List of National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C. facts for kids
The District of Columbia, capital of the United States, is home to 76 National Historic Landmarks. The National Historic Landmark program is operated under the auspices of the National Park Service, and recognizes structures, districts, objects, and similar resources according to a list of criteria of national significance. The city's landmarks reflect its status as the national capital, including grand government buildings, homes of politicians, military facilities, and museums. The list also includes sites relating to support for the disabled, the Civil Rights Movement, pioneering urban infrastructure, and other historic themes.
National Historic Landmarks are normally listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Washington is home to three specifically legislated exceptions to this rule: the White House, the United States Capitol, and the United States Supreme Court Building. All are designated landmarks, but are not on the National Register.
Current NHLs
Landmark name | Image | Date designated | Location | Description | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cleveland Abbe House |
(#69000289) |
NW 38°54′05″N 77°02′46″W / 38.901444°N 77.046167°W |
Cleveland Abbe, a prominent meteorologist who became known as the father of the National Weather Service, lived in this house from 1877 to 1909. Previous occupants in the early decades of the 19th century included James Monroe and the British legation. Built ca. 1802 to 1805, this is a fine example of the Federal style of residential architecture. | |
2 | Administration Building, Carnegie Institution of Washington |
(#66000959) |
NW 38°54′39″N 77°02′07″W / 38.910838°N 77.035167°W |
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3 | American Federation of Labor Building |
(#74002154) |
NW 38°54′12″N 77°01′28″W / 38.903333°N 77.024444°W |
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4 | American Peace Society |
(#74002155) |
NW 38°53′58″N 77°02′19″W / 38.8994°N 77.0386°W |
Headquarters of the American Peace Society from 1911 to 1948, in LaFayette Square Historic District. | |
5 | Anderson House |
(#71000993) |
NW 38°54′39″N 77°02′53″W / 38.91075°N 77.047944°W |
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6 | Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel, Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall, Founders Library, Howard University |
(#01000070) |
NW 38°55′23″N 77°01′15″W / 38.9231°N 77.0207°W |
Three Howard University buildings: Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel, Frederick Douglass Memorial Hall, and Founders Library. | |
7 | Arts and Industries Building, Smithsonian Institution |
(#71000994) |
SW 38°53′13″N 77°01′29″W / 38.886944°N 77.024722°W |
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8 | Ashburton House |
(#73002071) |
NW 38°54′01″N 77°02′09″W / 38.900278°N 77.035833°W |
House on Lafayette Square that was site of 10 months of U.S.-British negotiations leading to the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842. This settled U.S.-Canada border disputes and ended the Aroostook War. | |
9 | Newton D. Baker House |
(#76002126) |
NW 38°54′25″N 77°03′37″W / 38.906944°N 77.060278°W |
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10 | Blair House |
(#66000963) |
NW 38°53′56″N 77°02′19″W / 38.898889°N 77.038611°W |
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11 | William E. Borah Apartment, Windsor Lodge |
(#76002134) |
NW 38°55′03″N 77°02′57″W / 38.9175°N 77.049167°W |
The home of William E. Borah, a United States Senator from Idaho and a noted isolationist. | |
12 | Blanche K. Bruce House |
(#75002046) |
NW 38°54′21″N 77°01′29″W / 38.905833°N 77.024722°W |
A home of Blanche K. Bruce, who was an African American Senator from Mississippi. | |
13 | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |
(#74002156) |
NW 38°53′56″N 77°02′19″W / 38.898889°N 77.038611°W |
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14 | Mary Ann Shadd Cary House |
(#76002128) |
NW 38°55′09″N 77°01′58″W / 38.919191°N 77.032913°W |
A home of writer and abolitionist Mary Ann Shadd Cary. | |
15 | City Hall / D.C. Courthouse |
(#66000857) |
NW 38°53′43″N 77°01′04″W / 38.895278°N 77.017778°W |
Also known as the Old Courthouse, it was renovated and rededicated on June 17, 2009 as the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. | |
16 | Congressional Cemetery |
(#69000292) |
SE 38°52′52″N 76°58′38″W / 38.881111°N 76.977222°W |
