Urban Design

Historical marker location:

1200 New Jersey Avenue Southeast, Navy Yard, District of Columbia

( Marker is at the intersection of M Street Southeast and New Jersey Avenue Southeast, on the right when traveling east on M Street Southeast.)

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.