How D.C.'s Historic Buildings—Some in Danger—Enrich its Neighborhoods

There’s a distinct difference between the design of the high-rise office building that sits at 1100 New York Avenue NW in Washington, D.C. and its pavilion entrance. While the first is modern, the second has a 1930’s, art-deco feel. That’s because the entrance once operated as the Greyhound Bus company’s Super Terminal, which was completed in 1940. 

While D.C. transplants may be more familiar with the more modern swath of New York Ave.—which includes the new City Center development with high-end retail stores and restaurants—longtime Washingtonians can recall the major transportation hub on New York Avenue. In fact, many still reference the site as “the old Greyhound terminal,” says Peter Sefton, chair of the DC Preservation League’s (DCPL) Landmark Committee. “People say it all the time—it’s a place-making type of landmark. It’s not a bus terminal anymore but it still has that identity.”

Lists such as the National Register of Historic Places and the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites were formed to preserve landmark buildings. Properties on the list are acknowledged and protected from being completely demolished because of their cultural significance.

Structures like the former Greyhound terminal add character to neighborhoods, especially during a time when cookie-cutter hotels, apartment buildings and pubs spring up throughout the city. When torn down, pieces of history are also stripped from the city; when restored, they can act as catalysts for neighborhood revitalization.

When the Atlas Theater on H St. Northeast was transformed into the Atlas Performing Arts Center in 2006, the surrounding commercial district was deserted. Today, the corridor that bustles with bars and retails shops is often referred to as the Atlas District.