Do you know how many national historic landmarks are in Washington, DC? There are 74 National Historic Landmarks (NHL) in Washington, DC, the capital of the USA and a cultural hub, home to several embassies, universities, monuments, museums, and libraries. Without further delay, let’s dive into the blog to learn more!
Under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register of Historic Places includes National Historic Landmarks (NHLs). According to the register, buildings, structures, districts, sites, and objects must be more than 50 years old to be officially designated as historic landmarks. These landmarks are associated with important aspects of American history and culture.
Some schools, universities, and cemeteries are also designated as NHLs. While most National Historic Landmarks are included in the National Register, the White House, the United States Capitol, and the United States Supreme Court Building are all designated as national landmarks but are not included in the National Register.
The Secretary of the Interior is responsible for designating places as National Historic Landmarks in Washington, DC, through theme and special studies. The government will permanently recognize and protect these landmarks, preserving and restoring them if they are damaged or demolished in the future.
Theme studies and special studies are effective methods for identifying and designating properties and buildings that have contributed to significant moments in the nation’s history, such as Native American trade, space exploration, labor history, archaeological sites, sculptures, and landscapes.
Here is the list of 74 National Historic Landmarks in Washington, DC, that you need to know!
Anderson House, also known as the Larz Anderson House, is a mansion located near Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, D.C. It now serves as the international headquarters and a research library focused on 17th and 18th-century military and naval history, as well as the art of war. The mansion commemorates significant contributions to American democracy.
The Cleveland Abbe House, also known as the Timothy Caldwell House and the Monroe-Adams-Abbe House, is a historic home located on I Street in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1805. This residential area is notable for its early 20th-century suburban development and diverse architectural styles.
The Carnegie Institution of Washington, also known as Carnegie Science, is a Beaux-Arts-style building designed by architects Carrère and Hastings. With its distinctive tenant, it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965.
The American Federation of Labor Building is a seven-story structure made of brick and limestone, located on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C. It served as the headquarters of the AFL and later merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations to form the AFL-CIO. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974.
This African American memorial honors the African American soldiers who served during the Civil War. It features a statue and a wall listing the names of all the soldiers.
Once Robert E. Lee’s estate, this site has now become a National Historical Cemetery, offering extensive historical context about the Civil War and Reconstruction.
The White House is the most recognizable building in Washington, D.C. This iconic structure has served as the official residence of the US president for around 200 years.
The US Capitol is another important landmark in Washington, D.C. This iconic building is the home of the United States Congress and the Symbol of the country’s democratic values.
The Lincoln Memorial is a prominent landmark dedicated to America’s greatest president. The structure features a grand statue of Abraham Lincoln, surrounded by powerful inscriptions of his famous speeches and words.
The National Mall is a sprawling park in Washington, DC, home to many iconic and unique monuments and memorials. Notable landmarks on the National Mall include the Jefferson Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
The Astro-Turf House is a notable example of early 20th-century architecture, reflecting post-World War II American domestic life.
The Decatur House is a historic house museum located on Jackson Place in Washington, D.C. It was a coveted residence for individuals seeking political or social influence.
Also known as the Jacqueline Kennedy House, the Newton D. Baker House was designated a historic house in 1976. It was the residence of Newton Diehl Baker, a prominent figure in U.S. history.
Blair House, also known as the President’s Guest House, is an official residence in Washington, D.C. It serves as a guest house for visiting dignitaries and the president’s guests.
Located at 1513 16th Street in Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C., the Robert Simpson Woodward House was the residence of geologist Robert Simpson Woodward from 1904 to 1914. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
This memorial is dedicated to the Boy Scouts of America and celebrates the organization’s contributions to American youth and civic life.
The Carter G. Woodson Home, located on NW Street in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C., was preserved as the home of Carter G. Woodson from 1875 to 1950. Woodson was a founder of Black History Month and a notable African American historian, author, and journalist.
The David White House, located at 1459 Giard Street NW in Washington, D.C., was the home of geologist David White (1862-1935). White was known for his significant research on petroleum geology and his long-time association with the United States Geological Survey.
The Washington Navy Yard is an administrative center for the United States Navy and is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. It was designated a National Historic Landmark due to its historical significance.
The Washington Aqueduct provides the public water supply system for Washington, D.C. It was one of the first major aqueduct projects in the United States and was commissioned by Congress in 1852.
Located in the U.S. Capitol, the Brumidi Corridors are adorned with frescoes by Italian-American artist Constantino Brumidi.
The Banneker Historical Park and Museum commemorates Benjamin Banneker, a free African American mathematician and surveyor. The site is dedicated to his life and achievements and is considered an important part of African American scientific history.
The Capitol Hill Historic District encompasses the area surrounding the U.S. Capitol and features 19th-century architecture, reflecting the early development of the city.
