Aerial photograph of Dupont Circle.

Dupont Circle is a traffic circle in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Connecticut Avenue, New Hampshire Avenue, P Street and 19th Street. Dupont Circle also gives its name to the public park within the circle as well as the surrounding neighborhood, which is bounded approximately by 16th Street to the east, 22nd Street to the west, M Street to the south, and Florida Avenue to the north. Aerial photograph of Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., USA. This photograph was taken in 2002 by the U.S. Geological Survey. ... Aerial photograph of Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C., USA. This photograph was taken in 2002 by the U.S. Geological Survey. ... A traffic circle is an intersection with a circular shape and, usually, a central island. ... Color-enhanced USGS satellite image of Washington, DC, taken April 26, 2002. ... Flag Seal Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... Massachusetts Avenue, colloquially abbreviated Mass. ... Connecticut Avenue is a major route in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., and suburban Montgomery County, Maryland. ... A neighbourhood or neighborhood (see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community located within a larger city or suburb. ... Sixteenth Street Northwest is a prominent north-south thoroughfare in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. Part of Pierre LEnfants design for the city, 16th Street begins just north of the White House across Lafayette Park at H Street and continues due north in a straight line... The name M Street refers to two major thoroughfares in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. Because of the Cartesian-coordinate-based street-naming system in Washington, the name M Street can be used to refer to any east-west street located twelve blocks north or south of... Florida Avenue is a major street in Washington, D.C. It was originally named Boundary Street, because it formed the northern boundary of Pierre LEnfants original plan for the Federal City. ...

Construction of the traffic circle, originally called Pacific Circle, began in 1871. In 1882, Congress authorized a memorial statue of Samuel Francis du Pont in recognition of his service as a rear admiral during the Civil War. A bronze statue was erected in 1884 in a park at the center of the circle. The Du Pont family moved the sculpture to Wilmington, Delaware in 1920, and commissioned the current double-tiered, white marble fountain from sculptor Daniel Chester French and architect Henry Bacon (the co-creators of the Lincoln Memorial). The fountain was installed in 1921. Three classical nude figures symbolizing the sea, the stars and the wind are carved on the fountain's shaft. Congress in Joint Session. ... Samuel Francis du Pont by Daniel Huntington 1867-68, oil on canvas National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC Samuel Francis du Pont (September 27, 1803 – June 23, 1865) was an officer in the United States Navy who achieved the rank of rear admiral. ... The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederate) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties Killed in action: 110,000 Total dead: 360,000 Wounded: 275,200 Killed in action: 93,000 Total dead: 258... Assorted ancient bronze castings found as part of a cache, probably intended for recycling. ... An Australian park A park is any of a number of geographic features. ... The Du Pont de Nemours family is a wealthy American family. ... Flag Seal Motto: A Place To Be Somebody Location Coordinates , Government County New Castle County incorporated 1739 Mayor James M. Baker (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 44. ... Venus de Milo, front. ... The Jet dEau fountain in Lake Geneva in Geneva A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source (Latin fons), fills a basin of some kind, and is drained away. ... Daniel Chester French Signature, Daniel Chester French (April 20, 1850 – October 7, 1931) was an American sculptor. ... Henry Bacon (November 28, 1866–February 17, 1924) an American Beaux-Arts architect, is best remembered for his severe Greek Doric Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (built 1915–1922), which was his final project. ... The Lincoln Memorial, on the extended axis of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is a United States Presidential Memorial built for United States President Abraham Lincoln. ... Sunset at sea Look up Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Look up maritime in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Pleiades star cluster A star is a massive, compact body of plasma in outer space that is currently producing or has produced energy through nuclear fusion. ... Wind is the roughly horizontal movement of air (as opposed to an air current) caused by uneven heating of the Earths surface. ...

