LibGuides: Researching Building History: Resources by the Questions They Help to Answer

Who Lived There? Who Owned It?

City Directories (1822-1973)
The DC History Center holds Boyd’s City Directories for 1822, 1827, 1834, 1843, 1846, 1850, 1853, 1855, 1858, 1860-1943, 1948, 1954, 1956, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, and 1973. Directories list residents alphabetically, and include occupation, place of employment, home address, race (up to 1870), and names of spouses (1928 onwards).

From 1914-1973, directories include a separate street address index. Patrons may search for their homes by address to discover its historic occupant. Volumes also contained a business directory, organized by business category.

Data was collected via door-to-door canvas in December of the previous year. If your home was built and occupied within a calendar year, the residents may not appear in the directory at that address until the following year.

Property Tax Assessment Directories

The DC History Center holds select 20^th century tax assessment directories, primarily 1917-1940 and 1981-1999 available by appointment. An inventory can be provided in advance.

Directories Available at the People's Archive at the DC Public Library

These directories are available from 1874 – 2009 on microfilm. Information provided here will include property owner, assessed value of lot and “improvement” (the value of the house), and square footage. Property’s square and lot number will be needed to search.

Digitized City Directories - ONLINE RESOURCE

Online database HeritageQuest (bit.ly/2krNU73; available with DCPL card) has some city directories. However, this database is setup for searching for individual people rather than browsing the entire digitized directory.

Select directories between 1860-1909 have been digitized and are available online; an index is available at: https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=boyddc.

What's the property's square and lot? Has it been renovated over time?

History Quest - ONLINE RESOURCE

HistoryQuest (bit.ly/2lZG5pC) is the online component of the building permits database for extant buildings only. This GIS map provides historical data on approximately 127,000 buildings in Washington, DC. The map offers several operational layers of information for the user including historic data on individual buildings, links to documentation on properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places, information on historic residential subdivisions, and the identification and boundaries of the L’Enfant Plan, and the city’s Squares, and Wards. The featured layer in the map—the Historical Data on DC Buildings—provides information from a variety of sources on original dates of construction, architects, owners and builders of the city’s historic buildings.

Building Permits Access Database

If the property you wish to research was constructed between 1877 and 1949, it should have a recorded building permit (initial permit to build). Architect, builder, year the permit was filed, amount paid, ownership, etc. can all be gleaned from the DC Historical Building Permits Database. You’ll need to provide the address to a librarian on duty to receive a printout of this data. This database includes buildings that have been razed.

Repair, Renovation, Raze, Modification, etc. Permits

Available via microfilm at Washingtoniana Division in the People's Archive of the DC Public Library (dclibrary.org/wash) and National Archives (Series - District of Columbia Building Permits, 1877–1949, identifier: M1116.

Building Permits after 1949

Available through DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA)
DCRA holds the index and database necessary to request the material from the DC Archives for building permits from 1949 – 1995. To access these, contact DCRA with street address and / or square and lot. DCRA will search the index, then contact DC Archives on the patron’s behalf. DC Archives staff will contact the patron with the results of the search (i.e. to indicate that the material was or was not located and how to schedule an appointment to review it if it was).

DC Property Quest - ONLINE RESOURCE
DC's Office of Planning created this site to show a wide range of site-related information easily, especially for historic resources. PropertyQuest draws from databases provided by other DC agencies. Information is presented here for planning purposes only. Please consult the source agencies for definitive answers.

What Did the Building Look Like? What Did the Neighborhood Look Like?

The DC History Center's photography collections include thousands of street scenes and architectural images. The online catalog includes several different types of catalog records. There are collections where each and every image is cataloged, and has a thumbnail image attached. There are collections where each image is cataloged, but there are NO thumbnail images attached (such as a search for “St. John’s Lutheran Church” indicates, where the DC History Center icon is visible in place of a thumbnail image). There are collections where more than 1,000 images are described with a single catalog record, and an attached PDF offers an an address-by-address listing. Sometimes individual addresses are listed in the catalog record; sometimes you need to see an image itself to see if your building of interest included.

