Washington, D.C – Around Town : Georgetown (part 1)

by

When Abigail Adams arrived in
Washington in 1800, she described Georgetown as “the very dirtiest hole
I ever saw.” Then a major port with a huge slave and tobacco trade,
cheap housing, and commercial wharves, the town may have been
unattractive. But the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and its competitor, the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, brought prosperity to Georgetown, and
therefore style. When the canal began to fail after flood damage, slum
conditions returned, until Franklin D. Roosevelt partly rehabilitated
the area. Its current modish position stems from the Kennedy era, when
Georgetown became fashionable.

Metro Connection and Bus

Georgetown has no
Metrorail station, and it used to be difficult for visitors to get to
attractions here without a long walk from the nearest stations or a taxi
ride. The Georgetown Metro Connection has been created to alleviate the
problem. Running every 10 minutes daily, the shuttle bus provides
inexpensive and convenient transportation to 13 locations, and, best of
all, no parking worries. The Circulator Bus also runs every 5–10 minutes
from 7am–9pm daily .






Sights

  1. Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Gardens

    This
    elegant Federal-style house, with its Philip Johnson-designed wing,
    houses a world-renowned collection of Byzantine and pre-Columbian
    artifacts. El Greco’s Visitation
    is here also, possibly the Spanish master’s last painting. The house
    and museum are surrounded by acres of gorgeous landscaping .

    • 1703 32nd St, NW

    • Open 2–5pm Tue–Sun

    • Adm

  2. Washington Harbor

    Dockside
    cafés, good restaurants, lovely views of the Potomac and the Kennedy
    Center, the Watergate complex, and the Thompson boathouse, walkways for
    strolling, and benches for resting make the harbor a magnet for
    Georgetowners on warm evenings. The Washington Harbor residential and
    commercial building is an architectural exuberance designed by Arthur
    Cotton Moore and Associates.

    • 3000–20 K St, NW, at the bottom of Thomas Jefferson St, NW (between 30th & 31st Sts)

  3. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

    Like
    so many features of the area, the C&O Canal grew from a dream of
    George Washington’s as a gateway to commerce with the US lands to the
    west (“west” meaning Ohio at the time). Coal, flour, fur, timber,
    whiskey, iron ore, and other goods traveled on barges, towed by mules
    walking along canalside paths. The canal’s commercial days are over, but
    its entire length from Georgetown to Maryland has been turned into one
    of the most beloved national parks. Visitors˙ can experience the beauty
    and serenity of the canal by walking about a block south from M Street,
    NW and turning west onto the towpath. The National Park Service Visitor
    Center for the C&O has terrific guidance for enjoying the canal.
    Guided tours and seasonal mule-powered barge rides are offered .

    Visitor Center

    • 1057 Thomas Jefferson St, NW

    • 202 653 5190

    • Open 9am–4:30pm Wed–Sun; closed winter




    Rowhouses, C&O Canal

  4. M Street and Wisconsin Avenue

    This
    intersection is surrounded by the main shopping, entertainment, dining,
    and bar-crawling areas of Georgetown. The attractive shops of Georgetown Park
    include hundreds of retailers selling cool urban clothes, jewelry, fine
    wine, art and antiques, and countless other specialties. Restaurant
    food of every description is available, from modern gourmet to street
    window kebabs.




    M Street



    Elegant Georgetown House

  5. N Street

    Little
    attractions and oddities abound on this street, which is noted for its
    exemplary architecture. Best seen from the sidewalk on 28th Street, NW,
    the house at No. 2726 has an outstanding mosaic by Marc Chagall, a
    friend of the former owner. The elegant Federal house at No. 3038 was
    home to Ambassador Averill Harriman, who lent the house to Jacqueline
    Kennedy after her husband’s assassination. She later bought the
    elaborate 1794 Thomas Beall house across the street. Lessons in
    19th-century architecture can be learned from the Federal houses at Nos.
    3327 and 3339, the Second-Empire home at No. 3025–7, and the Victorian
    homes of Wheatley Row at Nos. 3041–45.




    N Street house

  6. Georgetown University

    This
    venerable institution sits on its hill overlooking Georgetown and the
    Potomac like a medieval citadel, its stone towers seemingly brooding
    with age. Yet the university is one of the most progressive in the
    country. Among the many interesting buildings here is the 1875 Healy
    Hall, built in an elaborate Flemish Renaissance style with surprising
    spiral adornment. Visitors can obtain campus maps and suggestions for
    strolls from the booth at the main gates.

    Gatehouse visitors booth

    • O & 37th Sts, NW

    • Opening hours vary depending on the university schedule

    • Call for details: 202 687 0100




    Georgetown University

  7. Grace Church

    The
    1866 church construction was built to house a congregation founded to
    serve the boatmen and support staff of the C&O Canal. The simple but
    extremely elegant design brings back the mid-19th century, although
    admittedly without the raucous bustle that must have accompanied the
    canal at its peak. The grounds are beautifully peaceful. The church
    offers poetry readings, theater performances, and concerts. Today’s
    congregation has a serious devotion to community service and outreach.

    • 1041 Wisconsin Ave, NW (one block south of M St)

    • Open by appt

    • (tel: 202 333 7100)

    Office

    • Open 10am–6pm Mon, Tue, & Fri

    • Free

  8. Old Stone House

    This
    remarkable residence dating from 1766 looks a little incongruous
    standing directly in the heart of the shopping area, but it provides a
    captivating window into 18th-century life. The National Park Service
    provides tours and fascinating demonstrations of the crafts and tasks of
    colonial families.

    • 3051 M St

    • Open Jan–Mar: noon–5pm daily; Apr–Dec: 11am–5pm daily

    • Dis. access

    • Free

  9. Tudor Place

    This
    house museum would be remarkable for its beauty even without its
    historic interest. Completed in 1816, the house was built by Thomas
    Peter, son of a Georgetown tobacco merchant, and Martha Custis Peter,
    granddaughter of Martha Washington. The Peter family occupied the house
    for six generations and played hosts to many prominent guests.

    • 1644 31st St, NW

    • 202 965 0400

    • Open 10am–4pm Tue–Sat, noon–4pm Sun; closed Jan, federal holidays

    • Dis. access

    • Adm




    Tudor Place

  10. Oak Hill Cemetery

    The
    cemetery has a great diversity of graves and mausoleums in a Victorian
    garden setting. Its Gothic Revival chapel and the Van Ness Mausoleum are
    on the National Register of Historic Places.

    • R & 30th Sts, NW

    • Open 9am–4:30pm Mon–Fri, 1–4pm Sun, weather permitting