John Fletcher Hurst

Historical marker location:

4400 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Spring Valley, District of Columbia

( Marker can be reached from Nebraska Avenue Northwest north of New Mexico Avenue Northwest, on the right when traveling south.)

Marker installed: 1993

The city was built on a swamp: The area that is now Washington, D.C. was originally a swampy, marshy region along the Potomac River. The construction of the city involved extensive drainage and landfill projects to make the land suitable for building.