Washington, D.C.: A Planned Capital, Not a "New City"

Washington, D.C. was not a "new city" in the sense of settling empty wilderness. The District's creation in 1790 (Residence Act) designated a federal district from land ceded by Maryland and Virginia, but the area was already inhabited.

Pre-Federal History

• Indigenous peoples: Piscataway, Anacostan (Nacotchtank), and other Algonquian groups lived along the Potomac and Anacostia rivers for millennia
• Colonial settlements: Georgetown (Maryland, 1751) and Alexandria (Virginia, 1749) were thriving port towns
• Plantations: Enslaved labor worked tobacco farms across the future District

Deliberate Design

President George Washington selected the site. French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant designed the baroque plan: radial avenues over a grid, grand vistas, reserved spaces for public buildings (Capitol, White House), and public squares—inspired by Versailles but adapted for republican ideals.

Key Features

• Wide diagonals (Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts Avenues) over orthogonal grid
• Height restriction (1910): no building taller than Capitol dome (~130 ft)
• Extensive parks: Rock Creek Park, National Mall, Fort Circle Parks
• Quadrant system (NW, NE, SW, SE) centered on Capitol

Evolution

From 1800 (government arrival) through Civil War expansion, McMillan Plan (1901), Metro system (1976), and modern development, D.C. grew from a sparse federal village to a 700,000+ resident city—still defined by L'Enfant's vision and its unique federal status.