DK Travel : Washington, D.C. : History & Culture

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Bartholdi Park and Fountain

Another oasis for Capitol Hill visitors, this immaculate park is bursting with flowers and ornamental plants. Its symmetrical design radiates out from the fine Gilded Age cast-iron Bartholdi Fountain, a three-story high construction of supple human forms, European-style lights, and a non-stop flow of water.
Benedict Arnold

Arnold, in the early years of the Revolution, was an effective military leader on the colonists’ side. Yet, driven by money, he conspired to turn over to the British the army installation at West Point. His name became synonymous with “traitor.”
Benjamin Banneker Park

This waterfront park is named in honor of a renowned 18th-century free black mathematician and astronomer.
Benjamin Franklin

Jacques Jouvenal’s statue at the Old Post Office honors Franklin’s creation of the US Postal Service.
Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky

Clinton’s denial of sexual relations with the White House intern led to charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and an investigation by the House of Representatives.
Carnegie Library

Andrew Carnegie’s campaign to build libraries across America (he funded 1,679 in all) changed the country forever. This magnificent Beaux Arts building has been fully restored and is operated by the Historical Society of Washington, DC.
Caroline Harrison

The wife of Benjamin Harrison (1889–93) founded the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Cedar Hill

Frederick Douglass and his wife Anna became the first African-American family in Anacostia when they moved into this estate in 1877. Born a slave, Douglass became America’s most effective anti-slavery speaker. Accessible by Tourmobile (see Tour Bus Lines).
Cedar Hill

Frederick Douglass, a former slave, made many speeches for the rights of African-Americans, and was an adviser to Abraham Lincoln. He and his wife, Anna, moved into this Gothic-Italian-style house in 1877. In the garden is a humble stone hut nicknamed “The Growlery,” which Douglass used as a study.
Chinatown

Chinese culture abounds here, with an array of restaurants and shops. A Chinese arch was funded by Beijing and constructed in 1986, with seven pagoda-style roofs ornamented with 300 dragons.