The circle is divided between two counterclockwise roads. The inner road is reserved for Massachusetts Avenue traffic, and the outer road serves the other intersecting streets. Connecticut Avenue passes under the circle via a tunnel, and its traffic accesses the circle via service roads that branch from Connecticut near N Street and R Street. A clockwise motion is one that proceeds like the clocks hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top. ... Massachusetts Avenue is the name shared by several prominent streets in the United States. ... A disused railway tunnel now converted to pedestrian and bicycle use, near Houyet, Belgium A tunnel is an underground passage. ... In the USA, a frontage road is a non-limited access road running parallel to a freeway and feeding it at appropriate points of access. ...

The present Connecticut Avenue traffic tunnel was built in 1949 as part of the (now-defunct) Captial Transit's Dupont Circle tunnel project. Many incorrectly think the traffic tunnel is where the streetcars operated. However, the streetcar tunnels were built in addition to the traffic tunnel and started a block north and south of the traffic tunnels. The tracks followed the outer perimeter of the circle and paralleled the traffic tunnel north of the circle underneath the Connecticut Avenue service roads. The purpose of the trolley tunnels was to alleviate the traffic congestion created when the streetcars traveled (in both directions) around the circle's western side. The tunnel entrances were filled in and paved over after the demise of streetcar operation in 1962 leaving only the traffic tunnel. 15th Street in the early 20th century Streetcars and interurbans operated in Washington, D.C., between 1862 and 1962. ... Traffic jams are common in heavily populated areas. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ...

The tunnels (one nothbound, one sourbound) each contained an underground station (different from the present Dupont Circle Metro station). These stations are no longer used, and their entrances on the east and west sides of the circle are boarded up. An attempt in the 1990s to redevelop the old southbound station as commercial space, called Dupont Down Under, failed. [[image:Madrid-metro-1. ...

The park within the circle is a common gathering place for those wishing to play chess on the permanent stone chessboards or to relax on the grass during warmer months. It has also frequently been the location of political rallies, especially those supporting gay rights and protesting the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. The park is maintained by the National Park Service. Chess is an abstract strategy board game for two players. ... A chessboard is often painted or engraved on a chess table. ... An area of grass-like plants Grass generally describes a monocotyledonous green plant characterized by slender leaves, called blades, which usually grow arching upwards from the ground. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... Demonstrators march in the street while protesting the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on April 16, 2005. ... Combatants Coalition Forces (United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Poland) Iraq Commanders Tommy Franks Saddam Hussein Strength 263,000 375,000 The 2003 invasion of Iraq, termed Operation Iraqi Freedom by the US administration, began on March 20. ... Logo of the World Bank The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD, in Romance languages: BIRD), better known as the World Bank, is an international organization whose original mission was to finance the reconstruction of nations devastated by WWII. Now, its mission has expanded to fight poverty by means... The logo of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ...

Dupont Circle has a subway stop on the Washington Metro's Red Line; the entrances are north (20th & Q) and south (19th & Dupont Circle) of the circle. Dupont Circle is a Washington Metro station in Washington, DC on the Red Line. ... The Washington Metro, or simply Metro, is the public transportation system of Washington, D.C. and neighboring suburban communities in Maryland and Virginia, both inside and outside the Capital Beltway. ... The Red Line of the Washington Metro consists of 27 subway stations from Shady Grove to Glenmont. ...

Panoramic view of a wintry Dupont Circle.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (12288x1076, 1649 KB)Dupont Circle in Washington DC taken from the western side of the central park. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (12288x1076, 1649 KB)Dupont Circle in Washington DC taken from the western side of the central park. ...

