The Humanities Council office is located in a small row house at 925 U Street, NW just across the street from the African American Civil War Memorial. It's hard to discern a home from the present-day interior, but it's impossible for us to forget that, at one time, it was one. At last year's DC Community Heritage Project House History Workshop, we learned that our office building was: 

• Built in 1878;
• Owned by Mary A. Kuehling;
• Built for an estimated $3000 (roughly $67,000 in 2010 dollars); 
• And occupied as a semi-detached family home.

This brief investigation was intellectually satisfying, but for homeowners or anyone interested in architectural history, it could be a starting point for a holistic house 

history that could contribute to a greater understanding of Washington, DC's urban development.

This year's DC Community Heritage Project House History Workshop will guide community historians, of any skill or knowledge level, through the DC Public Library Washingtoniana Division's collection. Participants will learn how to research the history of their own home or any other historical property through sessions on:

• DC Maps - Led by Yvonne Carignan, Head of Special Collections and Archives at George Mason University's Fenwick Library
• Historic Building Permit Database - Led by historian, author, and tour leader, Brian Kraft.
• Photo Archives - Led by Faye Haskins, Photo Librarian at the DCPL Washingtoniana Division.
• Microfilm Records - Led by historian and archivist Jerry McCoy of the DCPL Washingtoniana Division
• Neighborhood Context/DC Digital Museum - Led by historian and editor of the H-DC listserv Matthew Gilmore, and Humanities Council of Washington, DC curator of digital collections, Jasper Collier.

House History Day will consist of two identical workshops. Please register for ONLY ONE of the workshops. Although the workshops are free and open to the public, we ask that you register ONLY if you are certain that you will be able to attend as space is limited and there is almost always a waitlist for the program.