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There’s not much more to it. Supposedly during his stay in Washington during World War II as a British diplomat, Roald Dahl (yes that one) decided one night to paint the “undercarriages” of the bison on Dumbarton Bridge. Apparently he chose red.

It’s apparently only an unverified rumor, though. But it shows up in at least two Dahl biographies. One source suggests that it was covered in the gossip columns of the time. GM searched the archives of the Washington Star and the Post but couldn’t find a mention. It’s probably better that way.

Photo by Joe Flood.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Live in an old segregated school building: only $5 million!
• Ledbury returns to Georgetown.

2700 block of Dumbarton St.

The Friends of Volta Park will be celebrating their 20th year with their annual spring cocktail party on June 10th. It’s always a great opportunity to come out and see (or meet) your neighbors and support a great cause.

The party this year will be focused on acknowledging the debt the neighborhood owes to the original board who organized and worked with the city to save Volta Park from decades of neglect.

So buy your tickets and come on out June 10th from 7 – 9 at Georgetown Visitation!

Photo by Bryan Alexander.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Flower thief who (likely) hit Georgetown for years was arrested.
• Is a model train from a long lost Georgetown restaurant still circling up in Chevy Chase. (No, but the story is a fun read anyway).

3200 block of P St.

It happens all the time. Some news report will talk about something happening at a hotel in Georgetown. GM will stop and think, “wait a minute, there’s no Fairmont in Georgetown.” And of course it turns out that it’s yet another case of misleading names used to fool tourists.

The latest was about a bomb threat called in to the Marriott at 22nd and M St. This location should be called the West End. It also could be called Foggy Bottom, without too much problem. But instead it calls itself the Washington Marriott Georgetown. This lead to Greater Greater Washington writer Payton Chung to observe:

Continue reading →

Photo by Peter Bjork.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Don’t forget the Georgetown Garden Tour this weekend! It’s always one of GM’s favorite annual events.
• $5000 a month for barely 1,000 square feet? Yikes.

1500 block of 33rd St.

Today for Now an Long Time Ago, GM is strolling through a fantastic collection of old postcards on a DC Library website (thanks for the tip Peabody Room!)

There he found the image pasted above. It’s of a funeral parade for Rear Admiral Winifred Scott Schley, taken on October 5, 1911. (Definitely follow the link to see a larger picture of the photo. It’s got incredible detail).

Schley was born in 1839 in Maryland. After serving in the Civil War he had a long career in various American Imperialist conflicts of the late 19th century, including the Spanish American War. After that war, he came to dispute a history of the war that described him as a “caitiff, poltroon and coward.” (GM had no idea what those first two words meant, but it turns out they are just fancier ways to say the word coward).

A committee of inquiry was formed yo determine the truth of the accusation. It did not find in his favor: Continue reading →