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Our historic preservation work is guided by a five-year planning cycle. A new accomplishments report measures the collective success of many groups and individuals in advancing the benefits of historic preservation in the District of Columbia over the past five years, from January 2021-December 2025.
Read the 2025 Historic Preservation Plan Accomplishments Report
We want to hear from you! Share your perspective on the accomplishments report through a short survey to help shape the next five years of historic preservation.
Celebrate Pride Month with us at two OP-hosted events!
LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour
Join the DC Preservation League and our Historic Preservation team for a walking tour of queer history in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. Together, we’ll dive into the resilience, tenacity, diversity, and joy of DC’s LGBTQIA+ community through the places that help tell its story.
Save the date (registration link coming soon):
When: Saturday, June 27, from 11am-12:30pm
Where: Dupont Circle
 Final Session of the Designing Queer Futures Project
Over the past six months, our Urban Design team has convened a working group to discuss promoting more inclusive, queer-affirming public space in the District. Next month, we’re hosting the final session for the Designing Queer Futures Working Group. The group brought together community members and guest speakers to share knowledge and help us create a set of LGBTQIA+ design principles, which we're excited to share at this event.
When: June 30, from 5-7pm
Where: Hybrid - online and in person at 899 North Capitol St. NE
Sign up to let us know you’re coming!
Last year, we led a study in partnership with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments through their Transportation Land-Use Connections Program. The study sought to build on several of our small area plans to develop a vision for two mixed-use corridors: Okie Street NE and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE. The goal of the study recommendations is to improve the pedestrian experience, strengthen the sense of place, and create more inclusive public spaces that support racial equity.
Read the report online.
We’re excited to welcome Avajane Lei, interning for the summer with our Archaeology team. Avajane is a DC resident and attended DC public schools. She just completed her sophomore year at Grinnell College and was awarded a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship which provides financial support for this internship. Avajane will be working with the Historic Preservation Office Archaeology Team on many projects, including preparing historic maps reviews, updating GIS databases, and assisting with collections management of the artifacts and data in our curation facility, as well as preparing for the DC Day of Archaeology Festival on June 6. She will also conduct research into the archaeology of Chinese immigrants in the existing archaeological collections we curate from the Chinatown neighborhood and elsewhere.
Interested in internship opportunities? Check out our information guide published on our website.
Pictured: Avajane Lei excavating an archaeological site in Rock Springs, WY
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This month, our Commemorate DC team partnered with Forecast Public Art, the Trust for the National Mall, and the DC Commission on Arts and Humanities to host the Memory, Makers, and Monuments Public Art Workshop. From May 14- 15, we convened artists, historians, administrators, and other related fields to discuss District and Federal commemorative art processes and best practices. Over 40 participants joined us to share resources and ideas, reimagine public art, and develop their commemorative practice. In addition to joining panels and presentations, participants toured the DC Public Library archives and maker space. Participants left the experience with a commitment to honoring our local and national cultures and the tools to move their work forward.
Workshop participants listening to panel discussions and participating in an exercise together during the two-day event held at First Congregational UCC
Learn more and get involved in our community planning projects:
Join us at the following events where OP staff will be available to answer questions and share information about our work:
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June 6 | DC Day of Archaeology Festival | 10:00am-3:00pm | Catholic University’s Pryzbla Student Center field
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June 17 | Food Policy Council webinar on Updates to DC’s Cottage Food Laws | 2:00-3:00pm | Virtual | Register here
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Save the Date: June 25 | RFK Master Plan webinar to review the draft plan | 7:00-8:00pm | Virtual (registration link coming soon)
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Save the Date: June 27 | LGBTQ+ History Walking Tour co-hosted with DC Preservation League | 11:00am-12:30pm | Dupont Circle (registration link coming soon)
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June 30 | Final Session of the Designing Queer Futures Project | 5:00-7:00pm | Hybrid: in person at 899 N. Capitol St. NE and online | Register here
OP staff speaking with attendees at the DC History Conference on May 1 (credit: DC History Center)
Pictured, Left: our DC Archaeologist tables at the Anacostia River Festival May 16; Right: tabling at Northeast Neighborhood Library May 15 as part of our monthly Meet Us At the Library series
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