The Volta Laboratory, also known as the Alexander Graham Bell Laboratory, was created in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., by Alexander Graham Bell. It was a place for the research and development of telecommunication, phonograph, and other technologies.
Casa Italiana is a building representing the Italian-American community’s contributions to the city’s cultural landscape. This place has multiple significant Italian cultural centers, whose role is to preserve and promote Italian culture, history, and traditions.
The Armed Forces Retirement Home refers to one of two old soldiers’ retirement homes, one in Gulfport and the other in Washington, D.C. The Armed Forces Retirement Home is an independent federal entity that provides housing, health care, and other services to certain retired and disabled military personnel
This Chamberlin School is a historic educational building that reflects the early 20th-century architecture school in D.C. Their goal is to provide a feeling of family and caring in school.
Tudor Place is a Federal-style mansion in Washington, D.C. It was initially the home of Thomas Peter and his wife, Martha Parke Custis Peter. This property is one of the city blocks on the crest of Georgetown Heights, and it has an excellent view of the Potomac River.
Carrol Mansion is a historic house that showcases the early 19th-century life in Washington, D.C. This historic mansion was constructed in 1811; Carroll Mansion has functioned as the residence to Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence.
The Mary Church Terrell House is a historic house at 326 T Street NW in Washington, D.C. It was the home of many civil rights leaders Mary Church Terrell, from 1863 to 1954. Memphis-born Mary Church Terrell, who is 86, lived there. The LeDroit Park section of Washington, D.C., was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975.
The Chase building is known for its Beaux-Arts architecture, which reflects the economic growth of Washington in the early 20th century. It was declared a National Historical Landmark in 1970.
The Columbia Hospital for Women is an important site in the history of women’s health care in Washington, D.C. It has also served as the birthplace of nearly 275,000 people, including AI Gore and Julie Eisenhower Nixon.
Deaf Smith House is a historic home associated with the Deaf Smith, a key figure in the Texas Revolution.
The Supreme Court Building is the highest court in the Federal Judiciary of the United States. It serves as the official workplace for many chief justices and the eight associate justices. On May 4, 1987, the Supreme Court Building was designated a National Historic Landmark.
The Holocaust Memorial Museum is dedicated to documenting, studying, and interpreting the Holocaust. It serves as a major educational and commemorative institution.
Dumbarton Oaks is a mansion in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., where representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom formulated proposals for the world organization that became the basis for the United Nations. The place is also known for its gardens and is a center of Byzantine and pre-Columbian history.
The John Philip Sousa Middle School is a public school located at Ely Place in the SE area of Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1950 and was formerly known as John Philip Sousa Junior High School. The public middle school was the site of an attempt at school integration.
Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial was the first public artwork in New York City dedicated to an American woman. It is the memorial honoring the former First Lady’s contributions to human rights and social justice.
The Belmont House is the National Monument and a historic house and museum of the U.S., and it was located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Historically, this house is essential for its well-preserved records of a family who played a leading role in the development of the British Empire in the 18th and 19th Centuries
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church is a historic church located at 1514 15th Street, N.W., in Washington, D.C. It is the home to the oldest African-American Episcopal congregation in the city. It was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in the year 1976.
St. John’s Episcopal Church is located at Sixteenth Street and H Street NW, in Washington, D.C. This place has many traditional Inauguration Day spiritual services held at St. John’s, and it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Southern Washington, D.C., operated by the District of Columbia Department of Metal Health. This was the first federally operated psychiatric hospital in the United States. This campus was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990.
The Zalmon Richards House is a landmark historic house in Washington, D.C. It is a second Empire rowhouse that Richards lived in from 1882 until his death. In 1965, it was declared a National Historic Landmark and is now a private residence.
The Renwick Gallery is a branch of the Smithsonian American Art Museum located in Washington, D.C. This place displays the American Craft and decorative arts 19th to the 21st century. The gallery is housed in a National Historic Landmark building in 1859 on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Frances Perkins House is a historic house at 2326 California Street NW in Washington, D.C., built in 1914. Perkins was the Secretary of Labor under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and this house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1991.
The Pension Building is a museum of architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning in Washington, D.C., United States. It was created by an act of Congress in 1980 and is a private non-profit institution. The building hosts various temporary exhibits in galleries around the spacious Great Hall and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.
The Octagon House, also known as the Colonel John Tayloe House, was located at 1799 New York Avenue, Northwest, in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The octagon shape has been a symbolic architectural theme representing regeneration, rebirth, and renewal.
This landmark has houses with modern and contemporary art collections that reflect the expansion of the National Gallery of Art.
The Pan-American Union Building is the headquarters for the Organization of American States. It is located at 17th Street N.W between C Street and Constitution Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C. This building was added to the National Historic Landmark in 1969.