Burial place of early city residents and many members of Congress who died in office. | |
17 | Constitution Hall |
(#85002724) |
NW 38°53′38″N 77°02′24″W / 38.894°N 77.04°W |
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18 | Corcoran Gallery and Corcoran School Of Art |
(#71000997) |
NW 38°53′45″N 77°02′24″W / 38.89578°N 77.039899°W |
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19 | Elliott Coues House |
(#75002049) |
NW 38°54′25″N 77°02′24″W / 38.906944°N 77.04°W |
Elliott Coues, a leading 19th century ornithologist, led great expansions of the knowledge of North American bird life, helped found the American Ornithologists' Union in 1883, edited approximately 15 volumes of journals, memoirs, and diaries by famous Western explorers and fur traders. He lived in this house from 1887 until his death in 1899. | |
20 | Decatur House |
(#66000858) |
NW 38°53′59″N 77°02′20″W / 38.899706°N 77.038897°W |
Federal Style house designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe for naval hero Stephen Decatur across Lafayette Square from the White House. During 1827-1833 was home to successive Secretaries of State Henry Clay, Martin Van Buren, and Judah P. Benjamin. | |
21 | Franklin School |
(#73002085) |
NW 38°54′08″N 77°01′47″W / 38.902222°N 77.029722°W |
A nineteenth-century school, site of Alexander Graham Bell's experiments with the photophone. | |
22 | Gallaudet College Historic District |
(#66000856) |
NE 38°54′26″N 76°59′35″W / 38.907222°N 76.993056°W |
The world's first college for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. | |
23 | General Federation of Women's Clubs Headquarters |
(#91002057) |
NW 38°54′25″N 77°02′25″W / 38.906944°N 77.040278°W |
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24 | General Post Office |
(#69000311) |
NW 38°53′48″N 77°01′22″W / 38.896667°N 77.022778°W |
This post office is a fine example of restrained Neoclassical design. Built in phases between 1839 and 1866, the building features beautiful scaling and fine details. | |
25 | Georgetown Historic District |
(#67000025) |
NW 38°54′34″N 77°03′54″W / 38.909444°N 77.065°W |
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26 | Samuel Gompers House |
(#74002161) |
NW 38°55′08″N 77°00′44″W / 38.918833°N 77.012225°W |
Samuel Gompers was president of the American Federation of Labor from 1886 until his death in 1924. Gompers helped found the AFL, and vigorously pursued its three goals of higher wages, shorter hours, and better working conditions for American workers. He lived in this three-story brick rowhouse from 1902 to 1917. | |
27 | Charlotte Forten Grimke House |
(#76002129) |
NW 38°54′45″N 77°02′13″W / 38.9125°N 77.036944°W |
A home of Charlotte Forten Grimke, a prominent Abolitionist and educator. | |
28 | Healy Hall, Georgetown University |
(#71001003) |
NW 38°54′26″N 77°04′23″W / 38.907242°N 77.072981°W |
This large-scale High Victorian Gothic structure is the most prominent building on the Georgetown University campus and a picturesque landmark for all Georgetown. Built from 1877 through 1879, its construction marked the evolution of the school toward true university status. | |
29 | General Oliver Otis Howard House |
(#74002163) |
NW 38°55′23″N 77°01′20″W / 38.923056°N 77.022222°W |
Located on Howard University campus, a home of Union general and Howard founder Oliver O. Howard. | |
30 | Charles Evans Hughes House |
(#72001424) |
NW 38°54′45″N 77°02′58″W / 38.9125°N 77.049444°W |
Charles Evans Hughes was a leader in the progressive movement, and 1916 presidential candidate. He held office as Associate Justice and Chief Justice of the United States, as well as multiple executive positions under several Presidents. He lived in this house from 1930 until his death in 1948. | |
31 | Hiram W. Johnson House |
(#73002072) |
NE 38°53′29″N 77°00′18″W / 38.891389°N 77.005°W |
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32 | Lafayette Building |
(#05001205) |
NW 38°54′03″N 77°02′04″W / 38.900767°N 77.034536°W |
Home of Reconstruction Finance Corporation which helped finance the buildup for World War II. | |
33 | Lafayette Square Historic District |
(#70000833) |
NW 38°53′59″N 77°02′12″W / 38.899694°N 77.036528°W |
District including LaFayette Square Park, surrounding but excluding the White House. | |
34 | Library Of Congress |
(#66000000) |
SE 38°53′20″N 77°00′16″W / 38.888841°N 77.004531°W |
The Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress | |
35 | Andrew Mellon Building |
(#73002100) |
