Cold War tensions escalated on August 12th, 1961 as Communist soldiers sealed off West Berlin with barbed wire barricades. In Washington, construction of a different sort was also underway that day, as the White House Signal Agency moved forward with a top secret communications facility in Tenleytown.

October 30, 2016

Elliot Carter

Georgetown

Henry Foxall Was Washington's First Defense Contractor

October 30, 2016

Elliot Carter

Georgetown

Henry Foxall Was Washington's First Defense Contractor

Henry Foxall came to Washington in 1800 with an armload of defense contracts and established a munitions plant on the banks of the Potomac. He was here at the personal request of Thomas Jefferson, who felt that the federal city needed its own cannon foundry.

October 17, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

This Massive Pool in Bethesda Is Just For Model Ships

October 17, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

This Massive Pool in Bethesda Is Just For Model Ships

Over the past 75 years, just about every Navy warship has spent some time, in miniature form, in this pool in Bethesda.

October 10, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

The Guns of Fort Washington

October 10, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

Fort Washington is one of the more interesting military history sites in the Washington region. Until the Civil War it was the only defensive fortification in the area.

October 9, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

Alexandria's Old Torpedo Factory

October 9, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

The Torpedo Factory in Alexandria is a visual arts center located in an old Department of Defense munitions facility. The U.S. Naval Torpedo Station was built during World War I.

September 25, 2016

Elliot Carter

Downtown

Civil War History at the National Building Museum

September 25, 2016

Elliot Carter

Downtown

Civil War History at the National Building Museum

The enormous brick structure that now houses the National Building Museum was constructed after the Civil War for the Pension Bureau.

September 10, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

Prussian Military Survey of Washington DC

September 10, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

Prussian Military Survey of Washington DC

Kriegsschauplatz von Nord-America (War plan of North America) is aerial perspective drawing showing Washington DC just before the Civil War.

August 14, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

DC's World War II Typewriter Shortage

August 14, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

Tens of thousands of people found employment in Washington during World War II in newly created defense jobs. This army of office workers, mostly “government girls,” arrived to find a city lacking in office supplies and equipment.

August 11, 2016

Elliot Carter

Downtown

Washington During Wartime

August 11, 2016

Elliot Carter

Downtown

Washington DC was transformed during World War II as the population swelled and defense dollars pumped into the economy.

July 24, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

Former Nuclear Bunker Now Houses Library of Congress Film Collection

July 24, 2016

Elliot Carter

Other

Former Nuclear Bunker Now Houses Library of Congress Film Collection

The space was built in 1969 at the height of the Cold War for a very different purpose: this is where the Federal Reserve stockpiled billions of dollars in cash for use after a war with the Soviet Union.