FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Laura Brower Hagood
[email protected]
202-780-5613

DC History Center’s On The Square Community Event Shines Spotlight

on Carnegie Library and  Mount Vernon Square

Saturday, October 14 from 10 am to 4 pm

at the Carnegie Library

(WASHINGTON, October 2023) – On Saturday, October 14, the DC History Center welcomes Washingtonians to the Carnegie Library in Mount Vernon Square, NW, for hands-on experiences with historic collections and exhibitions, family-friendly learning activities, neighborhood walking tours, and more, from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free but registration is highly recommended for additional perks at https://OnTheSquare2023.eventbrite.com.

Located on the site of the Northern Liberty Market, the Carnegie Library is where Downtown, Mount Vernon Triangle, and Shaw come together. “Many of us drive or walk through Mount Vernon Square on the way to somewhere else,” says DC History Center Executive Laura Brower Hagood. “We’re inviting our visitors to slow down and explore the Carnegie Library, its beautiful park, and the great small businesses around us. They’ll find a surprising neighborhood rich in diverse history and culture.”

This event features a variety of hands-on activities celebrating the neighborhood and its history. Attendees will begin the day with the DC History Center on the second floor of the Carnegie Library. They can listen in on pop-up talks in THE BIG PICTURE, check out the Kiplinger Research Library, and get crafty in Memorial Hall with protest buttons and collages. At 1:30 pm, the DC History Center and Apple present a workshop with local poets Sami Miranda and Kenneth Carroll in the first floor Forum.

When attendees register for On the Square, they earn prizes, perks, and special discounts at participating local businesses such as Prost DC, A Baked Joint, Stellina, and Pearl’s Bagels. The DC History Center shop offers a 14% discount on all purchases, including the most recent releases on Washington history.

The Carnegie Library, which is listed in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and in the Register of Historic Places, first served as Washington’s main public library from 1903 to 1972, after which it sat unused for many years.

In 1999, the District of Columbia granted the DC History Center (then known as the Historical Society of Washington, DC), a 99-year lease on the building, from which it has operated its Kiplinger Research Library, exhibits, and programs since 2003. The DC History Center has shared the building with Apple since an extensive renovation was completed in 2019.

“Many people don’t realize that the DC History Center is tucked away inside the Carnegie Library. On October 14, we’re excited to introduce visitors to an organization that has quietly served as the city’s memory bank for almost 130 years,” said Hagood.

On the Square is presented with support from Arnold and Porter, Beyer Blinder Belle, Downtown DC BID, and Transwestern, and the Mount Vernon Triangle CID is a partner.

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About the DC History Center
Established in 1894 and located at the Carnegie Library in Downtown DC, the DC History Center is a community-supported nonprofit organization, which deepens understanding of our city’s past to connect, empower, and inspire. It collects, interprets, and shares the history of our nation’s capital through research and scholarship, adult programs, youth education, and exhibits. We seek to do this work as a welcoming and inclusive community that fosters curiosity and nurtures civic engagement to strengthen the District for all. For more information visit dchistory.org.