Historic District Signs Proposed for Georgetown

Georgetown is more than simply another neighborhood in DC. It’s even more than simply another old neighborhood in DC. It is a neighborhood that was uniquely a former independent municipality that is not only older than DC itself, but older than the United States. Founded in 1751 as a town in the colony of Maryland, Georgetown is celebrating its 275th year in 2026. And a few proud locals are proposing an idea to mark the occasion.

Outerbridge Horsey and Eileen McGrath have proposed the installation of signs around the entries to Georgetown to mark both the boundaries of the neighborhood and the age. The first versions of the signs are above, and were presented to the ANC last week to a warm reception. The design has shifted slightly since then, and will now read “Historic Georgetown – Estab. 1751” (in order to avoid any confusion over what the number means).

Here is a map of where they hope to install the signs. They have targeted most of the entry points of the neighborhood:

The design still needs to get approval from the Old Georgetown Board and then DDOT. If approved, identifying a funding source will be the next step. At the ANC meeting, Horsey estimated that the cost for all the signs would be about $50,000, which seems like a doable number from a fund-raising perspective.

Here’s hoping it can all come together in time to help mark our neighborhood’s 275th year!