DC Preservation League

Webinar: Black Architects in Washington, DC
2026-02-26 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Join the DC Preservation League for a presentation that will highlight the consultants’ initial findings from the Black Architects in Washington, DC project. This event aims to offer insights and encourage discussion about the significant work being conducted in this area. It is a great opportunity to engage with the consultants regarding their findings and contribute to the ongoing conversation about the role of Black architects in our community.
About the Project:
Since before the establishment of the federal city in 1791, African Americans have played a significant role in shaping the built environment of Washington, DC. Free Black astronomer Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) worked with surveyor Andrew Ellicott (1754-1820) to survey the boundaries of the ten-mile-square area that would become the District of Columbia, just as hundreds of skilled and unskilled enslaved persons were hired out by their enslavers to help build the US Capitol and the White House. After the Civil War, freed Blacks with carpentry, masonry, metalworking, and other building skills entered the building trades in significant numbers in the city. The increased population led to a major building boom. While many Blacks entered the design field through the building trades, they also approached the design world through various avenues, known and unknown.
According to the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, just 2% of licensed architects in the United States today are Black. That number amounts to approximately 2,600 out of 122,000 total. The profession has long been white-male-dominated, leaving the work of countless women, Blacks, and other racial minorities widely unrecognized. The roots of the Black architectural community are grounded within the District of Columbia, as Howard University was one of the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities to offer a four-year degree in architecture at a time when the country was still widely segregated. This program ultimately attracted students from across the country and established Howard as the principal training ground for Black architects in the 20th Century. Despite this connection, the works of Black architects in the city remain underrepresented in both the DC Inventory and the National Register.
This project will establish a historic context statement and identify a list of Black architects who had a significant impact on the built environment of Washington, DC. The project will also formally identify/document properties that represent the impact Black architects have had on DC’s built environment. The MPD will include one new nomination to the National Register and set the stage for nominating more properties to the DC Inventory and the National Register.
About the Team:
Jay Cephas, Director, Studio Plat, is an architectural historian with over 20 years of research experience, including more than a decade of dedicated research into the various roles played by Black people in shaping the built environment. He is currently writing a book about Black architects and builders in the nineteenth century.
Jeremy Lee Wolin, Research Assistant, Studio Plat, is a doctoral candidate in the PhD program in architectural history at Princeton University. His research concerns the role of Black architects in carrying out the federal Model Cities program in the 1970s.
Melvin Mitchell, CEO, Bryant Mitchell Consulting Architects, is an architect and writer who possesses deep and extensive knowledge about Black architects and buildings in Washington, DC. He is currently writing a book titled Building Washington, DC: The Role of Howard University and HBCU-Trained Architects, 1920-2020.
Michelle A. Jones is a documentary filmmaker and community preservation advocate. She was the driving force behind the creation and development of the 2012 documentary, Master Builders: African American Architects in the Nation’s Capital, which, for the first time, narrated on film a deep history of Black building practices in Washington, DC.
Acknowledgements:
This project is supported in part by an Underrepresented Communities Grant (URC) from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The HPF has funded more than $2 billion since its inception in 1977 towards historic preservation grants. For more information about the URC grant program, please visit go.nps.gov/urc.
This project has received Federal financial assistance for the identification, protection, and/or rehabilitation of historic properties and cultural resources in the District of Columbia. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the US Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or disability in its Federally assisted programs. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, US Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20240.
Click here to register!

Site Tour: St. Augustine Church
2026-02-21 10:00 - 11:30 | St. Augustine Catholic Church, 1419 V St NW, Washington, DC, 20009, United States
Join the DC Preservation league for a guided tour of St. Augustine Church – home of the first Black Catholic parish in Washington, DC. The tour will be led by Dena Grant, a proud generational member of the church, archivist/historian, Girl Scout Troop Leader, and Youth Book Club/Podcast Organizer. She will share the history and resilience of the St. Augustine parish as they have journeyed and maintained ministry on 15th Street.
The original Saint Augustine no longer exists and attendees will be visiting the church/physical building that was once Saint Paul’s Church, but the spirit of St. Augustine’s founding and call to service still survives.
Dena will be accompanied by parishioner Sybil Williams, who is an African American genealogist.
This tour is $20 for anyone who would like to attend.
REGISTER HERE