Photographs are the only type of resource in the catalog where you can consistently use the advanced search fields for square and block number, so if a search for “918 G Street NW” yields nothing - don’t give up, try searching 900 and G and NW. In addition, searching using nearby landmarks can often reveal an image that includes your building of interest, even if it’s not called out in the catalog record.

The below collections are examples of those that focus on street scenes and architectural images; several are city-wide surveys and the others focus on specific neighborhoods.

SP 0052 - John P. Wymer photograph collection
Consists of about 4000 images of Washington taken by John P. Wymer, 1948-1952. Wymer divided the District into 57 areas and photographed sample blocks and important buildings. Collection comprises original hand-cut negatives; notebooks kept by photographer; scrapbooks with each page containing prints and typed captions. The photograph prints are captioned with location and date. This collection was digitized in its entirety in 2018. Each image in the collection is available in high resolution by request; fees apply.
Wymer's DC
Wymer's DC is an interactive map which places the thousands of historic images of John P. Wymer onto Google Street View. Use this tool to immerse yourself in 1950s Washington, D.C. and picture the city as you have never seen it before. Wymer's DC was created as a way to view the Wymer Photograph Collection in a geospatial context and visually connect with the rich history of the nation's capital.
SP 0034 - Emil A. Press slide collection
The Emil A. Press Slide Collection consists of about 4000 35mm color slides taken by Emil Press, 1959-1979. The images are mainly of Washington, D.C. south of Florida Avenue, but some outlying areas are included. Press often photographed buildings that were slated for, or in the process of demolition. The card index to the collection is arranged by both location and subject. This collection was digitized in its entirety in 2018. Each image in the collection is available in high resolution by request; fees apply.
SP 0068 - Susan Myers Capitol Hill Residences collection
35mm slides produced in conjunction with research by Susan Myers on on Capitol Hill Residences, leading to her article, "Capitol Hill 1870-1900, The People and Their Homes", in CHS Records 1973-1974, p 276.
SP 0122 - Kathleen Sinclair Wood collection
The collection-level identifier is SP 0122. Individual images are cataloged beginning with KSW. Comprises several thousand 35mm slide photographs of Cleveland Park and other Washington D. C. sites, taken primarily by Kathleen Sinclair Wood.
SP 0125 - Cleveland Park, Georgetown, and General Architectural Slide collection
The collection includes three albums containing about 900 35mm slides of Washington buildings in the 1970s and 80s. Those in Album A are of Cleveland Park sites; those in Album B are of Georgetown sites; and those in Album C are of other Washington, D.C. sites.
Kiplinger Washington Collection Barrett collection
William Edmund "Bill" Barrett (1927-1997) graduated from Georgetown University in 1951 and launched his career as a freelance architectural photographer in 1961. Washington-area clients included the National Capital Planning Commission, Octagon House, Decatur House, the Junior League, the National Park Service and Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. The Barrett images in the Kiplinger Washington Collection are all cataloged online and are all street scenes in the 1960s. The object IDs reflect a cataloging system devised by a former curator of the collection. Object IDs begin with KC followed by a 4-digit number. The number indicates the order in which the item came into the collection/was cataloged. In addition, the object ID sheds light on the type of material and creator: PH indicates photograph; WB is for William Barrett. The physical prints are arranged by square, reflecting Barrett's systematic method of documenting the built environment.
SP 0128 - Wm. Edmund Barrett Washington Photographs collection
The collection is largely comprised of Washington street scenes captured in approximately 4,000 sharp, 4x5" Kodak transparencies, nearly all individually identified by location and date. Barrett often included printing notes and critiques on the glassine negative sleeves, providing critical metadata as well as insight into his artistic process. The collection also includes Barrett's copy work; 35mm negatives and slides; several hundred black and white prints; and selected client correspondence. The collection is unprocessed; a box-level inventory is available at the Kiplinger Research Library. Approximately 8.5 cubic ft. (9 containers).
DC Office of Historic Preservation D.C. Historic Preservation Office (DC HPO) Historical, Architectural and Cultural Resources Surveys
This collection consists of three surveys: Blacks in the Arts (1988), Blagden Alley/Naylor Court (1989) and Downtown (1979). The Blacks in the Arts survey documented buildings associated with the unique atmosphere in which DC black artists lived and worked in the post-civil war era and during segregation within today's Shaw neighborhood in Northwest DC. The intent was to document and preserve this historical information and to identify buildings which meet the National Register evaluation criteria. The Blagden Alley/Naylor Court survey documented buildings and dwellings located in Naylor Court and Blagden Alley (Squares 0367 and 0368, respectively) in downtown DC with the intent to assess its historical significance and how historic district designation would impact planning and development. The Downtown Survey, conducted by Don't Tear it Down, was a major survey of downtown Washington, DC with the goal of identifying the architectural and historic resources of "old downtown" and to incorporating these findings into redevelopment plans in an attempt to preserve the unique characteristics of the nation's capital for future generations.

