OUR local COMMUNITY

Capitol Hill

Capitol Hill is a large and diverse community that happens to contain within it’s bounds one of the largest historic districts in the country. The Hill is bounded roughly on the north by Florida and New York Avenues, on the east by Benning Road and the Anacostia River, on the south by the Anacostia and on the west by North and South Capitol Streets. Within these boundaries are a number of exciting and vibrant smaller communities that combine to make our neighborhood one of the most interesting places in the world to live and to work.  Please see below for a description of our rich historic district and then take a few minutes to explore our many Capitol Hill community building blocks.

The Capitol Hill Historic District

Roughly bounded by the Capitol precinct on the west, F Street NE on the north, 13th and 14th Streets on the east, and the Southeast Freeway on the south, with an expansion area south of the Southeast Freeway bounded by 7th, M, 10th, and 11th Streets SE.

One of the oldest and most architecturally diverse communities in the city, Capitol Hill reflects the social diversity and economic growth of the early capital. It includes early residential development clustered near the Capitol and Navy Yard, and much late-19th and early-20th century housing for mostly middle-class workers.

There is great variety of housing types, with elaborate ornamental pressed-brick structures adjacent to simple, unadorned frame buildings and small apartment houses. Many row houses were built either in long uninterrupted blocks or in small groups whose imaginative facades reflect the aspirations of the builders and residents. There are many fine commercial buildings, particularly along 8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, and notable religious and institutional structures. The predominant architectural styles include Federal, Italianate, Second Empire, Romanesque, Queen Anne, and Classical Revival. There are approximately 8,000 primary contributing buildings dating from circa 1791-1945.

Map of Capitol Hill Historic District (PDF) (Reprinted from the Capitol Hill Restoration Society website: http://www.chrs.org/