The 10 Myths You Probably Believe About Washington, D.C.

The 10 Myths You Probably Believe About Washington, D.C.

It’s time to reject the reality you’ve come to believe in and substitute it with the truth. Below, you will find 10 myths and urban legends you (probably) have about Washington, D.C. from the city being built on a swamp to Pierre L’Enfant leaving J Street out in order to spite a rival. After being clued in, you can provide additional local facts at the end of this article by leaving a comment.

MYTH #1: The Height Limit was established to prevent the Capitol from being overshadowed.

After the 164-foot Cairo Hotel was built in 1894, Congress passed Washington, D.C.’s Height Limit in 1899 out of safety concerns risen out of the newness of skyscrapers. According to Washingtonian, the height of a building in the District is limited not by the structure’s shadow’s proximity to the Capitol, but by the width of the street it faces.

MYTH #2: Pierre L’Enfant left J Street out of his city plan to spite his rival, John Jay.

Whether or not Pierre L’Enfant disliked the letter J due to John Jay’s alliterative name is irrelevant. The real reason why J Street does not exist in Washington, D.C. is because the letters I and J were used mostly interchangeably at the time. So, J Street was left out in order to prevent any confusion.

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