The Old Patient Office Building in Washington, D.C. covers the entire city block between the F and G streets and the 7th and 9th streets NW in Chinatown. This place has served as an art gallery for the Smithsonian Institution since the 1960s, and it first served as one of the earliest Patent Office buildings in the Greek Revival.
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial honors the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with a striking memorial on the Tidal Basin. This place is also the space for a nonviolent philosophy striving for freedom, justice, and equality.
The National War College is a Beaux-Arts-style building on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC, USA. The original home of the Army War College was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
The National Archives Building is well known for its Archive headquarters in the United States. It is located north of the National Mall at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. in Washington, D.C. In December 2023, the National Archives Building was designated as a National Historic Landmark and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Meridian Hill Park is an urban park in Washington, D.C. it is located in the Meridian Hill Neighbourhood that straddles the border between Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights in Northwest D.C. This place is famous for its exact longitude of the original District of Columbia milestone marker, which was placed on April 15, 1791.
McCormick Building, also known as the Andrew Mellon Building, is located on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest on Embassy Row in Washington, D.C. It is the home of the American Enterprise Institute.
The Thomas Jefferson Building is also known as the Main Library, and it is one of the oldest Library of Congress buildings in Washington, D.C. It was built between 1890 and 1897 and was initially known as the Library of Congress Building in 1980. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in the year 1965.
Wheatley House is a historic house that provides social services and is a community center for African Americans. Its programs focus on recreation, music, and theater.
The Lafayette Building is also known as the Export-Import Bank Building, It is located in the federal government building at 811 Vermont Avenue NW in Washington, DC, and it was declared as the National Historic Landmark in the year 2005.
The Willard Hotel is a historic hotel well known for its role in Washington, DC. Nathaniel Hawthorne observed in the 1860s that” the Willard Hotel are more justly could be called the center of Washington than the Capitol, the White House, or the State Department.
The Mary Ann Shadd Cary House is a historic residence that is located at 1421 W Street, Northwest in Washington D.C. it was the home of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, she was a great writer and abolitionist who was one of the first African American female journalists in North America. This house was designated National Historic Landmark on December 8, 1976.
The Blanche K. Bruce House is a historic house at 909M Street NW in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1865 and was home to many slave-born Blanche K. Bruce. In 1975, it was declared a National Historic Landmark.
The Elliot Coues House is a historic house at 1726 N Street NW, in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. In the 19th century, it was the home of historians and ornithologists. In 1975, it was designated a National Historic Landmark.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art is a former art museum in Washington, D.C., that is now the location of the Corcoran School of Arts and Design. This place was one of the earliest public art museums in the United States. It was founded by philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran in 1869.
The Congressional Cemetery is also known as the Washington Parish Burial Ground, it is a historic place and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street, S.E., in Washington D.C., on the west bank of Anacostia River. It is the American’s “Cemetery of National Memory” in the Civil War.
The Peter Parker House is also known as the former headquarters of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; it is a historic row house at 700 Jackson Place NW in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1860, and this house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974.
The Franklin School is a building architect that Adolf Cluss designed in the German round-arch it was constructed in 1869, and initially, it served as the flagship school building. This place took various educational roles and became a shelter for the homeless in the 2000s.
The Samuel Gompers House is a historic building at 2122 1st Street Nw, in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C. This was founded by the American Federation of Labor president in 1886. It was designated as a National Historical Landmark in 1974.
The Charlotte Forten Grimke House is a historic building at 1608 R Street NW in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C., United States. This house belongs to Charlotte Forten Grimke, an African-American abolitionist and educator. This house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976.
Ashburton House, also known as St. John’s Church Parish House or the British Legation, is a historic house at 1525 H Street NW, on Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1836 and was notable as the residence of Lord Ashburton in 1842. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973.
The National Air and Space Museum is the world’s largest and has the most significant collections of aviation and spacecraft. It is dedicated to the history of space exploration.
The United States Botanic Garden is the oldest continuously operating public garden in the U.S. This historic garden and conservation center has many plant species and horticultural exhibits. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in the year 1820.
National Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in the city and is known for its role in presenting major performances and cultural events.
Ralph Bunche Park is the first peace park, and it is dedicated to Ralph Bunche, an influential diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. It embodies the principles of human understanding and freedom of expression in many ways.
The Ford Theatre is located in Washington, D.C., and was opened to the public in 1863. The theatre is best known for its site of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. It also serves as a museum and a theatre of significant historical importance.
These prestigious national historic buildings in Washington, D.C., have distinguished historical and cultural significance—they are like a souvenir to America. Our Washington, D.C. trivia will cover a wide range of topics and stats that tell you some really surprising history of the US.
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