Then and Now: 17th and Pennsylvania, NW

History

Then and Now: 17th and Pennsylvania, NW

by Kent Boese • October 30, 2009 4:00 pm

Street scene near 17th Street and State, War & Navy building, Washington, D.C.

Left: Street scene of Pennsylvania Avenue looking southeast toward the intersection of 17th Street, ca. 1917. Right: The same scene (but in the rain) today.

7 comments

Tags: DC, downtown DC, history

Then and Now: 1700 block of Pennsylvania Ave, NW (Sep 16, 2009)
CFA says no poles, paint on Pennsylvania Avenue (Mar 22, 2010)
Lost Washington: Stoneleigh Court Apartments (Jun 18, 2009)
Connect bike lanes through closed Pennsylvania Avenue (Apr 22, 2010)
17th Street bike lanes incorrectly striped (Sep 3, 2010)

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 lives in the Park View neighborhood, and is the force behind the blog Washington Kaleidoscope.

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Hazel,Ackridge,Smith & Carr vandalized many many lovely and otherwise salvagable building in DC from the 1960's onward.

The building on the right is one of these atrocities-

the best thing about it is the excellent painting in the lobby.

by w on Oct 30, 2009 4:31 pm • link • report

Right: The same scene (but in the rain) today.

Looks to me like it's raining in the left-hand picture too. Am I mistaken?

by cminus on Oct 30, 2009 5:23 pm • link • report

Wow, the "thens" almost always look better than the "nows."

by Hiya on Oct 30, 2009 7:26 pm • link • report

I dunno, the old building doesn't look too great, although it's probably intentionally rusticated pseudo-Richardsonian or something, so it just looks old and beatup. Doesn't look like much street level retail, except for the pushcarts, and at least the new building offers a shelter from the rain.

by spookiness on Oct 30, 2009 10:06 pm • link • report

Speaking about atrocities, can I loudly complain about the blockage of the vista on the Old Executive building by the tourist booth and a tree? It is a disgrace to L'Enfant's plan of wide vistas in the city. And that on Pennsylvania Avenue, the greatest of all Avenues!

by Jasper on Oct 31, 2009 7:20 am • link • report

hmm, I think the security stations, bollards and various parked police cars are more dangerous to the views than a little tourist booth.

by charlie on Oct 31, 2009 3:15 pm • link • report

FWIW, I only counted 2 women visible in the old shot. There's only one visible in the new photo, but then again, there are a lot fewer people in the new picture anyways.

by Bilsko on Nov 1, 2009 9:04 am • link • report