These Historic D.C. Spots Tell America’s Story

And what better place to celebrate the U.S. than its capital city? D.C. is home to America’s federal government, national monuments, and prominent political figures, but it’s also the site of some truly incredible, lesser-known U.S. history. Since July 4, 1776, the story of America has been written largely by its unsung heroes and enlivened by the unique places and moments often left out of history books. At these six sites, America’s past, present, and future converge in vivid color against D.C.’s lively cultural backdrop.

National Herb Garden

Inside the U.S. National Arboretum lies the National Herb Garden, one of the most extensive collections of its kind in the country. Established in 1980 by the Herb Society of America, the garden is divided into thematic “rooms” and specialty sections that trace the roles that herbs have played in culture and history. Informational plaques throughout the garden showcase each plant’s practical, medicinal, or cultural significance, from those brewed into beverages to the dyes drawn from blossoms. The garden also contains collections of specific genera such as lavender, rosemary, and chili peppers, allowing visitors to experience the taxonomic diversity within plant families.

Frederick Douglass’s Growlery

This small stone cabin on the grounds of Douglass’s Cedar Hill home became the reformer’s favorite place to read, write, and think in peace throughout his career. Douglass kept the single-room structure simply furnished with a couch, stool, and desk filled with his books and papers. It is likely that many of Douglass’s most famous works were first drafted in this space, which has been jokingly called a “19th-century man cave.” Today, visitors can step inside the reconstruction of this cozy abode, which uses materials from the original Growlery and sits in its original location.

USS Maine Memorial (Mast of the Maine)

The mast of the USS Maine, an armored cruiser that exploded in Havana Harbor in 1898, stands proud in Arlington National Cemetery, commemorating the over 260 people who died in the tragedy. It was first raised from the sea in 1911 and brought to Arlington in 1912. Now, the mast sits atop a large granite base, designed to resemble a battleship gun turret. It contains inscriptions of the names and ranks of those lost in the wreck, as well as a welded depiction of the Maine’s bell. Above the door, another inscription reads, “Erected in memory of the officers and men who lost their lives in the destruction of the USS Maine at Havana Cuba, February Fifteenth MDCCCXCVIII.”

Zero Milestone

This small granite structure symbolized lofty goals for America’s future when it was erected in 1923. Championed by Dr. S. M. Johnson, an advocate of the burgeoning Good Roads Movement, the marker was intended to show the central point from which one could measure highway distances throughout the country—a timely aim in the early days of America’s booming automobile age. Johnson took inspiration from ancient Rome’s Golden Milestone, located in the Forum, which marked the origin point of the Roman Empire’s extensive road system. While the Milestone’s great vision never quite caught on, it’s still technically a geodetic benchmark for some local measurements.

Statue of General Comte de Rochambeau

This statue of the famous French Revolutionary War hero was erected in Lafayette Park to affirm positive Franco-American relations. Following tensions between the two countries during the 1898 Spanish-American War, France sought to show that it held no grudges and was ready to restore friendly diplomacy. President Theodore Roosevelt and members of Congress, along with French military and civil delegations, dedicated the Rochambeau statue in 1902 in the southwest corner of the park.

Peirce Mill Spy Station

During the Cold War, D.C. was full of covert spaces for top-secret operations, such as this unadorned attic space in Rock Creek Park. The small nook atop a former carriage house became a site for intelligence officers to monitor bugging equipment directed at the diplomatic consulates (and snap the occasional sneaky photos). Meanwhile, the ground floor of the space became home to an alternative art collective called the Art Barn. The building’s use as a spy station was not revealed until 1992, when the Washington Post interviewed the Art Barn’s executive director about her unusual upstairs neighbors. In the same article, the Post reported that all spy equipment had been removed from the mill the previous year when the Cold War came to an end.