Georgetown Time Machine: Reservoir

This week for Georgetown Time Machine, I’m posting another photo from the DC Historical Society. It’s a southeast view from the intersection of R and Wisconsin from 1927.

Of course, that view now would be of the Georgetown library. But that building wasn’t built until 1935. What you see in this photo is actually the top of a spectacular Victorian era reservoir that once occupied these grounds.

I’ve written about this structure before. It was an unusual shape, emerging from the top of the hill like something out of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea:

The structure dated to 1853, but an article from when it was torn down suggests that it did not come into operation until the end of the Civil War (which I find somewhat hard to believe, but who knows).

The reservoir is long gone, but the wall and fence you see in the top photo is still the wall and fence you see surrounding the library to this day. The fence has a distinctive Neptune’s trident shape, which reflects the property’s previous use.