James Farmer was one of the leaders of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. As one of the founders of the Congress on Racial Equality (CORE), an interracial civil rights organization, and its National Director in the early 1960s, Farmer…

Formed in 1833, the Washington National Monument Society took charge of creating a memorial to George Washington on the National Mall. They raised money through public donations and awarded the design contract to architect Robert Mills. In 1854,…

A prominent sculptor of memorials and monuments since the 1880s, Saint-Gaudens was a member of the Senate Park Commission. Formed in 1901, this commission was charged with developing the National Mall and other areas of Washington, DC. Saint-Gaudens…

Roy Wilkins was a prominent civil rights activist who held leadership positions within the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 1931 until 1977. In 1941, he helped coordinate staff and financial support from the NAACP for…

The United States Marine Band was established by an Act of Congress in 1798 and has been based in Washington, DC, since 1800. They are known as "The President's Own," and played at the first Inauguration in Washington (1801), the first Inaugural Ball…

Charles Carroll Glover was a business man who advocated for the development of parks in Washington, DC, during the late 1800s. In 1881, he called a meeting of fellow businessmen to propose transforming the Potomac flats, a tidal marsh area, into a…

John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor, best known for his military marches, which school, professional, and military bands still play today. He served as Director of the United States Marine Band, based in Washington, DC, from…

In 1909, visitors standing at the entrance of the United States National Museum (now the Museum of Natural History), saw horse-drawn carriages and carts, vendors, and storefronts, of Center Market. The small building in the foreground is a guard…

People from all walks of life shopped at Center Market, from Presidents and First Ladies to local residents. In addition to the stalls and businesses inside the main building, vendors set up stalls outside the building. This photograph from 1910…

Center Market was a hub of activity for Washington's African American population during the 1800s. Both free and enslaved African Americans bought and sold produce at the market and operated stalls before and after Emancipation. This woman,…