Looking around Washington DC today, you will see busy politicos talking into their smartphones, tourists snapping photos with digital camera and phones, Uber drivers zipping around town and every sign of a thriving international city. It’s hard to imagine that life in the district didn’t move like this. But 100 years ago, Washington DC was a very different place.
Looking through these old photographs, it’s amazing to see how much Washington DC has grown and changed. While at the same time, there are some things here that have remained much the same. Take a step into the past and take a look at what Washington DC looked like 100 years ago.
The White House still stood tall and proud in 1916. Although, the sheep that crowded in the lawn are no longer there.
Woodrow Wilson was actually living in the White House at the time. He was elected in 1912 and again in 1916. This photo is from his inauguration in 1917.
However, of the many people who voted for Woodrow Wilson, none of them were women. Women did not win the right to vote until 1920. During the early part of the 1900s, women were protesting their right to vote in the district.
Many of the historic buildings that still exist today were around in the 1900s, such as the Riggs National Bank Building on Pennsylvania Avenue, which is now PNC Bank.
Hotel rooms were much cheaper in 1916. This photo of Pennsylvania shows the Hotel Occidental advertising rooms with bath for $2 and up and you can rent a Cadillac for $3 per hour.
While there were no Ubers in 1916, there were street cars. The Washington DC street cars pictured here transported people around the district until 1962.
Local and international news played a huge role in Washington DC in 1916 as they do today. But instead of instant updates on our phones, Washingtonians received their news from the newspaper and the newsies who sold them.
This photo of Chinatown in 1905 shows that even though it may look a bit different, Washington DC still looks like it was a vibrant and lively city 100 years ago like it did today.
