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"John DeFerrari and D. Peter Sefton have written a lively historical and architectural biography of one of Washington, DC's most important boulevards, Sixteenth Street NW. Sixteenth Street is the central north-south artery that runs from the front door of the White House, up the middle of the diamond-shaped District of Columbia, to just past the Maryland border. The street's centrality has made it a forum for the ambitions of both officialdom and the people. This book spans the street's rich history from its dirt-path beginnings to the present day. During the late-nineteenth and early twentieth century, farms and mills just a few miles from the White House were replaced by opulent mansions, grand embassies, luxury hotels, and monumental churches. Today, the street crosses through several historic districts and some of the most vibrant neighborhoods of the capital. Each chapter covers a different era of the social and architectural history of the street and immediate neighborhoods. The book is richly illustrated, and maps will allow readers to make their own walking tour"--
About the author
John DeFerrari is a native Washingtonian with a lifelong passion for local history, which he writes about on his blog, Streets of Washington. He is the author of
Capital Streetcars: Early Mass Transit in Washington, DC;
Historic Restaurants of Washington, DC: Capital Eats; and
Lost Washington, DC.
Douglas Peter Sefton is an architectural historian, creator of the preservation website Victorian Secrets of Washington, DC, and a member of the board of trustees of the DC Preservation League.
Summary
DeFerrari and Sefton have created a highly illustrated architectural “biography†of one of DC’s most important boulevards. This north-south artery–which runs from the White House, through DC, and to the Maryland border–is as central to the cityscape as it is to DC’s history and culture.