Dupont Circle neighborhood

Map of Washington, D.C., with Dupont Circle neighborhood highlighted in red

The area was a rural backwater until after the Civil War, when it first became a fashionable residential neighborhood. Some of Washington's wealthiest residents constructed houses here in the late 19th century and early 20th century, leaving a legacy of two types of housing in the historic district. Many of the grid streets are lined with three- and four-story rowhouses built primarily before the end of the 19th century, often variations on the Queen Anne and Richardsonian Romanesque Revival styles. Rarer are the palatial mansions and large freestanding houses that line the broad, tree-lined diagonal avenues that intersect the circle. Many of these larger dwellings were built in the styles popular between 1895 and 1910. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1961x2397, 197 KB) Summary This image is a modified version of a self-generated reference map from the U.S. Census Bureaus American Factfinder at http://factfinder. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1961x2397, 197 KB) Summary This image is a modified version of a self-generated reference map from the U.S. Census Bureaus American Factfinder at http://factfinder. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... A street of British terraced housing In architecture and city planning, a terrace, rowhouse, or townhouse (United States) is a style of housing since the late 18th century where identical individual houses are cojoined into rows. ... The Buttermans, the historic home of John Newman, the butter king, is one of several Queen Anne mansions in Elgin, Illinois The Queen Anne style of British and American architecture reached its greatest popularity in the last quarter of the 19th century, manifesting itself in a number of different ways... Richardsonian Romanesque has both French and Spanish Romanesque characteristics, like the First Presbyterian Church in Detroit, Michigan by architechs George D. Mason and Zachariah Rice in 1891 Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of American architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston in Massachusetts. ...

One such grand residence is the marble and terra-cotta Patterson house at 15 Dupont Circle (currently the Washington Club). This superb Italianate mansion, the only survivor of the many mansions that once ringed the circle itself, was built in 1901 by New York architect Stanford White for Robert Patterson, editor of the Chicago Tribune, and his wife Nellie Patterson, heiress to the Chicago Tribune fortune. Upon Mrs. Patterson's incapacitation in the early 1920s, the house passed into the hands of her daughter, Cissy Patterson, who made it a hub of Washington social life. The house served as temporary quarters for President and Mrs. Calvin Coolidge in 1927 while the White House underwent renovation. The Coolidges welcomed Charles Lindbergh as a houseguest after his historic transatlantic flight. Lindbergh made several public appearances at the house, waving to roaring crowds from the second-story balcony, and befriended the Patterson Family, with whom he increasingly came to share isolationist and pro-German views. Cissy Patterson later acquired the Washington Times-Herald (acquired by the Washington Post in 1954) and declared journalistic warfare on Franklin Delano Roosevelt from 15 Dupont Circle, continuing throughout World War II to push her policies, which were echoed in the New York Daily News, run by her brother Joseph Medill Patterson, and the Chicago Tribune, run by their first cousin, Colonel Robert R. McCormick. Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ... Stanford White (1853-1906) Washington Square Arch New York American on June 25, 1906 Stanford White (November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. ... Robert Patterson ( January 12, 1792- August 7, 1881) was an Irish immigrant and a noted soldier and businessman from Pennsylvania. ... The Chicago Tribune, formerly self-styled as the Worlds Greatest Newspaper, remains one of the principal daily newspapers of the midwestern United States. ... Eleanor Medill Cissy Patterson (November 7, 1884 - July 24, 1948) was an American journalist and newspaper editor, publisher and owner. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. ... The southern side of the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States of America. ... Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr. ... Charles Lindbergh (left) and Raymond Orteig The Orteig Prize was a $25,000 reward offered in 1919 by hotel owner Raymond Orteig to the first allied aviator(s) to fly non-stop from New York City to Paris or vice-versa. ... Isolationism is a diplomatic policy whereby a nation seeks to avoid alliances with other nations. ... The Washington Times-Herald was an American daily newspaper once published in Washington, D.C.. The Times-Herald was created by the 1939 merger of two former Hearst dailies, the Times (not to be confused with the current Washington Times) and the Herald. ... ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... Combatants Allies: Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France/Free France, United States, Canada, China, India, Australia, Poland, New Zealand, South Africa, Greece, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Burma, Slovakia Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8... Daily News Building, Raymond Hood, architect, rendering by Hugh Ferriss. ... Joseph Medill Patterson (January 6, 1879 - May 26, 1946) was an American journalist and publisher and the older brother of fellow publisher Cissy Patterson. ... Robert R. McCormick (July 30, 1880 - April 1, 1955) was a Chicago newspaper baron and owner of the Chicago Tribune. ...

