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

Stephen A. Hansen

History Press, 2014 - History - 223 pages

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 president William 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.

About the author

John DeFerrari, a native Washingtonian with a lifelong passion for local history, pens the Streets of Washington blog and is the author of "Lost Washington, D.C." (The History Press, 2011) and "Historic Restaurants of Washington, D.C." (The History Press, 2013). He has a master's degree in English literature from Harvard University and works for the federal government.

Bibliographic information

• Title: A History of Dupont Circle: Center of High Society in the Capital; Landmarks Series
• Author: Stephen A. Hansen
• Contributor: John DeFerrari
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: History Press, 2014
• ISBN: 1626195641, 9781626195646
• Length: 223 pages
• Subjects: History / Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies); History / United States / State & Local / Middle Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, NY, PA); Photography / Subjects & Themes / Regional; Travel / Pictorials; Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)