Look Up!
With its trendy shops, countless bars and restaurants, university, old homes, waterfront, and endless vibrancy and motion, Georgetown is one of the most visited areas of Washington, D.C. Georgetown began as a port town of Maryland in 1751. It was included as part of the District of Columbia in 1791 but did not become part of Washington City until 1871. The boundaries of Georgetown are, roughly, the Potomac River on the South, N Street on the North, 30th Street on the East, and 34th on the West. The center of Georgetown is the famous intersection of Wisconsin Avenue (running north-south) and M Street (running east to west). Georgetown is a small but dense area.
The traffic and difficulty of parking in Georgetown make it an ideal place to see by walking. Thomas Carrier's book "Historic Georgetown: A Walking Tour" (1999) offers not one but seven tours of different part of Georgetown, each of which, according to Carrier, requires between 1.5 and 2 hours to complete. More that mapping out the tours, Carrier offers 128 pages of photographs detailing the varied history of Georgetown. Carrier is a licensed D.C. tour guide, and his book is part of the "Images of America" series of local American history in photographs.
Each of Carrier's seven tours begins with a map of the area and a brief introduction, followed by pages of photographs and Carrier's informed, chatty commentary. The book offers a welter of detailed information together with Carrier's excellent advice to "look up" to see what may be seen as one walks. Carrier's tours begin with the historic waterfront, much changed from Georgetown's years as a lively port. He offers several photographs of the old C&O Canal, among much else. The next tour is of Southwest Georgetown, above Wisconsin Avenue. I enjoyed the photographs of the old streetcar facilities together with the many old churches and large homes of famous people. The third tour is of Georgetown University, founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789 "for students of "every Religious Profession." Georgetown is a cosmopolitan, highly regarded University that gives character and depth to the area and to the Washington D.C. area.
Carrier's tour of Northwest Georgetown offers intriguing views of African American history. Washington D.C. was historically segregated, with the Georgetown wealth and culture standing literally next door to impoverished African Americans. The photographs in this tour of African American alley life (pp. 74-75) offer a picture of Georgetown's history that is too frequently overlooked. Carrier's next tour, of North Georgetown, consists of only three sites, Dumbarton Oaks, Montrose Park, and the Oak Hill Cemetery. But there is much to see, for example in the secluded walking trail known as Lovers Lane that runs through Montrose Park. (p. 89)
The tour of Northeast Georgetown features old row homes, bridges and streetcars, and museums. One of the most interesting parts of this area is the old Mount Zion Cemetery on Q Street. (p. 105) This is an old burial grounds for free blacks and a former stop on the Underground Railroad. In 1975, the Cemetery was preserved from demolition when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is an important monument to African American life in the Nation's Capitol. Carrier's final tour is of Southeast Georgetown which is back in the commercial heart of the area. Jacqueline Kennedy owned a home in this area following the assassination of President Kennedy. (p. 119) The most famous landmark of many in this area is the Old Stone House at 30th and M Street, (p. 124) which is the oldest building in Washington, D.C. It was acquired by the National Park Service in 1950 and is open to the public for tours.
I have lived in Washington D.C. for many years and Carrier's book showed me much of Georgetown that I didn't know. This book is a detailed, loving guide to an important area of our nation's capitol.