Preservation Initiatives Grant Program Workshop #3
2026-02-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
This Grant Workshop will introduce participants to DCPL’s Preservation Initiatives (PI) Grant Program, which provides matching grants to individuals and non-profit organizations for preservation planning, research, outreach/education, and bricks and mortar projects related to historic and cultural sites. The workshop will give an overview of the program and application process. If you have any questions, please contact Zachary Burt (zach@dcpreservation.org). Additional information can be found at dcpreservation.org/grants

REGISTER HERE

Webinar: Exploring Black Built Modernist Buildings Along Benning Road
2026-02-07 11:00 - 12:30 | Zoom
Please join the DC Preservation League for this online event exploring Black Built Modernist Buildings along Benning Road in Washington, DC. This webinar will be led by Imania Price, Historic Preservation Specialist at the DC Historic Preservation Office.
The webinar is free and open to the public; Zoom link will be sent once you register.
REGISTER HERE

Webinar: Overview of DC's Design Review Process
2026-01-21 19:00 - 20:15 | Zoom
Did you know that most projects in historic districts can be approved by Historic Preservation Office staff without going to a Historic Preservation Review Board meeting? In this virtual presentation, join DCPL and Todd Jones from DC’s Historic Preservation Office to learn how design review is conducted, the difference between concept and permit approvals, and when it’s necessary to go to the Board.
This webinar is free and open to the public; Zoom link will be shared closer to the event date.
REGISTER HERE

Webinar: Historic Designation 101
2026-01-14 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
Designating a historic site can be complex and overwhelming, as there are many aspects to consider when evaluating a site for historic designation. Luckily, there are plenty of useful resources that can help homeowners and other individuals interested in preservation.
This presentation, led by DCPL’s Community Outreach and Grants Manager Zach Burt, will provide attendees with an overview of Washington, DC’s historic landmark designation process, the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, and the National Register of Historic Places.
This webinar is free and open to the public; Zoom link will be shared closer to the date.
REGISTER HERE

Preservation Initiatives Grant Program Workshop #2
2026-01-13 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom

Walking Tour: Historic Mount Pleasant
2025-12-13 11:00 - 12:30 | 3047 15th St NW
The Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, DC, along with nearby Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights, became the center of DC’s Latino community in the postwar era. In the 1940s, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans arrived in the capital to obtain work in the expanding federal bureaucracy. In the 1950s and 1960s, Latin American diplomats brought embassy staff to Adams Morgan, moving in alongside an influx of Dominicans and Cubans seeking economic opportunity and an escape from political conflict in their home countries. The growing Latin American community continued its expansion into Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights through Salvadoran and Central American immigration in the 1970s and 1980s, as civil war and domestic unrest unfolded in various nations.
Through the National Park Service’s Underrepresented Communities Grant Fund, DCPL and the DC Historic Preservation Office collaborated on a historic context study, published in 2025, focused on DC’s Latino community. In addition to this study exploring the city’s Latino history, two properties associated with this history, Rosemount Center/House of Mercy and the Latin American Youth Center, were added to the National Register of Historic Place. This tour will visit these recently designated historic landmarks, as well as several locations in the Mount Pleasant Historic District.
This tour will start in front of the Next Step Public Charter School, 3047 15th St NW, and end at the Rosemount Center, 2000 Rosemount Avenue NW. The route is approximately 0.8 miles. The return route from Rosemount Center has a slight incline, so please plan accordingly.
DCPL Member Tickets are $15 | Non-Member Tickets $25
**Please Note** DCPL members must be signed in to their DCPL online account in order to receive the member ticket price. If you have any trouble registering, email kelli@dcpreservation.org
Cancellations/Refunds: Requests for refunds will only be considered more than 5 days prior to the event, and transaction fees will be subtracted from the refund total. Cancellations 5 days or less from the event will not be refunded, but the ticket cost can be converted to a tax-deductible donation.
REGISTER HERE

Webinar: A Walk through River Terrace: Home, Community and Activism in a Northeast DC Waterside Neighborhood
2025-12-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
River Terrace is a small, cul de sac community of about 2000 residents located on the bank of the Anacostia River in northeast Washington DC. First appearing on Captain John Smith’s 1612 map of the Chesapeake Bay, evidence of early Nacotchtank (Anacostan) American Indian settlement indicates that this part of the Anacostia River was a hive of trade and activity for thousands of years. Once predominantly rural, modern day River Terrace was laid out in 1937 as a whites-only community featuring a school, grocery store and church, with ‘Rustic English Village’ inspired brick row houses designed by renowned architect George T. Santmyers. River Terrace was one of the first neighborhoods in DC to desegregate in 1948 when restrictive covenants in house deeds were declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court, and since then has been home to many of the city’s Black luminaries, including environmental activist and author George Gurley, Tuskegee Airman Major L. Anderson II, and the first African American woman to serve on the Board of Governors of the Biological Photographic Association Luvenia C. Miller RBP. The River Terrace Community Organization, founded in 1950, is the longest running continually active community organization in the country. Join us for a virtual walk through River Terrace where we’ll introduce you to the people and places that make our community unique.
This webinar is presented by the River Terrace Community Organization’s Art, Culture and Events Committee.
REGISTER HERE
Image credits
Map: Image inset of Map of the District of Columbia, Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA dcu
Photos and certificate: Courtesy Deborah Grimstead

