Site of U. S. Experimental Model Basin 1898 - 1955

Historical marker location:

736 Sicard Street Southeast, Navy Yard, District of Columbia

( Marker is on Sicard Street Southeast south of Dahlgren Avenue Southeast.)

Founded by Rear Admiral David Watson Taylor Who Was the Director Until 1914

The District was a major center of the slave trade in the 19th century: Prior to the Civil War, Washington, D.C. was home to one of the largest slave markets in the country. Slaves were bought and sold in public auctions held in the city, and many prominent politicians and businessmen owned slaves.