Washington and Georgetown Railroad Car House explained

Washington and Georgetown Railroad Car House
Location:770 M Street, S.E., Washington, D.C.
Coordinates:38.8789°N -76.9958°W
Built:1893
Architecture:Romanesque Revival
Added:November 14, 2006
Refnum:06000516

The Washington and Georgetown Railroad Car House, also known as the Navy Yard Car Barn, or Blue Castle, is an historic building, located at 770 M Street, Southeast, Washington, D.C.[1]

Architecture

The Romanesque Revival building was designed by Walter C. Root in 1891.[2] The most distinctive features are on the southeast facade, including towers that mimic a medieval castle.[1] The building was enlarged in 1909 to fill the western half of the block with a one-story addition that is not as stylistically ornate, but mimics the original design.[1]

History

The car barn was one of four facilities designed by Root for the Washington and Georgetown Railroad when it was planning an expansion of its cable car service in the 1890s.[1] The Navy Yard was the terminus of a cable car route that ran up 8th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, continuing to Georgetown.[3] The car barn was used to turn around the cars and ready them for their next trip across the city.[2]

The railway was acquired by the Capital Traction Company in 1895, and after a fire destroyed the main powerhouse in 1897, the cable cars were replaced with electric.[1] [4] in the electric car era, the barn was primarily used for storage, and it was expanded for this purpose in 1909.[1] [4]

Streetcar service in DC ended in 1962, and several of the retired streetcars were stored in the Navy Yard Car Barn.[5] The tracks leading into the car barn were paved over in 1963, whereupon the building was used as a bus garage.[2] [6] The building was later sold, was leased by the United States Department of Labor and was used to store records until the mid-1970s. The building was then abandoned.[1]

The National Park Service added the building to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on November 14, 2006.[7] It is only Washington and Georgetown Railroad Company building to survive the cable car era, which was one of the reasons that the NPS decided to add it to the NHRP.[2]

Redevelopment

The 770 Limited Partnership of Bethesda, Maryland purchased the building during the 1990s, whereupon the structure was used for office space and a small restaurant. During that time, the building was painted bright blue.[1]

In 2005, Preferred Real Estate Investments, Inc., bought the building and made plans to use it for retail space. At the time, the building held three charter schools.[6] In January 2008, Madison Marquette Real Estate Services purchased the building, held it as an investment and used its space for offices.[8]

In 2014, Madison Marquette sold the building to the National Community Church. The new owner then began to renovate the building, which it renamed "The Capital Turnaround". The church also made plans to repurpose the building for use as an indoor marketplace, a child development center and an event space in which the church would conduct services.[8] [9] [10]

In 2019, a church spokesperson stated that the organization would restore the building's historic coloration, rather than retain its blue tint.[10]

An 850-seat event space opened in the building in the summer of 2021, with bookings run by Union Stage.[11] Comedian Hannibal Buress was the inaugural show at the venue in August 2021.[12]

In October 2021, a child development center opened in the building.[13]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Laura V.. Trieschmann. Jennifer J. . Bunting. April 2005. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Washington and Georgetown Railroad Car House . . https://web.archive.org/web/20190506033203/https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/brib5ejexe8tesp/Navy%20Yard%20Car%20Barn%20NR%20nom.pdf?dl=0 . 2019-05-06.
  2. News: Tristani. Nina. The Blue Castle: Ask The Hill Historian. HillRag. September 10, 2018. May 6, 2019. May 6, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190506033159/https://hillrag.com/2018/09/10/the-blue-castle/. live.
  3. News: Finn. Catherine. Looking Back: Washington and Georgetown Railroad Car House. dcist. March 27, 2011. May 6, 2019. May 6, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190506033159/https://dcist.com/story/11/03/27/looking-back-washington-and-georget/. live.
  4. Web site: Lost Capitol Hill: The Washington and Georgetown Railroad Car House. 19 April 2010. 31 March 2019. 31 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190331150804/https://thehillishome.com/2010/04/lost-capitol-hill-the-washington-and-georgetown-railroad-car-house-2/. live.
  5. News: Bruske . Ed . At the End of the Line, Memories Still Clang . The Washington Post . September 14, 1979 . May 6, 2019 . May 6, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190506033157/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1979/09/14/at-the-end-of-the-line-memories-still-clang/f5c2fc4f-4387-481e-8368-3753ddfb1e90/ . live .
  6. News: Hedgpeth. Dana. 2005-12-26. Developer Buys 'Blue Castle' in Southeast. From The Ground Up. The Washington Post. July 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213135/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/25/AR2005122500533.html?nav=rss_realestate. March 3, 2016. live.
  7. Web site: Washington and Georgetown Railroad Car House. NPGallery: Digital Asset Management System. Washington, D.C.. United States Department of the Interior

    National Park Service

    . July 16, 2021. June 26, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220626205957/https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/06000516. live.
  8. Web site: Madison Marquette. Nov 24, 2014. Madison Marquette Announces Sale of Navy Yard Car Barn. Cision PR Newswire. Chicago, Illinois. Cision Distribution. July 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20150914132651/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/madison-marquette-announces-sale-of-navy-yard-car-barn-300000464.html. September 14, 2015. live.
  9. (1) News: Neibauer. Michael. National Community Church to acquire Blue Castle, expand Barracks Row portfolio. 8 November 2014. Washington Business Journal. November 4, 2014. 9 November 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141109051418/http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2014/11/national-community-church-to-acquire-blue-castle.html?ana=twt. live.
    (2) News: Michael. Neibauer. November 14, 2014. Madison Marquette, National Community Church close the Blue Castle deal. Washington Business Journal. July 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20141117184816/http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2014/11/madison-marquette-national-community-church-close.html. November 17, 2014. live.
  10. News: Elizabeth. O'Gorek. October 6, 2019. No Longer Blue: Church Renovates Navy Yard Car Barn: Plans Include Interior Market, Early Childhood Care Center. HillRag. Washington, D.C.. Capital Community News. July 15, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210715195803/https://www.hillrag.com/2019/10/06/no-longer-blue-church-renovates-navy-yard-car-barn/. July 15, 2021. live.
  11. News: Hayes . Laura . D.C.'s Next Big Venue, Capital Turnaround, Opens in August - WCP . Washington City Paper . 7 July 2021 . 13 June 2023 . 13 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230613202345/https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/522484/d-c-s-next-big-nightlife-venue-capital-turnaround-opens-in-august/ . live .
  12. News: Sexton . Courtney . Turn Around, Bright Eyes: D.C.'s Newest Events Venue Opens as Symbol of Hope . District Fray . 1 September 2021 . 13 June 2023 . 13 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230613202348/https://districtfray.com/articles/capital-turnaround-opens-in-dc/ . live .
  13. News: O'Gorek . Elizabeth . Capital Turnaround Phase II Opens HillRag . 15 December 2021 . 13 June 2023 . 13 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230613202357/https://www.hillrag.com/2021/12/15/capital-turnaround-phase-ii-opens/ . live .

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