C&O Canal by samirluther

Georgetown is a neighborhood located in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., along the Potomac River waterfront. Founded in 1751, the city of Georgetown substantially predated the establishment of the city of Washington and the District of Columbia. Georgetown retained its separate municipal status until 1871, when it was assimilated into the District of Columbia. Today, the primary commercial corridors of Georgetown are M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, which contain high-end shops, bars, and restaurants. Georgetown is home to the main campus of Georgetown University and the Old Stone House, the oldest standing building in Washington. The embassies of France, Mongolia, Sweden, Thailand, Venezuela, and Ukraine are located in Georgetown.

History
Early history

In 1632, English fur trader Henry Fleet discovered a Native American village called Tohoga on the site of present-day Georgetown, and established trade there. Georgetown was incorporated as a town and first regularly settled in 1751, when the area was part of the British colony of the Province of Maryland. Georgetown was located on land that was owned by George Gordon and George Beall.

Situated on the fall line, Georgetown was the farthest point upstream to which oceangoing boats could navigate the Potomac River. Gordon constructed a tobacco inspection house along the Potomac in approximately 1745. Tobacco was already being transferred from land to waterways at this location, when the inspection house was built. Warehouses, wharves, and other buildings were then constructed around the inspection house, and it quickly became a small community. It did not take long before Georgetown grew into a thriving port, facilitating trade and shipments of tobacco and other goods from colonial Maryland. One of the most prominent tobacco export businesses was Forrest, Stoddert and Murdock, which was formed in 1783 in Georgetown, by Uriah Forrest, Benjamin Stoddert, and John Murdock.

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Washington, D.C. (pronounced /ˈwɒʃɪŋtən diːsiː/) (formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C.) is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790. The City of Washington used to be a separate municipality within the District of Columbia.

An Act of Congress in 1871 created a single government for the entire federal territory, effectively merging the City and the District into a single entity. It is for this reason that the city, while legally named the District of Columbia, is known as Washington, D.C. The city is located on the north bank of the Potomac River and is bordered by the states of Virginia to the southwest and Maryland to the other sides.

The District has a resident population of 588,292; however, its population rises to over one million people during the workweek, due to commuters from the surrounding suburbs. The Washington Metropolitan Area, of which the District is a part, has a population of 5.3 million, the eighth-largest metropolitan area in the country.

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Washington Monument by Jeff Kubina

All the museums and sights are free and most memorials are open all night which is a very enjoyable time to visit.

1. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery - Smithsonian Institution
1050 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC | 202-633-4880
This subterranean museum presents a wide-ranging collection of Asian art.

2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Ohio Drive NW, Washington, DC | 202-426-6841
Grand fountains and solemn statues celebrate FDR’s legacy.

3. Freer Gallery of Art - Smithsonian Institution
Jefferson Drive and 12 Street NW, Washington, DC | 202-633-4880
The Italian Renaissance edifice holds one collector’s array of Asian art, along with the world’s largest collection of works by James McNeill Whistler.

4. George Mason Memorial
Ohio Drive at the Tidal Basin, NW, Washington, DC | 202-426-6841
Virginia statesman George Mason takes his seat on the Mall.

5. Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden - Smithsonian Institution
Independence Avenue at Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC | 202-633-1000
This palace of contemporary art mounts challenging shows in its doughnut-shaped exhibition space.

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