Skip to main content
RETURN TO Return to WETA website Donate
Boundary Stones logo

Main navigation

  • Washington, D.C.
  • Maryland
  • Virginia
  • Video
  • About
  • slider
    Music History
     
     
    How Washington Saved Folk Music
    Had the Library of Congress not convinced Woody Guthrie to come to D.C. in 1940, we might never have had the folk revival of the 1960s.
  • slider
    Music History
     
     
    The Humble Beginnings of the NSO
    How a ragtag group of cinema musicians started DC's transformation into a culture capital.
  • slider
    Holy Warriors
     
     
    "Dow Shalt Not Kill"
    The story of the D.C. 9: the Catholics who became convicts in order to stop the war in Vietnam.
  • slider
    Theater History
     
     
    The Jewel of U Street Reopens
    After the 1968 riots ravaged U Street, the famed Lincoln Theatre fell into disrepair until a '90s restoration project allowed its curtain to rise again.
  • slider
    Tractorcade 1979
     
     
    Protest Turned Rescue Mission
    In February 1979, thousands of farmers came to Washington on tractors to demonstrate for agriculture policy reform. They snarled traffic for weeks but then came to the rescue when an unexpected blizzard buried the city under two feet of snow.
Maryland
Capital for a Day

Capital for a Day

11/14/2012 in Maryland by Will Hughes

If you’re passing through Brookeville, Maryland these days the town might not seem too different from the other suburban stops along Georgia Avenue. But don’t be fooled. Brookeville has a unique claim to fame. For one day during the War of 1812, it was the capital of the United States.

But if a couple of residents would've had their way, it wouldn't have happened!

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

Virginia
The Less-Known Unknown

The Less-Known Unknown

11/13/2012 in Virginia by Will Hughes

Yesterday, we posted a story about the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown in Arlington National Cemetery in 1921. Most readers are probably familiar with that memorial (and, if they read our post, they now know a little about its history). It is, after all, one of the most sacred places in the country.

But, what you may not know is that there is another Tomb of the Unknown just down the road in Alexandria, Virginia. In the burial yard of the Old Presbyterian Meeting House at 323 South Fairfax Street lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution. It is just seven miles away from its more famous counterpart, but light-years apart in the amount of attention it receives.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
Dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

11/12/2012 in DC by Will Hughes

On November 11, 1921, three years to the day after the armistice that ended World War I, President Warren G. Harding presided over the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. It was an emotional affair for Washington and the nation.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

Virginia
November is an Appropriate Time to Remember Ambrose E. Burnside

November is an Appropriate Time to Remember Ambrose E. Burnside

11/09/2012 in Virginia by Will Hughes

Just as this week’s cold snap sent many people searching for their winter coats, it also reminded some shivering citizens of a particular month-long “celebration” that keeps their cheeks warm, too: “No-Shave November.”

As a person who appreciates history and a good facial hair crop, I couldn’t help but think of certain furry Civil War general who rose to prominence 150 years ago this week.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

Virginia
Virginia's Many Counties

Virginia's Many Counties

11/08/2012 in Virginia by Will Hughes

Virginia is the 35th biggest state, yet has the 3rd most counties and independent cities in the country. How did that happen?

Well, at least part of the answer is lies in the Commonwealth's colonial origins.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
D.C.'s Electoral Vote

D.C.'s Electoral Vote

11/06/2012 in DC by Krystle Kline

It’s Election Day, and hopefully most of you are braving the weather and the lines at your local polling place to make sure your voice is heard. If you cast your ballot for a presidential candidate in the District, you exercised a right that has only been around since 1961; that’s how long DC residents have had the right to vote in presidential elections, a right granted by the 23rd Amendment.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
The Redskins Rule and the Election

The Redskins Rule and the Election

11/05/2012 in DC by Mark Jones

Well, the Redskins may have trouble winning football games these days, but they have proven quite effective at predicting presidential elections over the years. Since the team moved to Washington in 1937 there have been 18 presidential elections. In 17 of those, the so-called "Redskins Rule" has held up:

If the Redskins win their last home game before the election, the incumbent's party will win the election and keep the White House. If the Redskins lose, the challenging party's candidate will win the election.

