RG 132 Entry 3 folder 1920J Letter

The Rent is Too Darned High

Today’s post is written by M Marie Maxwell, an Archives Specialist in Textual Processing who works at Archives I, in Washington, DC.  Recently I rehoused a few series, moving documents from old boxes and folders into newer, archival quality folders and boxes. In doing so I encountered the letters from District of Columbia residents of … Continue reading The Rent is Too Darned High

1953 anti-desegration letter

A Record of Protest

Today’s post is written by M Marie Maxwell, an archives specialist who works at Archives I.   Recently, as a citizen, I attended a local community meeting regarding a contentious proposal, hosted by a city government department. Besides the subject being contentious, attendees against the proposal and the city representatives did not agree on how to voice … Continue reading A Record of Protest

The National Archives, the Fireman’s Insurance Building, and the Carter G. Woodson House

By M. Marie Maxwell RG 64, entry NA-273A. Center Market, looking southwest on 9th St., 1928 What do these three have in common? They all are properties within the District of Columbia, properties that appear in National Archives Textual series housed in Washington, DC. Initially, I had hoped to trace the property ownership of the … Continue reading The National Archives, the Fireman’s Insurance Building, and the Carter G. Woodson House

Rosslyn Skyline

By Marie Maxwell Recently, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), a federal agency charged with planning for the Washington, DC area, released a draft study regarding the height of buildings inside the District of Columbia. The city of Washington, DC does not have skyscrapers like New York or Chicago, because of a law limiting tall buildings. … Continue reading Rosslyn Skyline

A Georgetown, DC Building in 1994 and 2012

By M. Marie Maxwell RG 66, entry A1-23 Old Georgetown Act Numbered Case Files, folder OG94-88 (ARC 559486) Last time I wrote here on the Text Message blog, I had written about the Old Georgetown Act Numbered Case Files (ARC 559486), found in Record Group 66, Records of the Commission of Fine Arts, and highlighted … Continue reading A Georgetown, DC Building in 1994 and 2012

Washington DC in 1950

By M. Marie Maxwell Recently I processed two accretions for Record Group 66, Records of the Commission of Fine Arts. The first was for entry 18B, for the Shipstead-Luce Act Numbered Case Files (ARC 559476), and the other entry 23, the Old Georgetown Act Numbered Case Files (ARC 559486 ). They both contain files about … Continue reading Washington DC in 1950

The 1968 Riots in Washington, DC

By M. Marie Maxwell Recent events in London, of riots being reported in various parts of the metropolitan area, reminded me of a series in the Archives I holdings documenting a similar event in the American capital in 1968. Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, upon hearing of the civil rights … Continue reading The 1968 Riots in Washington, DC

Civil Records at Archives I

By T. Juliette Arai "What records do you have here?" is a common question we are asked everyday at Archives I (AI) in Washington, DC.  This post -- Part 3 of a 3-part series -- provides a brief description of the civilian agency records one can find in DC.  Part 1, Army [records at AI], and … Continue reading Civil Records at Archives I

Longtime Coming: Regional Development in the DC Metro Area

Today’s post is written by M Marie Maxwell, an archives specialist who works at Archives I.  Due to the unique relationship between the Federal government and the District of Columbia the National Archives holds a number of records relating to the development of the city of Washington. This not only useful for local historians but also … Continue reading Longtime Coming: Regional Development in the DC Metro Area

A Look at the Residential City of Washington

We're pleased to announce that our colleagues from the Textual Archives Services Division at Archives I will be joining us as regular bloggers. Today’s post is written by M. Marie Maxwell, an archives specialist who works at Archives I. Due to the unique relationship between the Federal government and the District of Columbia the National Archives … Continue reading A Look at the Residential City of Washington