The following is a

PREVIEW SAMPLE

of the

GeorgetownSelf Guided Walking Tour

Please purchase, download and print the rest of the

Washington DC Walking Guide Series by visiting:

www.citywalkingguide.com/washingtondc

Important Information and Tips on Printing

This print guide are designed to print onto a standard 8.5" X 11" piece of paper. Please note that some maps have many points of interest icons on them so we suggestthat you zoom in and out as needed (and print as needed according to the zoom level). Youmay want to print multiple maps at different zoom levels. You can also move the maparound on the screen to position it better if needed for printing.Consider using the Mobile versions in conjuction with your printed guide. The Smartphoneand Tablet layouts have links to Google maps that give you directions from your currentlocation.

Sign inGeorgetown

200 m Map data ©2015 Google Terms

Georgetown was incorporated in 1751 by the Assembly of

Maryland, a group of colonists accountable to England’s King

George II. Sixty acres were selected for their tobacco-friendly

soil and convenient placement along the Potomac River.

Georgetown quickly became a top tobacco producer and a

major shipping center.

Georgetown rapidly diversified and expanded its economy.

Local traders first found success exporting tobacco to Europe

and India. They opened flour mills shortly thereafter. Soon the

town adapted to the Revolutionary War by serving as a military

supply depot. In 1789 Georgetown was incorporated. That

year brought Georgetown University, a textile mill, a paper mill

and several flour mills.

Georgetown enjoyed more than a century of prosperity. The

establishment of Washington, DC to the east in 1791 proved

critical to the development of Georgetown’s highbrow

character. Georgetown became known as the capital city’s

fashionable district and attracted eminent international visitors.

It was officially incorporated into Washington in 1871. During

the 1860s and 1870s many former slaves migrated to

Georgetown. With this influx of entrepreneurs and laborers the

waterfront industries became more lucrative than ever.

However, economic misfortune hit Georgetown in the 1890s. A

major canal company went bankrupt following a severe flood.

The district consequently became increasingly impoverished.

Following World War I it was known as one of America’s most

neglected neighborhoods. Fortunately, New Deal initiatives

brought renovations in the 1930s. Further enhancements came

in the 1950s when Senator John F. Kennedy moved to the

neighborhood. Parties hosted by Senator Kennedy and his

wife attracted Washington elite to Georgetown once again.

In 2003 the Georgetown waterfront was revitalized with new

boutiques, restaurants and luxury hotels. Recent prominent

residents of Georgetown include the former Secretary of State

Madeleine Albright, the Watergate reporter Bob Woodward

and Senator John Kerry.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge is part of Maryland Route 29.

Brief History of Georgetown

1) Francis Scott Key Bridge

The reinforced concrete structure carries six lanes of trafficand two pedestrian walkways across the Potomac River. TheClassical Revival style arch bridge was completed in 1923. It isthe oldest span across the Potomac within the District ofColumbia. Built by the Army Corps of Engineers, the bridge’snorthern terminus is in close proximity to a community parkthat honors the author of the Star Spangled Banner. It is theformer site of his Georgetown home. Part of the NationalHighway System, the bridge connects Alexandria, Virginia withthe Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Known locally as the Key Bridge, it was constructed to replacethe Aqueduct Bridge that carried the Chesapeake and OhioCanal across the Potomac. The engineers converted the KeyBridge into a roadway when the canal system was abandoned.In 1923, the 70-foot wide bridge deck supported twopedestrian walkways, two traffic lanes and a trolley track downthe center of the span. It was adorned with a parapet and lightstandards. The bridge was updated in 1955 and 1987. Duringthese alterations the trolley tracks, parapet and light standardswere removed. The bridge deck was widened to accommodateadditional traffic and energy-efficient lighting was installed. TheNational Historic Places added the bridge to its list in 1996.

Completed in 2011, Georgetown Waterfront Park is one of thecountry’s newest national parks. Spanning the distance fromthe Key Bridge to 31st Street, N.W., it’s the culmination ofmany years of fundraising and advocacy for a green spacealong the Potomac River. The park, commonly known asWisconsin Avenue Plaza, provides scenic vistas of the river,access to the riverbank and an arching fountain. Park visitorsalso enjoy awe-inspiring views of the Key Bridge, TheodoreRoosevelt Island and the Kennedy Performing Arts Center.The grassy hills, leafy trees and promenade of the park,designed by Wallace, Roberts and Todd, complement thenatural curves of the river. Joining with other waterfront parks,Georgetown Waterfront Park is the last link in a chain of greenspace that traces the 225-mile path of the Potomac fromCumberland, Maryland to Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Planning for the park began in 1968 when the then blightedindustrial space was identified as future parkland by theNational Capital Planning Commission. In 1985, the mayor ofWashington D.C. transferred 10 acres to the commission forthe proposed park. A movie theater and the WashingtonHarbor Complex occupy a site that was once the Georgetown

2) Georgetown Waterfront Park

incinerator. The new park draws regular visitors that enjoy theactivities that take place along the riverfront, such as thesignature sport of rowing and the interactive labyrinth.

… …