DC House History Program
(Brian Kraft discusses land records during the 2010 DC Community Heritage Project Symposium.)
A sense of place can often provide the deepest personal connection with the past. Many people get chills knowing that they are standing on the ground where a defiant protest, a resounding speech, or a terrible battle once took place. But in Washington, DC it is often easy to forget that nearly every house or lot holds a hidden history. During the Fall of 2009, the DC Community Heritage Project in conjunction with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Dorothea De Schweinitz Preservation Fund launched the DC House History Workshop to help District residents understand the often colorful past of the properties that they presently call home.
The workshop featured a panel of area historians who guided participants in their search through basic public documents and information on historic architectural styles. Use the following links to access materials from the workshop and other online resources to begin tracing your own DC house history.
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