A Call for History

This firehouse at 1626 North Capitol Street still stands today.

Have you ever wondered what was here before the houses and buildings? Do you try to imagine what it was like in the neighborhood around the turn of the 20th century, when the original Dunbar school, most of the houses, and even Truxton Circle were brand new?

The Truxton Circle website and newsletter invite you to employ your curiosity to investigate the history of the neighborhood. If you have done research you would like to share with the community, or have an interest in exploring but don't know where to start, please contact us. We'll be glad to help you start your search and share your discoveries.

A permanent exhibit has been installed at the National Building Museum which focuses on the history of the city of

The original Dunbar school

Washington, D.C. There is a section of the exhibit dedicated to the original Dunbar school, including the 1917 neighborhood map for its construction.

Though the Washington City Museum has closed to the general public, the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. still operates from its near-to-Truxton-Circle location at Mount Vernon Square. A few blocks farther is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, D.C.'s main branch of the public library, which houses the Washingtoniana collection of city history. Both the library and the historical society can be very useful in finding information, especially once you have narrowed down your research to specific topics and dates.

Detail (North Capitol Street area) of "The National Capital, Washington, D.C. Sketched From Nature" by Adolph Sachse (1884)

The past of our community gives us with a foundation and commonality that can bring us together in the present. And the knowledge of our history will help us in the future to be true to the heritage of the neighborhood. With thoughtful consideration of the history of our community and careful planning in our forward progress, we can ensure our area retains its cultural richness and strengthens our neighborhood unity.