Boundary Stones | WETA's Washington DC Local History Website

The Epicenter of the 1980s Alternative Music Scene in DC

When the Atlantic building at 930 F Street NW was completed in 1888, it was on the cutting edge. Designed by James Hill Green, the supervising architect of the U.S. Treasury Department, it was the biggest commercial structure in the District and one of the first to feature a passenger elevator. Over time, however, it was gradually was overshadowed by newer, flashier modern buildings, and became a largely-forgotten bit of the District's architectural history... until the 1980s, when the building achieved new fame as the epicenter of the District's alternative music scene.

“Washington’s Other Monument”: The Remarkable Life of Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Washington, DC, has been home to countless larger-than-life political figures. But perhaps no other Washingtonian has had such a long-lasting—and underappreciated impact—on American popular culture...
Frances Oldham Kelsey: How an FDA Pharmacologist Prevented Thalidomide from Becoming a National Tragedy

In 1960, a new drug called thalidomide arrived for review at the FDA. Assuming the popular European drug would be a routine application, supervisors assigned its approval to their newest hire, Dr...
Nannie Helen Burroughs Was a Trailblazer and So Was the School She Founded in D.C.

Despite the intense application process and the curriculum’s rigorous Baptist philosophy which left little room for error, a diploma from the National Training School for Women and Girls opened doors...

Chinatown arch in Washington DC against a blue sky.

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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Before K-Pop there was… the Arirang? The First Korean students at Howard University

Today, the K-Pop phenomenon has taken the world by storm; but it seems that American fascination with Korean music goes all the way back to the late 1800s, 1896 to be exact. Long before bands like BTS sold out stadiums, there were seven Korean (then called Chosun) students whose singing captured the attention of “dozens of damsels” at Howard University.
February 12, 2020
- Washington, D.C.
By Karis Lee
The History & Survival of Washington D.C.’s Chinatown

When walking the streets of downtown D.C. near Penn Quarter, Washington’s Chinatown is difficult to miss. The vibrant Friendship Archway marks the entrance of the neighborhood, and if you look closely, you’ll even be able to spot markers of the Chinese zodiac on the crosswalks. But Chinatown was first located in a different D.C. neighborhood altogether.
April 10, 2020
- Washington, D.C.
By Karis Lee
A Filipino Literary Landmark: The Manila House in D.C.

2422 K St. NW, nestled in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood just down the street from the George Washington University, looks like any other D.C. row house. But for the Filipino community in D.C. during the 1930s through the 1950s, it was a haven — a source of culture, community, and comfort. As those who remember it fondly today can testify, 2422 K St. NW wasn’t just a row house; it was the Manila House.
January 30, 2020
- Washington, D.C.
By Karis Lee

Watch & Learn

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Koreagate: Tongsun Park's Cash Bribes and Congressional Corruption

In the 1960 and ‘70s, South Korean agent gave nearly $1 Million to Congress — and got away with it.
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The Disastrous Move to Make the National Mall a Fish Farm

Did you know that the National Mall used to be home to a giant government fish farm?
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100 Years Ago, a D.C. Physician Launched the First Anthrax Attack on the U.S. from His Basement

Did modern biological warfare begin in a Chevy Chase, Washington, D.C. basement?

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First Electric Chair Execution in D.C.

Convicted rapist Philip Jackson is the first person to be executed by electric chair in Washington, D.C. The D.C. Council repealed the death penalty in 1981.