Preservation Initiatives Grant Program Workshop #1
2025-12-10 18:00 - 19:00 | Zoom

Walking Tour: The Unique Architecture & Historical Figures of LeDroit Park
2025-12-06 11:00 - 12:30 | LeDroit Park Arch at 6th St & Florida Ave NW
LeDroit Park was developed in 1873 as an exclusive white “suburban” enclave. In this tour, explore unique architecture and the historical figures who transformed the neighborhood to the home of DC’s black intelligentsia. Neighborhood notables included Dr. Anna J. Cooper, Mayor Walter Washington, Sen. Edward Brooke, Rep. Oscar De Priest, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Mary Church Terrell, Duke Ellington, and Rev. Jesse Jackson. See unique 19th-century houses built in 12 distinct architectural styles.
This tour will be led by Eric Fidler, a former president of the LeDroit Park Civic Association who helped establish the LeDroit Park/Bloomingdale Heritage Trail historical markers that stand beside the sidewalks in both neighborhoods. The National Building Museum features Eric in a video on the history of LeDroit Park in the House & Home exhibit. He has lived in LeDroit Park for 16 years.
The tour will start and end at the LeDroit Park Arch at 6th St & Florida Ave NW.
DCPL Member Tickets are $15 | Non Member Tickets are $25
**Please Note** DCPL members must be signed in to their DCPL online account in order to receive the member ticket price. If you have any trouble registering, email kelli@dcpreservation.org
Register Here

Private Tour: President Lincoln's Cottage
2025-11-22 12:00 - 13:30 | President Lincoln’s Cottage, 140 Rock Creek Church Road NW, Washington, DC, 20011, United States
Please join the DC Preservation League for a special preservation-focused tour of President Lincoln’s Cottage, led by Director of Preservation Jeffrey Larry. Mr. Larry has also agreed to showcase some of this favorite artifacts. Plenty of walking planned, so please wear appropriate clothing and shoes.
DCPL Member Tickets are $15 | Non-Member Tickets $25
Cancellations/Refunds: Requests for refunds will only be considered more than 5 days prior to the event, and transaction fees will be subtracted from the refund total. Cancellations 5 days or less from the event will not be refunded, but the ticket cost can be converted to a tax-deductible donation.
Register Here

Webinar: St. Elizabeths Asylum, Civil War Care at the Government Hospital for the Insane
2025-11-12 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
Founded in 1852, St. Elizabeths was the nation’s first federally-funded psychiatric facility. The “Government Hospital for the Insane” in Washington, DC quickly transformed into a trauma center for wounded and convalescing soldiers when the Civil War broke-out a decade later. This lecture will analyze the reception of Union, Confederate, and African American troops, as well as their conditions upon admission. As the only federal mental health complex in the country during the Civil War, St. Elizabeths helped define treatment options for those afflicted with the modern diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Attendees will glimpse into the medical treatments of wartime Washington, connecting symptoms to battlefield experiences. Through an inclusion of primary sources and personal narratives, this lecture will explore the impact on psychiatric care in the postbellum years and reflect on the wave of mentally-ill veterans once the war concluded.
The lecture will be presented by Madeline Feierstein, an Alexandria, VA historian specializing in psychiatric institutions, hospitals, and prisons.
Free for DCPL Members; Non Members $5
**Please Note** DCPL members must be signed in to their DCPL online account in order to receive the member ticket price. If you have any trouble registering, email kelli@dcpreservation.org
Register Here

Ribbon Cutting Event: African American Civil War Memorial Museum
2025-11-10 11:00 - 13:00 | African American Civil War Memorial Museum, 1925 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
Join the DC Preservation League in celebrating the reopening of the African American Civil War Memorial Museum at the historic Grimke School, which was recently rehabilitated. Attendees will also be able to see the new statue of Abraham Lincoln, which was recently dedicated. All events are coordinated by the Museum; no formal program will be offered by DCPL at this event.
Event Details

