Where it all began

Georgetown sits along the Potomac River in northwest Washington, D.C. Long before Washington became the nation’s capital, Georgetown was already an established town and busy river port.

The Maryland legislature created the town in 1751, laying it out on land owned by George Gordon and George Beall. Its location on the Potomac made it an ideal place for merchants to ship tobacco and, later, flour, grain, coal, and other goods. When the District of Columbia was established decades later, Georgetown was incorporated into the new federal district alongside the newly planned City of Washington.

Unlike much of central Washington, Georgetown was not laid out according to Pierre L’Enfant’s grand plan of broad avenues and monumental circles. Its narrower streets, irregular blocks, steep hills, and intimate scale are remnants of the independent port town that was already here.

The Neighborhood Story

During the 19th century, Georgetown grew into a busy center of commerce and industry. The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal brought coal and other goods into the neighborhood, while mills, warehouses, foundries, workshops, and wharves lined the waterfront and canal.

The neighborhood was shaped by a wide range of people, including merchants, laborers, craftspeople, immigrants, and Black residents, both free and enslaved. Their work supported the port, canal, homes, and businesses that made Georgetown one of the region’s most active communities.

As river and canal traffic declined, Georgetown gradually changed from an industrial port into a more residential and commercial neighborhood. By the 20th century, preservation efforts helped protect many of its historic buildings and streetscapes. Georgetown also became home to diplomats, politicians, writers, artists, and other notable Washingtonians, including John F. Kennedy and Julia Child.

The Architecture

Georgetown’s architecture reflects more than two centuries of development, with a few details appearing again and again throughout the neighborhood.

Elegant entryways often feature paneled doors, classical surrounds, fanlights, brick stoops, and wrought-iron railings. Tall sash windows and shutters give the façades their distinctive vertical rhythm, often softened with flower boxes.

Dormers, mansard roofs, decorative cornices, and brick chimneys add variety and reflect later 19th-century styles. Raised gardens, retaining walls, steps, and iron fences are also characteristic, shaped by Georgetown’s hilly terrain.

The Georgetown house in our collection combines these familiar elements to create a home that feels distinctly Georgetown.

Hidden in the Details


Look closely at the artwork and you’ll discover a few details with stories of their own.

CHARLIE — President John F. Kennedy’s Welsh Terrier, is a nod to the Kennedy family’s years in Georgetown before they moved to the White House.

JULIA CHILD’S COOKBOOK AND COPPER COOKWARE — honor the celebrated chef and author, who lived in Georgetown and worked on recipes for Mastering the Art of French Cooking while living in the neighborhood.

1751 — is hidden in the design, marking the year Georgetown was officially established.

Learn More

Want to learn more about Bloomingdale’s history, preservation, and community? These organizations are great places to start. Click on their logo to learn more

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