architectural history (Washington: houses, maintenance, mall)

[wolf bite]

Being from the west coast, we don’t have basements and we call any building over 50 years old "ancient." I was fascinated with DC last month. First that there are underground subways, pipe lines, and seemingly tunnels going everywhere. Then there were the old buildings. Seemed to have maintenance areas around them like moats, which made me wonder if the road had been raised? Even the Washington monument had a grate leading down someplace. Also how they set up rooms and hallways in the capital in those days. I was asking around for books that had architectural history of the city and simple blue prints. However I was looked at like I was a terrorist. Hehe.

I will be returning to DC in a week and was wondering if there is either a good book to direct me to interesting things to look for or some tour that would fit my interests?


Wolf Bite

[Moth]

Barnes & Nobles in DC have local sections with lots of books about DC architecture, both past and present, destroyed and thriving.

Underground subways? Isn't a subway underground by virtue of its name?

[wolf bite]

Originally Posted by Moth

Underground subways? Isn't a subway underground by virtue of its name?

One would think. We have a few subways that don't go anywhere of use and are above ground most of the trip in LA.


Wolf Bite

[Moth]

Part of the subway here goes above ground as does the one in New York.

[PenguinSix]

A lot of the tunnels on the mall are part of the government steam distribution system. You'll see vents now and then (espcially visible in the winter).

There is the National Building Museum at Judiciary Square/Police Memorial metro stop. I haven't been in years, but they used to have a really good permanent exhibit on the architecture of DC, focusing in large part on row houses of Capitol Hill and other parts of the city. They also have a bookstore.

Might be worth visiting.

[saganista]

There are a lot of tunnels, actually. The steam tunnels of course, but there also tunnels that connect the Capitol to the House and Senate office buildings (walk or ride the train), also between the Reagan Building and the Dept of Commerce, and between Main Treasury and the Treasury Annex. There are some assorted tunnels left over from trolley car days as well, one between Union Station and the Capitol, and a large one directly under Dupont Circle. Like the steam tunnels, those are closed to the public, though...