Distillery Tour & Meet Up: Cotton & Reed
2025-10-29 18:00 - 20:00 | Cotton & Reed Distillery, 1330 5th St NE
Join the DC Preservation League for a tour of Cotton & Reed Distillery, a beautiful example of adaptive reuse in DC’s Union Market Historic District! The last time DCPL toured this space was 2016 and much has changed since – come see for yourself!
Ticket includes distillery tour, rum taste test, and one cocktail.
Tickets for DCPL Members are $25 | Non-Member Tickets $35
Cancellations/Refunds: Requests for refunds will only be considered more than 5 days prior to the event, and transaction fees will be subtracted from the refund total. Cancellations 5 days or less from the event will not be refunded, but the ticket cost can be converted to a tax-deductible donation.
Questions? Email kelli@dcpreservation.org
REGISTER HERE

Preserving Latino Cultural Heritage Through Street Art
2025-10-09 18:00 - 20:00
Celebrating the Unity Mural and a Long DC Tradition of Latino Muralism
Join Hola Cultura and the DC Preservation League on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m., for a community celebration of the Unity Mural and all of D.C.’s amazing Latine murals and their beautiful stories of community perseverance and resilience.
We’ll visit a local mural in Adams Morgan and then walk over to the Festival Center for a panel discussion and reception.
Event Details

Mural meet-up at 6 PM EST
2119 Champlain St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009
Panel discussion at 6:30 PM EST
Festival Center (1640 Columbia Road NW, Washington D.C. 20009)

REGISTER HERE

Member Only Walking Tour: Oak Hill and Mount Zion/Female Union Band Society Cemeteries
2025-10-04 10:00 - 12:00 | Oak Hill Cemetery, 3001 R Street NW, Washington, DC, 20007
Join the DC Preservation League for this first-of-its kind collaboration – Oak Hill Cemetery and Mount Zion/Female Union Band Society Cemetery have never hosted an in person tour event like this together!
Oak Hill Cemetery and the Mount Zion Cemetery (which includes the Female Union Band cemetery) are two historic, adjacent cemeteries in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC. Together, these two cemeteries tell a powerful story of racial inequality and segregation.
This tour will explore both cemeteries on foot, with leaders from each presenting on the history of the grounds, information on how the land was developed, and ongoing stewardship.
Please note the terrain for this tour can be steep and rocky and will certainly present challenges to those with mobility aids; long pants and long sleeve shirts recommended to avoid poison ivy, long grasses, and other invasives; and walking shoes and water recommended. If you have questions about accessibility, please email kelli@dcpreservation.org.
Tickets: You must be a current DCPL Member to attend this tour! DCPL Member tickets cost $35; new members will pay $55 to join DCPL and $35 for the event ticket.
**Please Note** DCPL members must be signed in to their DCPL online account in order to receive the member ticket price. If you have any trouble registering, email kelli@dcpreservation.org
REGISTER HERE

Crab Feast 11
2025-09-27 12:00 - 15:00 | Washington Canoe Club, 3700 Water St. NW, Washington, DC, 20007, United States
Join the DC Preservation League and the Capital Pride Alliance for their annual Crab Feast at the historic Washington Canoe Club, one of DC’s most picturesque locations on the banks of the beautiful Potomac River.
This event takes place entirely outdoors, with canoes and paddle boards available for adventures on the water.
Date & Time: Saturday, September 27th, 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm (Rain Date: October 11th)
Tickets: $85 for ages 13+; $25 for kids 12 and under. Includes: all-you-can eat crabs, shrimp, corn on the cob, hot dogs, and ice cream + beer, wine, soda, and water available. Limited seating available: Get your tickets now!
Cancellations/Refunds: Requests for refunds will only be considered more than 5 days prior to the event, and transaction fees will be subtracted from the refund total. Cancellations 5 days or less from the event will not be refunded, but the ticket cost can be converted to a tax-deductible donation. If you have any questions, please email Kelli Knox, kelli@dcpreservation.org.
REGISTER HERE

Wikimedia Edit-a-thon: Art Deco DC
2025-09-15 13:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
Do you love Wikipedia? This is for you! During this online event, you can learn directly from DCPL’s friends at wikimedia DC how to edit and correct Wikipedia pages to improve public information. You’ll then help correct Wikipedia pages focused on DC’s Art Deco historic landmarks. The session will include both training and time for individual editing.
This event is free and open to the public. Please register online to attend.
Register Here

