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The Foggy Bottom History Project

In 2021, the FBA announced the creation of a new and comprehensive History Project.  The Project gathers and shares information about the history of the area starting from the earliest habitation to the present day.  We've created a comprehensive resource center for all who are interested in this unique neighborhood.  The project also works to protect the historic character of Foggy Bottom. 

 

On this website, you'll find:

  • The Free Self-Guided Walking Tours of the Foggy Bottom Historic District - you can visit in person using your phone or from the comfort of your home computer (here)

    • Also check out our October 2022 virtual Presentation of the Walking Tour on GWU Museum's DC Mondays  program

  • Blog posts (here) with our FBA Newsletter Funkstown articles and news

  • The History Project Resources Guide (here)

  • Our Oral History page with our first interview (the Washington Post's Colbert King) and additional resources

  • An integrated map, Foggy Bottom Historic District House Map, of the row houses and alley structures allowing residents and others to add photos of the homes, historical records and other information. This  combines with a map database of information sources including construction data, City Directory information, a variety of maps, population growth, and more. It's the first of its kind! 

       

In the works:

  • An illustrated timeline of Foggy Bottom area events, photos and facts

  • Projects that involve partnerships with the FBWE Village, GWU students and faculty, and others

 

Funkstown:  Foggy Bottom History Blog

The original development in Foggy Bottom was established by Jacob Funk, and called Hamburgh, although it was referred to as Funkstown.  We've taken that name for a series of short articles published in the Foggy Bottom Newsletter.  Subscribe to the newsletter or read here!  Also follow us on Twitter @FunkstownDC. 

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Video Walking Tour Presentation 

We presented a virtual Foggy Bottom Walking Tour on the GWU Museum DC Mondays program on October 17, 2022 - you can see it here!

 

Free Self Guided Walking Tours of the FB Historic District

One easy-to-follow tour leads you though the alleys, streets, and parks of the four-block Historic District.  Use your phone to visit the 19 stops and learn about its people, lifestyles, history, and architecture.  The other tour focuses on the Art in the Historic District with 13 stops to learn more about each piece of art, the artist and the backstory.  You can walk these tours or follow them from home.  In winter 2023, we added a tour created especially for adults with young children. This activity tour allows you to learn along with your kids about the neighborhood's history. See our Walking Tour Webpage.

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Walking Tours of the FB Historic District

Since the fall of 2021 we led walks through the Historic District as part of EventsDC (formerly CulturalTourism) WalkingtownDC annual public tour program, and for the D.C. Office of Planning, residents in the FBWE area, and the D.C. Preservation League Historic Districts Committee.

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History Project Resources Guide
Want to learn more?  Whether you want to read stories of DC history or conduct in-depth research, check out our new Resources Guide Webpage and access a comprehensive listing of information repositories, websites, and important books and documents for you to use in your own research. Let us know if you have suggestions for the next update.

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Working with The George Washington University

We have worked with GWU students on their projects, presented at a GWU Honors Class, provided a guest Op-Ed to the Hatchet student newspaper on the History Project, and been featured in a short video prepared by GWU Student Ethan Benn about the FB History Project.  We've also been happy to provide resources for student papers, including the recently published "A Legacy of Disenfranchisement: Interrogating the Displacement of the Historical Black Foggy Bottom Community," by GWU student Julia H. Russo who majored in American Studies, graduated 2022.  Julia Russo was awarded the 2023 Julian Clement Chase Undergraduate Research Writing Prize and and the Elsie M. Carper Prize for this written work.  

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Construction in the Historic District?

Historic designation does not affect the use of one's property, but it does regulate one's ability to alter its exterior or roofline. Whether you are planning to make changes in your house or are concerned about changes in the neighborhood, you should contact the DC Historic Preservation Office and review their historic review process guidelines.  See also HPO's Tim Dennee explaining the FB Historic District and the construction review process (11/30/2021.  Video - passcode: 4E+PdZN%.

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​Please Get Involved! 

We encourage you to provide us with your own historic photographs, documents, information, and stories, and/or volunteer to assist with oral histories or other projects.  Want to learn more?  Contact Co-Founders and Co-Chairs of the History Project:

-   Frank Leone (FLeoneDC@gmail.com)

-   Denise Vogt (DeniseV@foggybottomassociation.org)

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And thank you so much to FBA Board Member - Communications, Sadie Cornelius for making this web page a reality.

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