A Piece of 11th Street Comes to the Museum

Museum member Tommy Petersen recently received a section of historic streetcar track from 11th Street NW as DDOT removes track and conduit infrastructure as part of ongoing street repairs. We’re fortunate to preserve a portion of the running rail and other historic pieces before they disappear.

As the city repairs its streets, crews are removing sections of embedded streetcar track that have survived for decades. Each piece taken up represents the loss of another physical link to Washington’s transportation history. Preserving these artifacts helps ensure that the story of the city’s streetcar system—and the infrastructure that supported it—is not lost.

As part of that preservation effort, here’s a short clip of DC Transit streetcars operating on 11th Street NW during the holiday season in 1961.

What was once part of Washington’s everyday transportation system is now becoming a piece of history we can preserve and share for future generations.

One-minute clip of the 11th Street car line at the end of 1961, just before conversion to bus.