Art Deco in Downtown DC Walking Tour
2025-09-14 12:00 - 13:15
This year marks the centennial of the 1925 Paris International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts that introduced Art Deco to the world. To help us recognize its significance, the DC Preservation League and the Art Deco Society of Washington are partnering once again to bring you two fun and educational events: a webinar and a walking tour. Both events will be led by ADSW President Steve Knight.
The walking tour will highlight the architecture and decorative art of some of downtown Washington’s Art Deco treasures. The tour will cover approximately one mile and last about one hour. The tour will not end at the same place that it starts. Please wear comfortable walking shoes.
Where: Downtown DC, near Metro Center (specific meeting instructions will be sent in advance to all registrants)
This walking tour is $10 for DCPL and ADSW members, and $20 for non-members. If you are an ADSW member interested in registering, please email Kelli Knox at kelli@dcpreservation.org.
REGISTER HERE

Discovering Deco DC Webinar
2025-09-09 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
This year marks the centennial of the 1925 Paris International Exposition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts that introduced Art Deco to the world. To help us recognize its significance, the DC Preservation League and the Art Deco Society of Washington are partnering once again to bring you two fun and educational events: a webinar and a walking tour. Both events will be led by ADSW President Steve Knight.
Art Deco can be found throughout Washington in a variety of building types, including apartments, commercial and federal buildings, as well as theaters, transportation facilities, and more. Steve’s well-illustrated talk will cover the origins and character defining features of Art Deco, one of the most comprehensive and preeminent aesthetics of the 20th century that touched everything from product design, graphic design, sculpture, film, fashion, home furnishings, and of course architecture. Steve will also highlight a handful of Art Deco preservation successes on which both ADSW and DCPL worked together.
REGISTER HERE

Heurich House Tour & Backyard Beer Garden
2025-08-13 17:30 - 18:30 | Heurich House, 1307 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Join the DC Preservation League and the Heurich House Museum staff for a tour of this stunning Dupont Circle mansion. Built between 1892 and 1894 for successful German-American brewer Christian Heurich (1842-1945), the Heurich House is the city’s finest and best-preserved example of Richardsonian Romanesque residential architecture. It is among the nation’s most authentic period homes, providing a remarkably evocative sense of the Gilded Age lifestyle of an immigrant industrial entrepreneur. It is also one of the few buildings in DC with a designated historic interior. After taking a guided stroll through the building, head out to the backyard beer garden for a drink or two if you desire.

This event has a ticket cost of $10.00 per person for DCPL members, non-members $25.00. Space is limited for this tour, so sign up today by clicking here!

Understanding Historic Interior Designation (Webinar)
2025-08-11 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
Join the DC Preservation League’s Zachary Burt for a webinar focused on DC’s interior designations. Learn how interiors are selected for preservation, and which sites in DC have been chosen for this unique designation. If you’ve ever been curious about this part of the preservation world, don’t miss out on this webinar!
Click here to sign up and receive the Zoom link directly in your inbox.

Calling All Members: Exclusive Archive Preview
2025-08-06 12:00 - 13:00 | Zoom
After two years of active archiving (and over a decade of planning), the DC Preservation League’s Photo Archive is almost ready to be released to the public. Join Executive Director Rebecca Miller and Programs Manager Shae Corey to learn about the creation of the archive, and get a sneak peek at its contents. You don’t want to miss out on this exclusive member-only event, so sign up today!
Sign up for a direct email to your inbox with the link by clicking here.

Back to Basics Mobile Outing With River East Design Center
2025-07-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Anacostia Metro Station, 1101 Howard Road SE
Photograph of the River East Design Center’s cart in action, courtesy of Anna McCorvey.
The River East Design Center Mobile Cart is an ongoing project that takes educational programming on the road. The cart brings educational materials about preservation, architecture, and zoning directly to community members to provide useful information on the forces that shape our neighborhoods. The community can use this knowledge to advocate for the policies and projects they want. This July, the DC Preservation League is partnering with River East Design Center to host a mobile cart event focused on DC’s architects. Stop by to play a game and learn about local architecture!
This event is free and open to the public. No registration required to attend.

