LibGuides: Researching Places of Worship: DC History Center Resources

Vertical Files

Places of Worship Vertical File collection (VF 06)
The Places of Worship Vertical File collection is an artificial collection of newspaper and magazine clippings that have been individually donated, collected by staff, or found in collection relating to churches, mosques, and synagogues.

Ephemera

Ephemera relating to places of worship
From programs to brochures, ephemera can serve as useful documentation of people, places, and events.

Printed Materials

Books and pamphets
Including published books, reports, and hard-to-find-elsewhere printed materials.

Pictorial directory of Catholic churches of Washington, D.C., Maryland, and northern Virginia by Educational Press

Call Number: BX4603 .W3 C248

Publication Date: 1966

Where Washington worships: a handbook of the churches of the District of Columbia by J. Henning Helms
Call Number: BR560 .W35 W3 1917

Publication Date: 1917
Where Washington worships: a handbook of the churches of the District of Columbia. by Washington Federation of Churches
Call Number: BR560 .W35 W3 1922

Publication Date: 1922
Where Washington worships: a handbook of the churches of the District of Columbia by Washington Federation of Churches
Call Number: BR560 .W35 W3 1925

Publication Date: 1925
Where Washington worships: a handbook of the churches of the District of Columbia by Washington Federation of Churches
Call Number: BR560 .W35 W3 1934

Publication Date: 1934
A directory of churches and religious organizations in the District of Columbia by Historical Records Survey, Division of Professional and Service Projects, and Works Progress Administration
Call Number: BR560 .W35 H5 1939

Publication Date: 1939

Photograph Collections

The following selected photograph collections include images of church buildings.

General Photograph Collection
Images in the General Photograph Collection that specifically document church buildings.
SP 0004 - Joseph E. Bishop photograph collection
The collection-level identifier is SP 0004. Individual images are cataloged beginning with BI followed by a 3-digit number. Comprises 350 photographs taken by Joseph E. Bishop during the 1920s; primarily of Old Downtown Washington, but also includes the Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, and Southwest neighborhoods.
SP 0007 - Bert Sheldon photograph collection
The collection-level identifier is SP 0007. Individual images are cataloged beginning with SD followed by a 3-digit number. Comprises over 500 black and white photographs, taken from 1946 through 1952. It is a documentary survey of places of worship in Washington, D.C.
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 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.
SP 0180 - 16th Street Project photograph collection
The collection-level identifier is SP 0180. Comprises 1,868 photographs documents structures along all of Sixteenth Street NW, from the District/Maryland Line at Blair Circle heading south to Lafayette Square. The area covered by photographers Joel Hoffman and Roy Sewall comprises 74 blocks on the west side, and 82 blocks on the east side. Structures photographed include homes, office buildings, embassies, places of worship, shops, restaurants, monuments, and statues, documented between 2009 and 2019.

Manuscript Collections

The DC History History Center holds several collections related to local religious institutions - below is a selected list. Use our online catalog to find additional collections.