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Lakeland

Lakeland College Park-U of MD The history of Lakeland is one of racial tension, struggle, and fish. Back in the 1890s, Prince George’s County was overwhelmingly white. Developer Edwin A. Newman had recently designed the neighborhood of “Lakeland,” a …

New Deal City

New Deal City Greenbelt amidst construction, 1937 (Credit: Library of Congress ) Greenbelt Even the Real DC Metro Map thinks this station should be named after the thing that brought it into existence. Greenbelt’s history dates back to 1934 and the work …

Camp Springs

Camp Springs Branch Ave Well, we’re sorry you slept past your stop. Now that you’re here, though, you might as well learn a little bit about where you are. This station is in a community called “Camp Springs.” The land was originally settled in the …

Suit Estate

Suit Estate Suitland You guessed it, this is quite literally the land of Suits. That is, of course, if by “Suit” you are referring Col. Samuel Taylor Suit, who purchased the land in 1867. Suit built a large estate for himself, which became a political …

Community Museum

Community Museum Carver Theater, first home of the Anacostia Community Museum. (Source: Smithsonian Archives ) Naylor Rd Founded in 1967 as the “Anacostia Neighborhood Museum,” the Community Museum is centered around local history. Specifically, it …

Nacotchtank Village

Nacotchtank Village Southern Ave Welcome to the most historic stop on the reimagined Green line! (At least in terms of oldest historical reference.) The land which is now mostly Oxon Run National Parkway was once part of the home of the Nacotchtank tribe, …

Portrait of Matthew Mansfield Neely. (Source: Library of Congress)

How the Federal Anti-Cancer Effort Began

By the late 1920s, the U.S. government had made barely a token investment in fighting cancer, which even then was one of the nation's leading causes of death. More resources were desperately needed, and the man who started the battle to get that money was a colorful West Virginia politician named Matthew Mansfield Neely.

March 24, 2015

Washington, D.C.

By Patrick Kiger

St. Elizabeths Hospital

St. Elizabeths Hospital Center building at St. Elizabeths. (Source: Libary of Congress) Congress Heights The current name of this stop, “Congress Heights,” seems like a name you’d get when asking someone to describe Capitol Hill without using the words …

Frederick Douglass House

Frederick Douglass House Frederick Douglass House (Source: Library of Congress ) Anacostia Douglass has often been referred to as the “Sage of Anacostia.” He moved there in 1877 when he was appointed the first black U.S. Marshal of D.C. He wanted to live …

Washington Brewery

Washington Brewery Navy Yard Don’t let the huge Budweiser sign at Nats Park fool you, D.C. is a city that likes good, local beer. And back in the early 1800s, they really liked beer. The Washington Brewery, the first in D.C., was founded in 1796 by Dr. …