A Short History of Foggy Bottom Historic District

The Foggy Bottom Historic District sits on approximately three acres in the heart of the nation’s capital. First platted in 1768, Foggy Bottom soon became the site of the city’s light industry and its near-by factories encouraged a cluster of working-class homes which are preserved and lived in today.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Irish, German and African American laborers helped shape Foggy Bottom, and the rest of Washington, sharing a pride of craftsmanship and the dream of a better life in America.

Early residences were individually constructed flat-fronted, narrow brick row houses some of which were built by well-known architects such as A. H. Beers and Norman Grimm. The area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today, the historic district is what you see — a quiet enclave of private residences. The whole of Foggy Bottom includes major institutions, museums, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the State Department, the Watergate, and George Washington University to name a few. Welcome and enjoy the journey through our neighborhood.

Points of Interest

1. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
2. Thompson’s Boat Yard
3. George Washington University
4. Dimock Gallery
5. Lisner Auditorium
6. Department of State Diplomatic Reception Rooms
7. National Academy of Sciences
8. Federal Reserve Board
9. U.S. Department of the Interior Museum
10. Rawlins Park
11. IMF Center
12. Arts Club of Washington