Washington, D.C – Around Town : Around Capitol Hill (part 2) – Best of the Rest

by

A Day Around Eastern Market


Morning

Before a day of shopping, begin with a bit of history at the

Library of Congress
, a handsome example of the Italian Renaissance style, with unsurpassed interiors. The first tour is at 10:30am.

Turn right to East Capitol Street, right again, and continue one block to the

Folger Shakespeare Library and Theater
. The Elizabethan theater is enchanting, and the material displayed is both rare and fascinating.

Walk east to 7th Street and turn right. A little over two blocks farther on is

Eastern Market
. On weekends it is surrounded by arts and crafts vendors and flower stalls.

The Market Lunch
 inside is a great choice for lunch.

Afternoon

If you visit the
market on a Saturday, spend the afternoon at the Capitol Hill Flea
Market, across the street from Eastern Market. It features 100 or more
vendors selling antiques, Oriental rugs, fabrics, fine art photographs,
jewelry, and other items. If the flea market is closed, walk a block
south of Eastern Market and visit Woven History and Silk Road (

  • 311–5 7th St, SE

  • 202 543 1705

  • Open 10am–6pm daily

) for its fabrics, rugs, and crafts from Asia and South America.

To return home, turn right and the Eastern Market metro stop is straight ahead of you.

Best of the Rest




  1. Eastern Market

    Weekends are the time to visit to take in the crafts and farm produce stalls .

    • 7th St & C Street, SE

  2. Ebenezer United Methodist Church

    The
    first congregation of African-American Methodists and Episcopals in
    Washington. It also became home to the first public school for black
    children after the Emancipation Proclamation.

    • 420 D St, SE

    • Open 10am– 2pm Mon–Fri

    • Free




    Ebenezer United Methodist Church

  3. Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

    This
    equestrian grouping honors the Union victory in the Civil War. Sculptor
    Henry Shrady (1871–1922) took 20 years to complete the work .

    • Union Square




    Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

  4. Emancipation Monument

    Lincoln holds the Emancipation Proclamation while the last slave, Archer Alexander, breaks his chains .

    Lincoln Park

    • Metro Eastern Market

  5. Statue of Mary McLeod Bethune

    This
    modern sculpture of the great African-American educator and activist
    symbolizes knowledge handed down through generations .

    Lincoln Park

    • Metro Eastern Market

  6. Frederick Douglass Museum

    The
    home of the African-American activist contains many of his possessions,
    including a document proclaiming him a “freed man” .

    • 320 A St, NE

    • Open 9am–4pm daily, by appt. only

    • 202 426 5961

    • Free

  7. Christ Church

    This elegant church, built in 1805, had many prominent parishioners, including presidents Madison and Monroe.

    • 620 G St, SE

  8. National Guard Memorial Museum

    This gallery remembers citizens who gave their lives to protect the nation.

    • 1 Massachusetts Ave, NW

    • Open 9am–4pm Mon–Fri

    • Dis. access

  9. Voice of America

    Most of VOA’s programming, broadcasting US news around the world, is created at these studios.

  10. Alleys and Carriageways

    The
    alleys of Capitol Hill, notorious in the 19th century for their squalid
    and cramped residences, have today been turned into charming little
    homes.