The Washington Post

Historical marker location:

1325 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Penn Quarter, District of Columbia

( Marker is on Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest east of 14th Street Northwest, on the right when traveling west.)

Marker installed: 1987

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.