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Katherine Brodt

Kate, a native of Prince George's County, first became interested in history when her parents bought her a First Ladies coloring book. She's been researching, collecting, and writing interesting stories ever since. She has a BA in History and Art History from Skidmore College, as well as a MA in Early Modern History from King's College London. 

Posts by this Author

DC
Meet the “Georgetown Witches,” Margaret Ann and Belle Laurie

Meet the “Georgetown Witches,” Margaret Ann and Belle Laurie

10/25/2023 in DC by Katherine Brodt

Those who think that the “Exorcist stairs” are the spookiest landmark in Georgetown clearly haven’t heard of the Laurie family. In the nineteenth century, in a townhouse where 3327 N Street NW stands today, two women known as “the Witches of Georgetown” were talking to ghosts and making pianos levitate. Or, at least, that’s what legend tells us.

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DC
Who Stands Atop the Dome of the U.S. Capitol Building?

Who Stands Atop the Dome of the U.S. Capitol Building?

04/28/2023 in DC by Katherine Brodt

Even though most Washingtonians know that there is a statue atop the U.S. Capitol dome, many don’t actually know what it’s a statue of. Can you blame us? It’s hard to get a good look at it. Let's take  a closer look!

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Maryland
How Ethel Barrymore Helped Bring Theater to Olney, Maryland

How Ethel Barrymore Helped Bring Theater to Olney, Maryland

01/27/2023 in Maryland by Katherine Brodt

As Washingtonians and Marylanders began to recover from the hardships of the Great Depression, movies and local theater were a great way to find some escape. In the late 1930s, outdoor theaters were beginning to spring up on the outskirts of the District, where they were especially popular in the summertime. Most of the new playhouses, though, were in Northern Virginia. Maryland lacked options... until organizers of a new theater project in Olney called in a favor from Ethel Barrymore.

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Maryland
How the B&O Railroad Almost Gave Kensington, Maryland its Name

How the B&O Railroad Almost Gave Kensington, Maryland its Name

09/23/2022 in Maryland by Katherine Brodt

Kensington, Maryland boasts the second-oldest continuously operational railroad station in the country, serving D.C. commuters since 1891. In 1894, as the area started to grow as a commuter suburb, "Knowles Station" was set to be officially incorporated as a town in Maryland... until a man named Brainard Warner pushed back.

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Maryland
What's in a Name? Silver Spring

What's in a Name? Silver Spring

03/22/2022 in Maryland by Katherine Brodt

How did Silver Spring, Maryland land one of the prettiest, most mystical-sounding names in the Washington, D.C. area? Was there really a magical silver spring that once flowed through the area? Is it as pretty and idyllic as it sounds? Actually, that's exactly where the name comes from: a "silver spring."

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DC
America's First Modern Art Museum

America's First Modern Art Museum

01/28/2022 in DC by Katherine Brodt

The country’s first modern art museum was established 100 years ago in a Dupont Circle townhouse. And since the Phillips Collection celebrated its centenary last year, it’s a great time to remind Washingtonians that their city has a rich art history—largely exemplified by the story of this museum.

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Virginia
What's in a Name? Virginia

What's in a Name? Virginia

11/01/2021 in Virginia by Katherine Brodt

Perhaps, in some alternate history, the name “Virginia” may have applied to our entire country. When the English first settled North America, that was certainly the case. 

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DC
Brood X in the Eighteenth-Century Headlines

Brood X in the Eighteenth-Century Headlines

05/11/2021 in DC by Katherine Brodt

As a historian, seeing the media “buzz” surrounding cicadas makes me wonder how our ancestors reacted to their periodical swarms. Who were the first people to realize what was going on? Did they understand the seventeen-year cycle? Were they afraid, curious, or unbothered? As I suspected, Washington-area locals have been fascinated by Brood X for a very long time. 

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DC
The Presidential Hippopotamus at the National Zoo

The Presidential Hippopotamus at the National Zoo

04/19/2021 in DC by Katherine Brodt

Before pandas became the celebrities at the National Zoo, President Calvin Coolidge's pet hippopotamus drew the large crowds. Meet William J. Hippopotamus, one of the most famous animals in D.C. history. 

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DC
Margaret Bayard Smith: A Writer of Washington

Margaret Bayard Smith: A Writer of Washington

03/24/2021 in DC by Katherine Brodt

Anyone who reads The First Forty Years of Washington Society will form an image of Margaret Bayard Smith as a lively social butterfly and busybody. After all, her published letters seem like the nineteenth-century equivalent of a gossip column. What readers may not realize is that, just like her husband, Margaret was an accomplished writer. In nineteenth-century Washington, she was well-known as an author in her own right, not just a socialite.

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