Who Built It? Who Designed It?

History Quest - ONLINE RESOURCE

Building Permits Access Database

Repair, Renovation, Raze, Modification, etc. Permits

Building Permits after 1949

DC Property Quest - ONLINE RESOURCE
DC's Office of Planning created this site to show a wide range of site-related information easily, especially for historic resources. PropertyQuest draws from databases provided by other DC agencies. Information is presented here for planning purposes only. Please consult the source agencies for definitive answers.

Where Can I Discover More Information About the Architect?

Many manuscript collections include information on specific architects, including but not limited to the following:

James M. Goode Architects in Washington, D.C., collection (MS 0384)
The collection contains materials on almost 200 noted architects and architectural firms compiled by Goode in 1987 as part of his research on Washington's cultural, social, and architectural landscape. Included are news clippings, notes, brochures, photographs, and copies of plans.

The Printed Materials Collection includes directories and books dedicated to local architects, including but not limited to the following:

A directory of District of Columbia architects, 1822-1960 by Pamela Scott
Call Number: P 2814
Publication Date: 2001
Washington architects, contractors, and builders directory, 1892-93 by The Monumental Publishing Co.
Call Number: HD9715 .U53 A8
Publication Date: 1892
The early black architects of Washington, 1900 - 1940 by Harrison M. Ethridge
Call Number: P 7207
Publication Date: 1978

Learn more about the life and work of 100 prominent 19th- and 20th-century architects via the DC Architects Directory - ONLINE RESOURCE

DC Architects Directory
The DC Architects Directory, maintained by the District of Columbia State Historic Preservation Office, is a collection of 100 biographies on architects from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries whose work has contributed to the appearance and development of Washington, DC. The architects selected are those who were the most prolific and influential in the development of “local” Washington, including the city’s residential, commercial, institutional and religious buildings.

Was There a Racial Covenant on the Property?

Context for Today: Segregating Where We Live
As part of the DC History Center’s ongoing mission to offer enlightening connections with the past, this Context for Today compilation looks at segregation and housing discrimination in DC history. We are asking: what are the practices that have defined the racial composition of DC’s neighborhoods? What forces limit the ability of people of color to build wealth and enjoy the fruits of American society?

Researching your District of Columbia Home
House history guide created by staff of the People's Archive at the DC Public Library. The People's Archive at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library holds an extensive collection of historical materials and resources related to D.C. history. Visit dclibrary.org/washingtoniana to learn more. Specific resources relevant to House Histories include tax assessments records, building permits, neighborhood files, and more. The Peabody Collection at the Georgetown branch of the DC Public Library holds a plethora of resources specific to Georgetown, such vertical files (arranged by street address), photographs, tax assessment records (19th century), neighborhood newspapers (on microfilm, 19th and 20th century), and more. Please contact Jerry McCoy, librarian, at Peabody Room (202-727-0233 or jerry.mccoy@dc.gov).
DC Archives
The District of Columbia Archives holds historical and permanently valuable records of the DC Government such as birth and death records, wills, land records and marriage records. Please email archives@dc.gov to make an appointment.
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives building (on Pennsylvania Ave NW between 7th and 9th) holds many resources related to local D.C. history.
Building and Neighborhood History pathfinder
Local historian Matthew Gilmore offers an excellent one-page workflow chart (last updated 2014) to the kinds of answers that can be found using particular resources.