conference prioritizes the local city but includes the federal city, as well as nearby Maryland and Virginia.

We can’t wait to share more details about the 2026 program! Stay tuned right here for the full lineup!

is presented by DC History Center, HumanitiesDC, and DC Public Library.