“Dear PoPville,
I found these more than 20 years ago when I was first restoring my house and held onto them. I encountered them again this weekend, cleaning the basement. As I recall, they had fallen behind a baseboard or someplace like that.
The letter is from Corporal Robert Bouvie (?), who was stationed overseas and sent it in December 1942, just one year after the US entry into the war. The recipient was Mr. Ernest Grosse (?), likely a former owner of my house on Harvard St NW. (more…)
Photo Credit: NPS / Nick Bartolomeo
From NPS:
“The National Park Service (NPS) has installed a new armillary sphere on the lower plaza of Meridian Hill Park.
The new sphere is a replica based on the original armillary sphere approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) in 1929 and present in the park from 1932 until the late 1970s. The original sphere was 6 feet 6 inches high, 5 feet 8 inches in diameter, 17.79 feet in circumference and weighed 1,250 pounds. It was the focal point of the southern end of Meridian Hill Park. NPS removed it because of damage and vandalism. The pedestal remained in the park and will serve as the base for the new sphere.
NPS oversaw the re-creation of the new armillary sphere, which was designed using historic photographs and drawings. (more…)
Thanks to DCbyLonghorn for sharing the update:
“A few months ago I signed a petition from PoPville to save the Foundry Branch Trestle Bridge in Glover Archbold Park. While digging through NPS docs, I found the update that no one appears to have picked up yet. NPS is planning to demolish the bridge. (more…)
Thanks to a reader for sending: “Found during a purge of old documents. circa mid-late ’90s DC” (more…)
photo by Chris Campbell in Columbia Heights
Thanks to Chris for sharing this reminder of what once was and what hopefully will be again in the not too too distant future:
“I had forgotten what the falls looked like, but this popped up on my Google photos today!”
The latest on the fountains from NPS earlier this year was: (more…)
Thanks to G. for sending: “This is new. At the entrance to the alley next to old H Street Country Club.” (more…)
11th annd Euclid Street, NW in 1904
“Dear PoPville,
A while back, I was researching Columbia Heights and came across a book in the Library of Congress from 1904 titled “A Statement of Some Advantages of the Beautiful Columbia Heights A Neighborhood of Homes,” compiled and arranged by The Columbia Heights Citizens’ Association.
Recently, a single-family home at the corner of 11th and Euclid St NW sold and is slated for demolition. I remembered seeing it in this book, but the street name threw me off. Did you know Columbia Heights previously had street names like Princeton Street, Yale, Roanoke, Yale, and Kenesaw Ave? (more…)
“Dear PoPville,
I have a couple original menus for the Zebra Room restaurant. I would like to give them to someone that could maybe frame & display the historical items.
Any suggestions? Maybe the owners of the property?
I grew up just down the street from the Zebra Room. Classic place!”
More menus: (more…)
Thanks to Brad for sending from the Green Line.
If you have a photo of a neat find from your house, place of work or neighborhood please send an email to [email protected] thanks. Please let me know where/what neighborhood you found it in too. Thanks.
On Monday another reader spotted this blast from the past. Chris spotted it last night still in 16th Street Heights. However, he provides a bit more detail – it looked like they were covering up the boxes with a new title. (more…)