Massachusetts Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Major road in Washington, D.C., U.S. / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Massachusetts Avenue is a major diagonal transverse road in Washington, D.C., and the Massachusetts Avenue Historic District is a historic district that includes part of it.
Massachusetts Avenue SE Massachusetts Avenue NE Massachusetts Avenue NW | |
Maintained by | DDOT |
---|---|
Width | 160 feet (49 m) |
Location | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
Coordinates | 38°54′50″N 77°3′11″W |
East end | Southern Avenue |
Major junctions | |
West end | Westmoreland Circle |
Construction | |
Completion | 1871 |
Massachusetts Avenue Historic District | |
Location | Both sides of Massachusetts Avenue between 17th Street and Observatory Circle, NW |
Coordinates | 38°54′50″N 77°3′11″W |
Area | 81 acres (33 ha) |
Built | 1871 |
Architect | Multiple |
Architectural style | Late Victorian, Beaux Arts |
NRHP reference No. | 74002166[1] |
Added to NRHP | October 22, 1974 |
Appearing in Peter Charles L'Enfant's original plan, Massachusetts Avenue crosses three of Washington's four quadrants.[2] It intersects every major north–south street and passes numerous Washington landmarks. It is a landmark itself, long considered the northern boundary of the downtown as well as home of Washington's Embassy Row.
Massachusetts Avenue is tied with Pennsylvania Avenue as the widest road in the District, at 160 feet (49 m). The two roads run in parallel through much of the city, Massachusetts about seven blocks north of Pennsylvania. Massachusetts Avenue was long Washington's premier residential street, as Pennsylvania was once its most sought-after business address. Both streets were named after states with prominent roles in the American Revolution: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
The historic district is an 81-acre (33 ha) area in northwest Washington that includes 150 contributing buildings and 3 contributing structures. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It includes multiple properties that are individually listed on the National Register.[1]