This image is the cover for the book Capitol Hill, Past and Present

Capitol Hill, Past and Present

Capitol Hill began as a thinly settled agricultural area. Beginning in the 1790s, the Capitol and the Washington Navy Yard, a large industrial employer, spurred a building boom in new houses, hotels, and stores, a trend that continues to present day. This book focuses on buildings lost and saved.

Elizabeth Purcell

Capitol Hill historian Elizabeth Purcell reached out to friends; the Historical Society of Washington, DC; and the Library of Congress for the stories behind the big buildings and the large empty spaces.

Arcadia Publishing