NW 38°54′33″N 77°02′30″W / 38.909167°N 77.041667°W |
A residence of Andrew W. Mellon. | |
36 | Memorial Continental Hall |
(#72001427) |
NW 38°53′37″N 77°02′25″W / 38.893611°N 77.040278°W |
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37 | Meridian Hill Park |
(#74000273) |
NW 38°55′16″N 77°02′08″W / 38.921236°N 77.035611°W |
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129 | National Archives |
(#100009816) |
Constitution Ave. between 7th and 9th Sts., NW. 38°53′33″N 77°01′24″W / 38.8925°N 77.023333°W |
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38 | National Training School For Women And Girls |
(#91002049) |
NE 38°53′46″N 76°55′48″W / 38.896092°N 76.930031°W |
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39 | National War College |
(#72001535) |
SW 38°51′48″N 77°01′01″W / 38.863333°N 77.016944°W |
Listing is for Roosevelt Hall, which houses the National War College. | |
40 | Octagon House |
(#66000863) |
NW 38°53′46″N 77°02′30″W / 38.896089°N 77.041675°W |
Plantation owner's home lent to President Madison after the Burning of Washington in 1814. | |
41 | Old Naval Observatory |
(#66000864) |
NW 38°53′42″N 77°03′07″W / 38.895°N 77.051944°W |
The original US Naval Observatory, current home of the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery; closed to the public. | |
42 | Old Patent Office |
(#66000902) |
NW 38°53′52″N 77°01′23″W / 38.89778°N 77.022936°W |
Current home of the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. | |
43 | Pan American Union Headquarters |
(#10000625) |
17th St. between C St. and Constitution Ave., NW. 38°53′34″N 77°02′27″W / 38.892778°N 77.040833°W |
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44 | Pension Building |
(#69000312) |
NW 38°53′51″N 77°01′05″W / 38.8975°N 77.018056°W |
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45 | Frances Perkins House |
(#91002048) |
NW 38°54′55″N 77°03′07″W / 38.915278°N 77.051944°W |
A home of Frances Perkins, Secretary of Labor and the first woman to serve in the United States Cabinet. | |
46 | PHILADELPHIA (Gundelo) |
(#66000852) |
NW 38°53′28″N 77°01′46″W / 38.891222°N 77.029472°W |
Philadelphia, the only remaining American gunboat from the Revolutionary War, sank in a battle on Lake Champlain in 1776. It was salvaged in remarkably good condition in 1935 and now resides at the National Museum of American History. | |
47 | Red Cross (American National) Headquarters |
(#66000853) |
NW 38°53′41″N 77°02′26″W / 38.894722°N 77.040556°W |
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48 | Renwick Gallery |
(#69000300) |
NW 38°53′56″N 77°02′22″W / 38.898867°N 77.039447°W |
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49 | Zalmon Richards House |
(#66000866) |
NW 38°54′42″N 77°01′49″W / 38.911667°N 77.030278°W |
A home of National Education Association founder Zalmon Richards. | |
50 | St. Elizabeth's Hospital |
(#79003101) |
SE 38°50′57″N 76°59′23″W / 38.8492°N 76.9896°W |
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51 | St. John's Church |
(#66000868) |
NW 38°54′01″N 77°02′07″W / 38.900278°N 77.035278°W |
Popularly nicknamed the "Church of the Presidents". | |
52 | St. Luke's Episcopal Church |
(#76002131) |
NW 38°54′37″N 77°02′05″W / 38.910278°N 77.034722°W |
The first African-American Episcopal church in Washington, DC. | |
53 | SEQUOIA (Yacht) |
(#87002594) |
SE 38°52′32″N 77°01′20″W / 38.875667°N 77.022361°W |
The former Presidential yacht, moored at the Washington Marina. | |
54 | Sewall–Belmont House |
(#72001432) |
NE 38°53′31″N 77°00′13″W / 38.891944°N 77.003611°W |
Headquarters of the National Women's Party and home to a museum of the Suffrage movement. | |
55 | Smithsonian Institution Building |
(#66000867) |
SW 38°53′19″N 77°01′35″W / 38.888589°N 77.026392°W |
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56 | John Philip Sousa Junior High School |
(#01001045) |
SE 38°53′01″N 76°57′09″W / 38.8837°N 76.9524°W |
In 1950, eleven black students were denied admission to the newly constructed all-white Sousa school. This action was eventually overturned in the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision in Bolling v. Sharpe, which made segregated public schools illegal in the District of Columbia. This defeat of the principle of "separate but equal" was a significant landmark in the modern Civil Rights Movement. | |
57 | State, War, And Navy Building |
(#69000293) |
NW 38°53′51″N 77°02′21″W / 38.897567°N 77.039147°W |
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58 | Supreme Court Building |
