What makes Washington, D.C., so attractive to so many people?

Locals and visitors in the nation’s capital may respond with a range of generic answers, but one top response will always be the great monuments. From Washington, D.C.’s historic beginnings in the 1790s, these prominent structures soon became an important identifying feature of the district and a way to preserve its past.

This book examines a number of significant monuments, memorials, and historic sites through stunning black-and-white photographs spanning a century and a half. Historic Photos of Washington D.C. Monuments highlights chapter-by-chapter the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and other monuments receiving significantly less foot traffic—but ones that are no less significant. The memorialized figures, the architects and artists behind the structures, and captivating historical facts are further explored in accompanying captions. Each chapter also looks at historical events that took place at these monuments, including political rallies, civil rights demonstrations, and speeches given by those who helped shape the nation.

It is hoped that readers of Washington D.C. Monuments—from D.C. residents and visitors to art enthusiasts, history buffs, and architecture lovers—will visit these hallowed places and see for themselves why people love Washington, D.C.