From 1820 to 1837, a newspaper called the Georgetown Metropolitan was published in the city of Georgetown, DC. The copy above is from July 12, 1826, reporting on the deaths of Presidents Jefferson and Adams on July 4th, exactly fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For a short while, it was published by John L. O’Sullivan and his brother-in-law Samuel Langtree. O’Sullivan faded into obscurity until the middle of the 20th century when the term “Manifest Destiny” was attributed to him.
So what does this have to do with 2008? Well, not much. But, basically I’ve realized that the neighborhood of Georgetown lacks a neighborhood blog. I’ve decided to give it a try. I looked through Georgetown’s history for a worthy name to resurrect and the Georgetown Metropolitan sounded perfect to me. And so I have reestablished the Georgetown Metropolitan, 171 years since it last was printed. With luck, the Georgetown Metropolitan will serve as a valuable information source for Georgetown residents.
A rare opportunity to live the canal lyfe just hit the market. 3065 Canal St. is now for sale for just a shade over $1 million.
Canal Street might be an unfamiliar street name to you. It’s the address that those handful of homes on the canal towpath use.
The property has been owned since 1993 by Arlette Coppock, who lives upstairs and uses the first floor for her hair salon, dubbed the Fourth Lock after the canal structure out front. No word on whether she plans on continuing her business elsewhere, but the new owner will be able to explore their own options. The building is zoned to continue this mixed use.
On May 19th, Breena Clarke will be speaking at the City Tavern. It should be a fascinating discussion. Clarke is a native Washingtonian who wrote, among other works, two books set against a backdrop of the historical black community in Georgetown. The first was River, Cross My Heart (which was an Oprah Book Club selection) and the second was Stand a Storm.
The talk will focus on how Clarke learned how she is related to the same family of enslaved former residents of the City Tavern that Yvette LaGonterie has researched. It is always so powerful to hear these personal family stories told and discussed within the walls of the building that once housed them.
This Saturday, the Georgetown Garden Tour will be held once again, after being cancelled by the pandemic since 2020. Tickets can be purchased here or on the day of the tour at Christ Church (all proceeds benefit the Georgetown Garden Club). It runs from 10 – 5.
This really is one of GM’s favorite events of the spring. It lets you peek behind the gates of some of the most impressive properties in the neighborhood. But GM also loves that they don’t just select the grandest gardens. Plenty of small plots find their way on to the map. And that proves that anyone can build a tour-worthy garden if they’ve got a backyard and some elbow grease.
The Georgetown Metropolitan 
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