(#87001294) |
NE 38°53′27″N 77°00′16″W / 38.890833°N 77.004444°W |
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59 | Mary Church Terrell House |
(#75002055) |
NW 38°54′56″N 77°01′00″W / 38.915556°N 77.016667°W |
A home of Mary Church Terrell, abolitionist and first African-American woman to serve on a school board. | |
60 | Tudor Place |
(#66000871) |
NW 38°54′39″N 77°03′48″W / 38.910808°N 77.063339°W |
A home, designed by Capitol designer Dr. William Thornton, and containing a collection of artifacts of George Washington and Martha Washington. | |
61 | Twelfth Street YMCA Building |
(#83003523) |
NW 38°54′54″N 77°01′42″W / 38.914950°N 77.028276°W |
NRHP 83003523. The earliest "Y" built by and expressly for African Americans. | |
62 | Oscar W. Underwood House |
(#76002132) |
NW 38°53′53″N 77°02′43″W / 38.898056°N 77.045278°W |
A home of Oscar W. Underwood, United States Senator from Alabama. | |
63 | United Mine Workers of America Building |
(#00001032) |
NW 38°54′06″N 77°02′05″W / 38.901543°N 77.034758°W |
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64 | United States Capitol |
(#19600002) |
NW, NE, SE, SW 38°53′23″N 77°00′32″W / 38.889722°N 77.008889°W |
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65 | United States Department of the Treasury |
(#71001007) |
NW 38°53′51″N 77°02′03″W / 38.8975°N 77.0343°W |
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66 | United States Marine Corps Barrack and Commandant's House |
(#72001435) |
SE 38°52′49″N 76°59′38″W / 38.88039°N 76.99386°W |
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67 | United States Soldier's Home |
(#74002176) |
NW 38°56′30″N 77°00′42″W / 38.941667°N 77.011667°W |
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68 | Volta Bureau |
(#72001436) |
NW 38°54′34″N 77°04′09″W / 38.909444°N 77.069167°W |
Founded in 1887 by Alexander Graham Bell "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge relating to the Deaf"; merged with the American Association for the Promotion and Teaching of Speech to the Deaf in 1908, and operates today as the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. | |
69 | Washington Aqueduct |
(#73002123) |
NW 38°56′15″N 77°06′51″W / 38.9375°N 77.114167°W |
Extends into Montgomery County, Maryland. | |
70 | Washington Navy Yard |
(#73002124) |
SE 38°52′24″N 76°59′49″W / 38.873333°N 76.996944°W |
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71 | White House |
(#19600001) |
NW 38°53′52″N 77°02′12″W / 38.89767°N 77.03655°W |
Residence of the president of the United States. | |
72 | David White House |
(#76002133) |
NW 38°55′32″N 77°02′04″W / 38.925556°N 77.034444°W |
Geologist David White of the United States Geological Survey lived in this house from 1910 to 1925. His researches into the distribution of petroleum resources became essential to the oil industry. | |
73 | Woodrow Wilson House |
(#66000873) |
NW 38°54′51″N 77°03′05″W / 38.9141°N 77.05141°W |
A home of Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States. | |
74 | Carter G. Woodson House |
(#76002135) |
NW 38°54′36″N 77°01′27″W / 38.91°N 77.024167°W |
A home of Carter G. Woodson, the "Father of Black History". | |
75 | Robert Simpson Woodward House |
(#76002136) |
NW 38°54′32″N 77°02′11″W / 38.908889°N 77.036389°W |
From 1904 to 1914, this was the home of Robert Simpson Woodward, the first President of the Carnegie Institution during the same period. Woodward had made his name as a leading geologist and mathematician. |
Moved NHLs
There are no delisted NHLs in Washington, D.C. Ships that are designated NHLs have previously been located in Washington, but have been moved elsewhere, and the Army Medical Museum and Library collection has been relocated to Maryland.
Landmark name | Image | Date designated | Date moved | Quadrant | Description | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Army Medical Museum and Library | January 12, 1965 | 1988 | NW 38°58′37″N 77°01′57″W / 38.976842°N 77.032453°W | The listed building was demolished in 1969; the museum collection and library are now part of the National Museum of Health and Medicine, and are based in Silver Spring, Maryland. The landmark designation is under evaluation. |
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington, D.C.
- List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state
- District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites
- Historic preservation
- National Register of Historic Places
- History of Washington, D.C.
- Timeline of Washington, D.C.