While we tend to think of most of the circles and squares in Washington as having been planed to be exactly what they are today, most of them changed as new monuments and buildings were planned for the city.

Here we have Mount Vernon Square ca. 1887. Instead of a building dominating the square, it is an open park with a fountain in the middle.

Mount Vernon Park ca. 1887

The old City Library that is there now was built by Andrew Carnegie in 1902 in the Beaux-Arts style. Currently, the building is home to the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

Carnegie Library, Washington, D.C.First floor and basement floor plans for the Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C.

Here is the list of what trees and shrubs were growing in the square ca. 1887.

Trees & Shrubs, Mt. Vernon Square, 1887

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Tagged: dc, history, mount vernon square, parks, public spaces

Kent Boese posts items of historic interest, primarily within the District. He’s worked in libraries since 1994, both federal and law, and currently works on K Street. He’s been an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner serving the northern Columbia Heights and Park View neighborhoods since 2011 (ANC 1A), and served as the Commission’s Chair since 2013. He has a MS in Design from Arizona State University with strong interests in preservation, planning, and zoning. Kent is also the force behind the blog Park View, DC.