Many of you will know Capitol Hill from the media, because it's a term loosely applied to Washington politics, in particular Congress and the US Capitol building, which sits on a hill at the west edge of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is of course named after the hill and building. There are several large government institutions around the US Capitol but the bulk of the area is residential, the largest historic residential district in the city in fact, with a population around 35,000. There's some dispute about the exact borders, so I've chosen the most popular borders as described on several websites.
The neighborhood began to be developed in the late 18th century, largely around government jobs and a Marine Barracks and US Navy yard, in the south part of the neighborhood. This area is still the most vibrant commercial center, with bars, shops, and restaurants centered on 8th Street and around Eastern Market on 7th Street. Many new homes were built in the 1870's and 1880's, following a post-Civil War boom and expansion of government. The bulk of existing homes date from between 1890 and 1910, as a result of electricity and plumbing advances. Like most inner city neighborhoods, Capitol Hill suffered from white flight after WWII, and in the 1980's was well known for crime and drugs, but has since undergone intense gentrification. Many Congressmen and staffers now call the area home. It's generally a middle to upper-middle class area, with the average home price hovering around $650,000, which is significantly above the DC average. Some townhomes are currently listed at $2 million, however. A general rule of thumb seems to be that the closer you are to the US Capitol, the higher the prices, although East Capitol Street is also an expensive corridor.
On with the show.
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| East Capitol Street divides the neighborhood in half north to south |
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| The street is one of the few with such large front lawns, no doubt helpful considering the heavy traffic |
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| Already we can see that even on one street the style of architecture is far from monotonous |
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| Northwest corner of Lincoln Park |
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| Grand home across the street from the park, built in 1890 |
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| Massachusetts Avenue, one of the diagonal streets |
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| These apartment blocks are particularly imposing yet elegant, and were built in 1900 |
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| F Street NE, the northern boundary of Capitol Hill |
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| E Street NE, with townhomes built in 1890 |
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| This 1890 townhome was listed for $1.1 million earlier this year |
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| It's refreshing to see such an eclectic mix of building sizes |
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| The blossoming trees add a lot to this home on Constitution Avenue |
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| Bright colors are a common sight |
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| I really like the home on the right, on A Street SE |
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| The whitewashing of the homes on the left lends them an almost minimal modern look |
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| C Street SE, one of the most expensive in the neighborhood with homes often selling for around $2 million |
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| C Street is across the street from the US Copyright Office, which is part of the Library of Congress |
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| D Street SE enveloped in canopy |
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| Beautiful homes with lush lawns. The blue home in the center was built in 1890 and sold for $850,000 last year |
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| As you can probably see on the signpost, this is the corner of North Carolina Avenue and 9th Street |
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| Like the other diagonal streets, North Carolina has longer front lawns than average |
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| Although this looks like a grand mansion, it is in fact a large apartment building which stretches back into the next block |
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| E Street SE |
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| The impressive home on the right is one of the oldest in Capitol Hill, standing since 1782 |
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| South Carolina Avenue |
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| While these homes are elegant, they are simple, but complemented immensely by the generous, pleasant front lawns |
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| E Street SE continued |
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| This style of townhome, with square bays and large crowns, are in my experience a housing typology unique to the DC area |
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| One of the greatest strengths of traditional architecture has to be how easy it is to have a pleasant streetscape |
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| Here, for example, are homes of little architectural complication, yet the end result is pleasing to the eye |
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| The funnily named Duddington Place is the most charming street in the neighborhood |
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| Here one of the few streets I can confidentially show across its width thanks to its narrow width and greenery |
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| Built in 1907, these small rowhomes go for about $650,000 and most have just 2 bedrooms |
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| Duddington is known for its strong sense of community |
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| There are few of this type of rowhome in the neighborhood, a style more typical in Baltimore |
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| One of the largest homes, built in 1900, it's almost 5,000 sq ft |
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| Its constantly obvious that Capitol Hill was not a planned area by any means, as the mishmash of home types proves |
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| While not unpleasant, this Italianate home is not typical for the area |
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| These scene has the feeling of a small New England town |
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| Now shifting to streets which run north to south, this is 2nd Street |
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| I've found that homeowner pride is a good gauge of an area's resiliency and beauty, and Capitol Hill has that in spades |
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| These homes on 3rd Street were built in 1911 and the one of the right sold for exactly $1 million two years ago |
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| I don't blame that guy, this does look like a fine place for a walk |
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| It's like living in a forest here |
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| I love the bay windows on these two homes, apparently built in 1880 and 1900, despite the identical style |
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| Like a folly, the oversized crown on the red home has real presence but borders on bonkers in a good way |
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| 4th Street |
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| Elegance |
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| The wedding cake trio |
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| I really like this corner with A Street SE: green, lively, and great architecture. This 1890 home sold for $1.13 million in 2010 |
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| I've always liked homes among the foliage, where from within you feel as if you live in the trees. These were built in 1908 |
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| Seward Square |
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| 6th Street |
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| Beautiful homes enhanced by the contrast between red brick and white stucco |
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| A nice little trio of rowhomes on 7th Street |
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| 8th Street |
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| The roofs on these homes look like hats, which I think adds an extra layer of detail and interest |
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| There aren't many timber clapboard homes but there are some, here on 9th Street |
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| Though most likely they are brick underneath |
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| 10th Street |
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| The small portico is a welcome addition to this home |
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| 11th Street |
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| And finally, a group of townhomes on 12th Street |
I wouldn't do the neighborhood justice if I didn't find some faults, however. While there is a great deal of homeowner pride visible, there are also many homes which could do with greater care, probably multi-unit apartment buildings, many years ago converted from single family use. The bulk of this is visible on the fringes, generally as you get further east and around I-695. It's a shame, because the river could be a great recreational area for jogging, boating, or just relaxing after work. This not to mention the spike in property values which would undoubtedly accompany the highway removal. The city might want to consider converting I-695 into a surface street à la the Embarcadero in San Francisco. Reclaim your waterways, Washingtonians!
Some good links I found about Capitol Hill, should they interest you:
Capitol Hill History Project
HillRag
Wikitravel
I'm not sure how quickly I can complete the next case study, Dupont Circle, but I'll do my best.