Adams Morgan Walking Tour
2025-07-19 11:00 - 12:15 | The Wyoming, 2022 Columbia Road NW
Join the DC Preservation League’s Zachary Burt for a tour of Washington Heights, Kalorama Triangle, and Lanier Heights. This tour will highlight some of the significant residential architecture that was constructed in these three neighborhoods that fall along Columbia Road NW between Connecticut Avenue and 16th Street. Many of the area’s apartment buildings and private residences were designed in the early decades of the 20th century by important DC architects, including George T. Santmyers, B. Stanley Simmons, and Waddy B. Wood.
This event has a ticket cost of $10.00 for DCPL Members and $20.00 for non-members. Please register online to attend by clicking here. If you have issues logging in as a member, please contact Kelli Knox (kelli@dcpreservation.org).

DC Architects Wikimedia Edit-A-Thon
2025-07-10 18:00 - 21:00 | Zoom
DC architect Hilyard Robinson with architectural plans, photo courtesy of New York Public Library.
Do you love Wikipedia? This is the event for you! In this special event, you can learn how to edit and correct Wikipedia pages to improve public information. Join the DC Preservation League and Wikimedia DC to help correct Wikipedia pages focused on DC Architects and the buildings they designed. The session will include both training and time for individual editing.
This event is free and open to the public. Please register online to attend by clicking HERE.

Franciscan Monastery Garden Tour & Picnic (Member Only)
2025-06-21 10:30 - 12:00 | Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land, 1400 Quincy Street NE, Washington, DC, 20017
The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America has functioned as a site of religious refuge in DC for over 125 years. It’s gardens were developed in the early 20th Century and include replicas of Holy Land Shrines alongside over a thousand roses, azaleas, and perennials on the 42 acre site. Also on the property are some of the best architectural designs by noted architectural sculptor, John J. Earley, who also designed Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC. This June tour includes the upper gardens, the lower gardens, and a guided trip to the areas behind the Monastery. These include a 100 year old greenhouse used by the Franciscan Monastery Garden Guild, a cemetery still in use for burial of friars, bee hives for collection of honey, a barn from the original McCeney property, a working farm run by the Garden Guild, and other shrines. Bring your own packed lunch if you’d like to enjoy a peaceful picnic after the tour in a reserved area.
Click here to register and claim your spot! This tour is for DCPL Members Only. Not a member? Have trouble signing up? Email Kelli Knox (kelli@dcpreservation.org) for assistance.

Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens Tour
2025-06-14 10:30 - 12:00 | Kenilworth Aquatic Park, 1550 Anacostia Ave NE
Join the DC Preservation League and the Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to visit this Northeast oasis hidden behind trees and cattails. Learn about the history of this unique National Park, including the people that helped develop it, the wildlife found in the park, and the importance of ongoing conservation efforts.
Sign up here to join the tour!

In the Garden: Part of a poetry garden series
2025-06-07 14:30 - 16:30 | Tudor Place Historic House & Garden, 1644 31st Street NW, Washington DC
For over 178 years, the Tudor Place garden has evolved from agricultural uses to recreational and ornamental purposes, reflecting the growth and changes both in Georgetown and the rest of the nation. Each generation of the house’s owners preserved original design elements as well as many of the earliest plantings, while adapting the landscape to their own needs. On June 7th from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM, visit Tudor Place Historic House & Garden for a special poetry garden event. In the Garden features special guest fiction writer and florist Matthew B. Kelley in conversation with a poetry garden series founder Maria Fernanda Chamorro to discuss their creative and historic connections to the gardens in our communities. This event will take place in the historic Dower House’s front and middle parlors.
Guests are encouraged to arrive at 1:30pm for a garden tour or a map for a self-guided experience. This conversation launches the second season of Chamorro’s ongoing interview series a poetry garden, a series honoring Black people who engage with the literary arts and horticulture across D.C.’s eight wards.

Matthew B. Kelley is a writer from Atlanta, GA. He holds degrees from Morehouse College and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he was a Truman Capote Fellow in fiction. He has received fellowships from Callaloo Creative Writing Workshop and Kimbilio [Fiction]. He is an assistant professor of English at Emory & Henry University in Emory, VA.

María Fernanda Chamorro (she/hers) is a poet. From Northeast DC, her work explores the intimacy of sisterhood, the anchor of intergenerational coexistence, and grief. Awarded the Norma Elia Cantú Award in Creative Writing, the Andrea Klein Willison Poetry Prize, and a Hurston/Wright Amistad Award Finalist, she has appeared at The National Museum of African American History and Culture and more. She is a Callaloo fellow.
Tudor Place Historic House & Garden preserves the stories of six generations of descendants of Martha Washington and the enslaved and free people who lived and worked at this Georgetown landmark for nearly two centuries. By examining their legacy, we challenge ourselves and our visitors to celebrate the triumphs and confront the complexities of the past.
Click here to sign up!
