About

About Washington Chronicles

Washington Chronicles is a collection of articles I have written over the years, as well home to new articles as they become available.  Be sure to check back periodically, as articles may be updated with additional information and photos as time allows.

My primary interest has always been architectural history, but there is much more to the story of any building beyond when it was constructed, its style, who the architect was, etc.   These stories often include class struggles, economic development, politics, and most interestingly, the personalities of those involved.  I try to incorporate all these aspects in my research as much as possible, making for a more comprehensive, and hopefully, a fun read as well.

About the Author

Stephen Hansen is a longtime resident of Washington, D.C.  He is an architectural historian, a historic preservation specialist, and an author.  Stephen was the first writer of the monthly column What Once Was in Washington, DC for The Intowner Newspaper.   He is the author of the books A History of Dupont Circle: Center of High Society in the Capital and Kalorama Triangle: The History of a Capital Neighborhood published by The History Press in 2011 (see below).  Contact: washingtonchroniclesdc@gmail.com 

 Books by Stephen Hansen

A History of Dupont Circle: Center of High Society in the Capital

Discover the remarkable history of Washington, DC's famed Dupont Circle neighborhood with author and historian Stephen A. Hansen.

"As Stephen A. Hansen writes in his definitive A History of Dupont Circle: Center of High Society in the Capital, the wealthy flocked to Washington to build their grand homes in the Dupont Circle environs and built them and built them until there was no land left."
Peter Thiel, Politico
 
"...the definitive social history of Dupont Circle for the indefinite future."

During the Gilded Age, Dupont Circle was Washington's undisputed center of wealth, power and status. Over twenty years, it evolved from small farms and an overrun city cemetery to a community of grand homes for society's elite. Residents included future presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft, inventor Alexander Graham Bell, newspaper publisher Cissy Patterson and many more. From the intimate dinners and receptions of the Cave Dwellers to the lavish balls of Mary Townsend and others in the "smart set," Dupont Circle marked each social season in the capital. Satirized in Mark Twain's novel The Gilded Age, the nouveau riche lifestyle of Dupont Circle was fodder for newspaper celebrity gossip. Author Stephen Hansen brings to life the intriguing history of Washington's famed Dupont Circle.

Published by History Press, London and Charleston, 2014. Pages: 224. Over 100 photos. List price: $21.99. Formats: Paperback, hardcover, and ebook (Kindle, Nook, and iBooks).

Available for order online from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Books-a-Million, and other online book retailers..

 
Kalorama Triangle: The History of a Capital Neighborhood
 
 
Kalorama is Greek for beautiful view, and it was the vista that drew wealthy colonists to set their farms and manor homes on the verdant hills above the capital. With the start of the Civil War, the grand hilltop residences were turned over to the army to be used as barracks and hospitals. It was only after the war that the land was developed into city streets that saw everything from the excesses of the Gilded Age to the horrors of the 1922 Knickerbocker Theater Disaster. Historian and longtime resident Stephen A. Hansen charts the evolution of the neighborhood from its earliest history through the twentieth century as residents fought to preserve the historic character of Kalorama Triangle.
 
Paperback and hardcover: 160 pages. The History Press, 2011.
 
Available from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and other online book retailers.