Georgetown, Twenty-One Years Ago

A reader sent GM a great snapshot of Georgetown’s recent past. It’s a visitor’s guide for the neighborhood from 1998-99. It was produced by the Georgetown Business and Professional Association, which is now known as the Georgetown Business Association.

Here’s the other side:

A surprising number of shops, restaurants or hotels listed are still around. They include:

• Riverside Grille
• Sequoia
• Tony & Joes
• Martin’s
• Georgetown Tobacco
• Patagonia (although it recently moved locations)
• Peacock Cafe
• Chaumiere
• Georgetown Opticians
• The Phoenix
• Cafe Milano
• Filomena
• Seasons
• Haagen Dazs
• 1789
• Clyde’s
• The Tombs
• Blues Alley
• Four Season’s Hotel
• Georgetown Inn
• Georgetown Suites
• GU Conference Center
• Cherub Antiques
• Keith Lipert (new location)
• Gore Dean Antiques (new location)
• Bridge Street Books
• Susquehanna Antique Company
• Franklin National Bank/BB&T

Sadly the list of closed establishments is even longer:

• Hisago
• TCBY yogurt
• Cabo
• Harbour Cafe
• Harbour Convenience
• Old Print Gallery
• Pleasure Palace
• Paolo’s
• Old Glory
• J. Paul’s
• Eddie Bauer
• Washington Pen Company
• Affiches de Monde
• Mendocino Grille
• Dean and Deluca
• Citronelle
• Pizzeria Uno
• Martin’s of Georgetown (different from the tavern, appears to have been an art gallery)
• Luciano’s Cafe
• Busara
• Sea Catch
• Third Edition
• Garrett’s
• Bistro Francais
• Benihana
• Japan Inn
• Houston’s
• Tahoga
• Vintage
• Cafe La Ruche
• Hunan Peking
• Il Radicchio
• One Hour MotoPhoto
• Dream Dresser
• Georgetown Station
• HMV Records
• Georgetown Dutch Inn
• The Latham Hotel
• Dunnan’s
• Galerie Lareuse
• Janis Aldridge
• Kelsey’s Kupboard
• Michael Getz Antiques
• Miller and Arney
• Georgetown Park Mall
• The Old Forest Bookshop
• Yes! Bookshop
• First Union Bank (became Wachovia)
• Riggs Bank (became PNC)

Click on the photos to enlarge to see a little more info on each of these establishments.

The funny thing to GM is how hard the brochure was leaning into schmaltzy history, in a real Ye Olde Georgetowne, sort of way.The neighborhood businesses (by way of the BID now) obviously still put history front and center, but perhaps out of a fear of seeming too musty, it doesn’t make it so old timey.