So, what does this mean about this year's election?

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

DC
A Friday Photo: Jazz for the Bears

A Friday Photo: Jazz for the Bears

11/02/2012 in DC by Mark Jones

I came across this photo while doing some research about the National Zoo. It's a picture of jazz quintet playing a concert for a polar bear in the 1920s. Errr... what? I'd really like to know what precipitated this. Did these dudes just wake up one morning and say, "Hey, let's go down to the zoo and play a set for the bears." "Good idea, I'll see if Gertrude is free to dance for them."? Well, in any case, the bear seems to be enjoying it. Or maybe he's just waiting for his chance to take a swipe at them through the bars.

See the full size photo »

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

Maryland
Southern Maryland Dutch Country

Southern Maryland Dutch Country

11/01/2012 in Maryland by Mark Jones

Amish horses and buggies in the Washington, D.C. Metro area? Yep. It's true. Over 200 Amish families live and work in St. Mary’s and Charles counties in Maryland, less than 40 miles from downtown D.C. The settlement, which is centered around the town of Charlotte Hall, dates to 1939 when seven families migrated to the area from Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania for the cheap Maryland land(!) and to escape pressure from the Pennsylvania state government.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

Virginia
The Legend of the Bunny Man

The Legend of the Bunny Man

10/31/2012 in Virginia by Krystle Kline

You’re sixteen years old, caught up in the intoxicating freedom that comes with your new driver’s license, and it’s Halloween night. You and your friends are driving around your small town looking for a quiet place far away from adult supervision. You decide to park on the side of the road near a secluded railway overpass. It’s the perfect place to get “up to something,” as your mother would say: woods creeping up on either side and the complete darkness you can only find on rural roads without streetlamps or nearby houses.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

Pagination

  • First page «
  • Previous page ‹
  • …
  • Page 62
  • Page 63
  • Page 64
  • Page 65
  • Current page 66
Surprise Me!

Not sure where to start reading? Let us pick a story for you!

Categories

  • DC (561)
  • Maryland (105)
  • Virginia (146)

Latest Posts

How Ethel Barrymore Helped Bring Theater to Olney, Maryland

01/27/2023

How Ethel Barrymore Helped Bring Theater to Olney, Maryland

Metro Mythbusting: Georgetown's Nonexistent Metro Stop

01/20/2023

Metro Mythbusting: Georgetown's Nonexistent Metro Stop

Hulks like Huge Flower Pots: The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay

12/16/2022

Hulks like Huge Flower Pots: The Ghost Fleet of Mallows Bay

Most Popular

How Ethel Barrymore Helped Bring Theater to Olney, Maryland

01/27/2023

How Ethel Barrymore Helped Bring Theater to Olney, Maryland

Hugh Bennett and the Perfect Storm

11/19/2012

Hugh Bennett and the Perfect Storm

Nazis in Arlington: George Rockwell and the ANP

01/02/2013

Nazis in Arlington: George Rockwell and the ANP

Tags

1860s1870s1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990sAlexandriaArlingtonBlack HistoryBygone DCCivil WarGeorgetownMusic HistorySports HistoryWhite HouseWomen's HistoryWorld War IWorld War II
More
Historical D.C. Metro Map
Tweets by BoundaryStones
WETA

Footer menu

  • Support WETA
  • About WETA
  • Press Room
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • RSS
  • Accessibility

Contact Us

  • 3939 Campbell Avenue
    Arlington, VA 22206 | Map
  • 703-998-2600
  • boundarystones@weta.org

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About Boundary Stones

Boundary Stones explores local history in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia. This project is a service of WETA and is supported by contributions from readers like you.

DONATE

Copyright © 2023 WETA. All Rights Reserved.

Bottom Footer

  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Guidelines