The Georgetown Metropolitan

Last decade, Mayor Adrian Fenty announced an ambitious plan to create a 37-mile streetcar network throughout DC. It would, in part, recreate the network that existed in the city prior to its demise in 1962. And the plan called for a line to Georgetown. Unfortunately, after Fenty’s successor, Vincent Gray, bungled the first leg of the system, the whole plan got shelved beyond that stub line.

So Georgetown seems unlikely to see streetcars rumbling through any time soon. But this was but the second time that the city seriously considered restoring streetcar service to Georgetown. In the late 70s, DDOT commissioned a study to bring back a trolley to the neighborhood. Needless to say, it didn’t come to fruition.

The study came about after an effort from Georgetown businesses looking to improve the transit connection to the neighborhood. And prior to that, several citizens groups, including the Citizens Association of Georgetown, had produced their own report promoting the restoration of rail service.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Jerry McCoy retells the story of how he saved precious relics from the fire.
• Everlane opens up in the former Coach space.

As you get ready for a (more) normal Thanksgiving next week week, it’s important to take some time to think about those that have much less than us to be thankful for. And to turn those thoughts into action, please consider giving to Georgetown Ministry Center.

The institution, based right in the heart of Georgetown, offer services and programs to the area’s homeless. And in cold winter nights, it offers a place to sleep, which can be a question of life or death. As GM wrote back in October, the center is trying to adjust to the challenges of Covid, and could certainly use your help in doing so.

If you’re a federal employee who participates in the Combined Federal Campaign, please add the center (CFC# 31661) to your list of charities. Then pass the gravy!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Developer shifting from condos to hotel for Berliner Hall building.
• Nice article on the history and potential future of the Georgetown metro stop (or lack thereof).

GM was browsing Ebay looking for a vintage postcard to feature in Georgetown Time Machine when he came across a cache of fantastic (mostly) old matchbooks from Georgetown establishments. As far as cultural ephemera go, they’re pretty easy to overlook, but it’s a trip down memory lane either way. So here they are:

This legendary college bar was famously the shooting location for the interior bar shots from St. Elmo’s Fire. It closed in 2013 after 44 years.

This French restaurant occupied 3057 M St. It closed in the 90s and was replaced by Miss Saigon.

This is an older matchbook from the George Town Club. It’s from when the club mistakenly asserted that it occupied the former Suter’s Tavern building (which was actually down on Water St.).

Thanksgiving is still a couple weeks away, but GM wanted to pass on a tip to you to consider ordering your bird through Stachowski’s.

Here’s the link to order. The offer excellent Amish heirloom turkeys. GM has been ordering his through them for years and they never disappoint. And there’s something so traditional about ordering your turkey through your neighborhood butcher rather than picking up a factory farm-produced bird at the supermarket.

GM has one bit of warning though! The giblet stash in the turkey has included the entire head and feet! Talk about throwback…

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Towne Liquors completes its move up the street.
• Hugh Jacobsen’s former house for sale.

GM is finally back with an installment in his Where the Streets Had Old Names series! Today he is exploring the street currently known as 36th St.

Prior to the street renaming in 1895, this short little street was named Lingan Street. However prior to that it was known as Gay St. It was renamed Lingan Street in the 1810s, and the reason for the switch was quite dramatic, as described below.

Lingan Street was named after James McCubbin Lingan. Lingan was born in 1751 in Hartford County, Maryland (coincidentally the very same month that Georgetown was founded). He would later serve in the Maryland militia and obtained the rank of Lieutenant during the Revolution. However, he was captured at Fort Washington in New York just months into his service and spent years on a prison ship.

As a young man, Lingan moved to Georgetown, working in the tobacco warehouses and acquiring land. He was among the first men named as Alderman when Georgetown was officially recognized as a town in 1789. And he was one of the original nineteen landowners that signed an agreement for the establishment of the District of Columbia.