VICTORIAN SECRETS OF WASHINGTON, DC

This site isn't much of a beauty pagent because we concentrate on buildings that are vacant, deteriorated, distressed, or just plain at risk because they are standing in the path of development. Often we will be holding wakes while they are still on their deathbeds. However, if even one of them finds an angel because of our page, we will consider it a thousand percent on investment.

Most of our picture-taking has been in old downtown in pretentiously-titled "portals" along New York Avenue and South Capitol Streets. We also have a particular interest in the gable-roofed frame houses that have become nearly extinct in the city, as well as in old storefronts.

If you're ever out early on a weekend morning and see a middle-aged squinting through his viewfinder while a teenaged girl watches for turning cars, please say "Hi". We're always looking for contributions as well.

FIELD TRIPS AT HOME

Click the image to see

"KC 6 Pack"

March 7, 2010

Click the image for

"DC's Most Beautiful Unknown Buildings #1:

A Touch of LA"

Click the image to see

"Detroit in the Green Zone"

November 1, 2009

Click the image above for the Potomac bridge that never has a rush hour.

 

Click the image to investigate

"Worcester's Mysterious Mosaic Mural"

Click the matchcover for "Live! From Club Kavakos!", plus a wartime "Midnight At The Kavakos"

 

 

CLICK THE MAP TO TOUR "NEW JERSEY'S DISAPPEARING DECO HIGHWAYS"

 

Click here to search for Billie Holiday's fading footprints in Baltimore and DC.

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHO'S "LIVE AT THE LAWNDALE" IN CHICAGO

Click the logo above for "Our Vanishing Vitrolite"

CLICK THE TILE MOSAIC FOR A "WATTS TOWER FIELD TRIP"

 

Click either image above for

Near Southeast: A Neighborhood Passes

Covering the Ballpark District and Stadium Site

 

CLICK HERE FOR A "HOLYLAND REQUIEM" IN CONNECTICUT

 

Click the image above for "Death of a Row House"

 

CLICK HERE FOR

"SAINT LOUIS: TERRA COTTA CITY"

ELVIS PLAYS WASHINGTON!

Click the SS Mount Vernon above to find out what really happened on March 23, 1956.

CLICK HERE TO SAMPLE

"VACATION VICTORIANS"

 

Click the Atlantic Theatre above for "John Eberson's Deco Dreams"

Many houses associated with Washington Civil War figures are in hotbeds of redevelopment. Click 1017 K Street on the left or the Matthew Ruppert House on the right to visit "Old Soldiers"

 

The Jesse Baltimore House, a 1925 Sears Roebuck "Fullerton" catalog house at 5136 Sherier Place NW, was recently demolished by the DC Government after a four year struggle. Click the picture above for our house memorial.

Click any picture above to view our "Mount Vernon East" Powerpoint show on an imperiled downtown neighborhood.

 

Click "Ladies Invited" to see "Where Old DC Drank"

Click "HOME COOKING" to see "LOST DINERS OF DC"

 

Click "ST-8298" to visit the DeeCee Diner

Click on the beleaguered rowhouse in the far left cell for "The Last Victorian on Stanton Road".

"And the Walls Came Tumbling Down": Click on the pile of bricks above to see the fall of 901 R Street NW as captured by M. Perko.

View our "Lost Landmarks of Upstate New York" site by clicking on the hardworking ladies in the left center cell above.

See "Shadows of the Shenandoah Valley" by clicking on the old store below by clicking on the orange house in the right center cell above.

The Thomas Circle area loses two Gilded Era rowhouses. Click here for a cyber-tour.

For links to vintage building sites for other cities, click the Tremont Theatre at the far right.

Click here for "Memorial Mosiac: What We Lost in 2002"

Click here to learn what you can do to support landmark nominations.

CLICK EITHER IMAGE TO SEE 

VICTORIANS OF THE WEEK 1-17

THANKS!

To everyone who e-mailed suggestions, invited me to link to their page, told me how to spell "celebre", or just offered their support.

I am in the process of trying to incorporate some suggestions such as optimizing the image files to speed up loading.

 

 

WRITE TO US !

If this site has touched you in some way, we'd love to hear about it.

We're always on the lookout for new sites to see and especially for new buildings to photograph.

All messages will be answered.

E-mail psefton@comcast.net

SAVE THE ROWHOUSES !

And the farmhouse, bungalows, shotgunhouses,churches, theatres, and storefronts!

So much of the District we know is traveling the path to oblivion. Although it is neither possible nor desirable to save every vintage building, the process by which buildings are demolished needs to monitored carefully. And at the very least, every imperiled building should be documented.

If you have an imperiled vintage building in your neighborhood, please send us a shot. We're always looking for contributions.