The Georgetown Metropolitan

3100 block of Dumbarton St.

Are plans to convert the Fillmore School into condos already moving forward? That’s the reasonable conclusion from reviewing the ANC meeting agenda for next week, which includes this item:

SMD 01, 1801 35th Street, NW, OG 15-128 (HPA 15-231), Fillmore School (Corcoran Art Center), Alterations to school and new townhouse construction, Concept – Preliminary/General

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Photo by Bex Walton.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The Cat Cafe is going in front of the ANC for approval next week. Sounds like it’s not going to face much opposition.
• Sietsema keeps finding things to like about eating out at Georgetown, this time it’s the Grill Room.

1400 block of 33rd St.

Lacking any particularly newsy news, GM is sharing some scenes from the long snowy week that just was:

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Photo by Mike Silva.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Hockey on the canal.
• Shot of the old Key mansion.

Photo by Joseph Gruber.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Tom Sietsema likes After Peacock Room.
• Barry Fruendel pleads guilty to voyeurism.
• Special nighttime Q & A Cafe tonight to discuss national security issues.

Pomander Walk

Would Volta Park exist without Napoleon Bonaparte?

Of course it would. But would it be the same name? Probably not, surprisingly enough.

That’s because Volta Park is named after Volta Place, one of the streets that borders it. Volta Place is named after the Volta Bureau, which stands at 35th and Volta. (Volta Pl. was originally Fourth St., then it was temporarily Q St. before being renamed Volta Pl. circa 1920).

And the Volta Bureau was created by Alexander Graham Bell and named after the Volta Fund, which was Bell’s trust fund he established to study deafness. The trust was funded by and itself named after the Volta Prize, which Bell received in 1880 by the government of France in honor of his inventing the telephone. (It was 50,000 francs, which translates to about $500,000 in today’s money). Continue reading →

Photo by Adam Fagen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• TRAGEDY: Water pipe break at library puts Peabody Room collection at risk! Luckily looks like the damage was minimal.
• Relatedly, the library will be closed until Friday.