The neighborhood's fortunes and importance began to decline after World War II, and reached a nadir after the race riots of the late 1960s. Its residential character was threatened by encroachment of commercial development from downtown, and many fine buildings were demolished. Beginning in the 1970s, however, Dupont Circle began to enjoy a resurgence fueled by urban pioneers seeking an alternative lifestyle. The neighborhood took on a bohemian feel and became a gay area. Along with the Castro in San Francisco and Greenwich Village in New York City, it is considered a historic locale in the development of American gay identity. Pioneering gay bars on P Street in Dupont Circle included P Street Station (since renamed the Fireplace), Mr. P's (of John Paulk fame, since closed) and the Frat House (since renamed Omega D.C.). Gentrification accelerated in the 1980s and 1990s, and the area is now a more mainstream and trendy location with coffeehouses, restaurants, bars, and upscale retail stores. Notable stores include a 24-hour bookstore and restaurant, Kramerbooks & Afterwords, and D.C.'s first gay bookstore, Lambda Rising. A race riot or racial riot is an outbreak of violent civil unrest in which race is a key factor. ... Though a Bohemian is a native of the Czech province of Bohemia, a secondary meaning for bohemian emerged in 19th century France. ... Torontos Church and Wellesley district, one of the largest gay villages in North America Rainbow flags are displayed in the Castro area of San Francisco as a symbol of gay pride The entrance to Chueca metro station in the Plaza de Chueca (Chueca square) in Madrid (Spain), during gay... The sidewalk on Castro Street looking north from 18th toward Market displays some of the color of the neighborhood. ... The Washington Square Arch Greenwich Village (pronounced Grennich Village; also called simply the Village) is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern) Manhattan in New York City. ... A gay bar is a drinking establishment which caters primarily to a gay or lesbian clientele. ... John Paulk (b. ... Omega D.C., also referred to as The Omega House, is one of the most established gay bars in Washington, DC and the United States in general. ... Gentrification is a process in which low-cost, deteriorated neighborhoods experience urban restoration and an increase in property values, along with an influx of wealthier residents. ... Coffeehouse in Bentonville cafe and café redirect here. ... Kramerbooks & Afterwords is an independent bookstore and café in Washington, DCs Dupont Circle neighborhood. ... Lambda Rising is the oldest LGBT bookstore in Washington, D.C., and has long been recognized as one of the worlds leading LGBT bookstores. ...

In addition to its residential components, comprised primarily of high-priced apartments and condominiums, Dupont Circle is home to a number of the nation's most prestigious think tanks and research institutions, namely, The Brookings Institution, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the Institute for International Economics. Further, the renowned Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University is located less than two blocks away from the Circle itself. Dupont is also home to the Founding Church of Scientology, the first such church established by the religion's founder, L. Ron Hubbard. This article is about the institution. ... The Brookings Institution is one of the oldest and best known think tanks in the United States. ... The Endowments headquarters at 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a private nonprofit organization promoting international cooperation and active international engagement by the United States of America. ... The Institute for International Economics (IIE) is a think tank focused on international economics, based in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1981. ... The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), based in Washington D.C., is one of the worlds leading graduate schools devoted to the study of international affairs, economics, diplomacy, and policy research and education. ... The Johns Hopkins University, founded in 1876, is a private institution of higher learning located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. ... The Church of Scientology is the largest organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. ... Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (13 March 1911 – 24 January 1986), better known as L. Ron Hubbard, was an American science fiction writer and founder of Scientology and Dianetics. ...

The Dupont Circle neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register of Historic Places is the USAs official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects worthy of preservation. ...

Books about Dupont Circle

• Dupont Circle: A Novel (Houghton Mifflin, 2001), by Paul Kafka-Gibbons
• Dupont Circle (Images of America Series) (Arcadia Publishing, 2000), by Paul Williams
• Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C. (U.S. Department of Interior, Division of History, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, 1967), by George J. Olszewski

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Dupont Circle

• Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets
• Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission (local elected government)
• Dupont Circle Citizens Association
• Dupont Circle Conservancy
• Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium
• L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology Museum in Dupont Circle
• The National Church of Scientology, located in Dupont Circle
• Art Galleries of Dupont Circle
• NPS Dupont Circle Historical District
• Dupont Circle at Cultural Tourism D.C.
• Dupont Circle Metro station