Historic Landmarks and Sites

Civil War defenses of the Potomac Map showing the defensive fortifications around Washington, D.C. during the Civil War. Fort Reno was the largest of these defenses. Library of Congress.

Upper Northwest Washington, D.C. is home to numerous historic landmarks, from Civil War fortifications to Art Deco commercial buildings. Many of these sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites.

Fort Reno Park

Overview

  • Location: 4000 Chesapeake Street NW
  • Significance: Highest natural point in Washington, D.C. (409 feet)
  • Historic Role: Major Civil War fortification protecting the capital

Historic Designation

Part of the Civil War Defenses of Washington National Park system, managed by the National Park Service.

[See the Fort Reno page for detailed history]

Sears, Roebuck and Company Department Store

Overview

  • Location: 4500 Wisconsin Avenue NW
  • Built: 1941
  • Architects: John Stokes Redden and John G. Raben
  • Style: Art Deco / Streamline Moderne

Historic Significance

The Sears building exemplifies shifting retail needs in suburban DC. When it opened on October 2, 1941, it was notable for: - Its massive size for the neighborhood - Its 300-car rooftop parking lot (innovative for its time) - Air conditioning - Poured-concrete construction

Architectural Details

The building expresses modern functionalism, influenced by design motifs from: - The International Style - Streamline Moderne

A decade of research into the impact of the automobile on consumer buying patterns contributed to the store's design.

National Register Status

Added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1996.

Evolution

  • 1975: Wisconsin Avenue elevation altered for Tenleytown-AU Metro station entrance
  • 1990s: Sears abandoned retail operations
  • Late 1990s: Hechinger hardware occupied the space until its demise
  • Present: Home to Best Buy, The Container Store, and Ace Hardware

Janney Elementary School

Overview

  • Location: 4130 Albemarle Street NW
  • Built: 1925 (west wing added 1932)
  • Architect: Municipal Architect Albert L. Harris
  • Style: Colonial Revival

Historic Designation

  • Listed on D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites: November 19, 2009
  • Nominated by the Tenleytown Historical Society

Architectural Significance

Janney was the first of Harris's "extensible" schools—a flexible design that could be expanded as neighborhood populations grew. The building features: - Three-story, three-part brick construction - Long central pavilion - Two end wings - Rear auditorium/gymnasium

[See the Schools page for more details]

St. Ann's Catholic Church

Overview

  • Location: 4001 Yuma Street NW
  • Established: 1866
  • Current Building: Dedicated 1948

Historic Significance

St. Ann's is the tenth oldest Roman Catholic parish in Washington, D.C. and the oldest Catholic parish in the part of Washington west of Rock Creek Park and north of Georgetown.

Building History

Three church buildings have stood on or near the site: 1. 1867: Small wooden church opened across from Wisconsin Avenue and Grant Road 2. 1903: Neo-Classic stone structure completed at Wisconsin and Yuma 3. 1948: Current church dedicated, designed by the same architect who designed the cathedral for the Archdiocese of Atlanta

Notable Events

In 2019, Mayor Muriel Bowser proclaimed "Saint Ann Catholic Church Day" in Washington, noting that the parish has "prayerfully and civically ministered to the spiritual and social needs of generations of congregants from various walks of life for more than 150 years."

Immaculata Seminary Historic District

Overview

  • Location: Nebraska Avenue NW
  • Built: 1904-1905
  • Original Use: Girls' school and seminary

History

  • 1904: Sisters of Providence of St. Mary of the Woods purchased the property
  • September 8, 1905: Immaculata Seminary dedicated, opened with 18 pupils
  • The school grew to become an elite secondary school and junior college
  • 1986: Sisters of Providence closed the elementary and high schools, selling the property to American University

WWII Significance

During World War II, the Navy converted part of the Nebraska Avenue campus into a military intelligence headquarters where WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) worked on codebreaking operations.

Historic Designation

Added to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library

Overview

  • Location: 4450 Wisconsin Avenue NW
  • Original Building: 1960
  • Current Building: 2011

History

Early Years

  • 1925: First library branch opened in a single room of the newly opened Janney School
  • 1926: Library officially opened to the public
  • Remained in a reused police station for 32 years

The 1960 Building

  • July 10, 1959: Ground broken for new building
  • October 27, 1960: Library dedicated
  • Designed by architect Clark T. Harmon
  • Located on former Janney Elementary School playground land, which sparked community controversy

The 2011 Building

  • Cost: $18 million
  • Opened: January 24, 2011
  • Size: 23,000 square feet
  • Designed by: The Freelon Group
  • Certification: LEED Gold for sustainable features including green roof

The Washington Post described the new library as "one of the best things for D.C. in decades."

Community Support

The library is supported by the Friends of the Tenley-Friendship Library, the first "Friends" group established in the D.C. Public Library system.

WRC-TV Studios

Overview

  • Location: 4001 Nebraska Avenue NW
  • Built: 1956-1958
  • Current Use: NBC4 Washington broadcast facility

Historic Significance

The building: - Consolidated NBC's Washington-area television and radio operations - Has served as the station's broadcast hub since 1958 - Hosted the second Nixon-Kennedy presidential debate (October 7, 1960) - Was home to Sam and Friends, where Jim Henson introduced Kermit the Frog

[See the Broadcasting History page for more details]

Historic Farmhouses

Several farmhouses from the area's agricultural past survive:

The Burrows Farmhouse

  • Current Location: 4624 Verplanck Street NW
  • Original Location: Near corner of 45th and Ellicott Streets
  • Relocated: 1924
  • One of the few surviving pre-subdivision structures

Other Surviving Farmhouses

  • 4716 48th Street NW
  • 4308 46th Street NW (possibly contains elements from early 1800s)

Birth of Tennallytown Historical Marker

Location

Wisconsin Avenue at the River Road intersection

Text

Commemorates the founding of the community around John Tennally's tavern in the 1790s.

Tenleytown Heritage Trail

Overview

A self-guided walking tour of historical markers throughout Tenleytown, developed by the Tenleytown Historical Society and Cultural Tourism DC.

Sites Included

The heritage trail includes markers for: - John Tennally's Tavern site - Civil War history - The streetcar era - Broadcasting history - Schools and churches - Commercial development

Wesley Heights Community Club

Overview

  • Location: Wesley Heights neighborhood
  • Built: 1920s
  • Significance: Designed as a community center for the suburban Wesley Heights neighborhood

Historic Context

Part of the planned community developed by W.C. & A.N. Miller Company, which sought to create the "Garden Spot of Washington."

Methodist Cemetery

Overview

  • Established: 1855
  • Location: Tenleytown
  • Management: Non-profit organization

Significance

One of the oldest cemeteries in the area, with burial records and tombstone photographs available through the Methodist Cemetery organization's website.

Preservation Resources

Organizations

  • Tenleytown Historical Society: Advocates for preservation and documents local history
  • DC Preservation League: Works to protect historic sites citywide
  • Cultural Tourism DC: Develops heritage trails and educational programs

Archives and Collections

  • DC Public Library - People's Archive: Houses local historical photographs and documents
  • Library of Congress: Extensive photograph and map collections
  • Tenley-Friendship Library: Small Tenleytown history reference collection