Architect Explores Washington, D.C.'s Oldest Neighborhood (Georgetown) | Architectural Digest

Today Architectural Digest takes you to Washington, D.C. for a walking tour of Georgetown with architect Nicholas Potts, highlighting historical architectural details hidden in plain sight. Georgetown's founding predates that of Washington, D.C. and it wasn't incorporated into the nation's capital until the 19th century. Nick demonstrates how vestiges of Georgetown's origins remain to this day, explaining how the neighborhood has retained its distinctive feel.
Check out Nicholas Potts here:
Website: nicholasgpotts.com/
Instagram: / nicholasgpotts
Director: Lisa Romagnoli
Director of Photography: Eric Bugash
Editor: Misa Qu
Talent: Nick Potts
Producer: Vara Reese
Line Producer: Joseph Buscemi
Associate Producer: Brandon Fuhr, Dimitri Lazarashvili
Production Manager: Melissa Heber
Production Coordinator: Fernando Davila, Julie Suronen
Audio: Robert Wiley, Sean Paulson
Production Assistant: Andrew Sanchez , David Bittner, Carlo Betia
Covid Compliance Officer: Tosha Potter, Diakeim lyles
Post Production Supervisor: Nick Ascanio, Alexa Deutsch
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Assistant Editor: JC Scruggs
Graphics Supervisor: Ross Rackin
Graphics: Brady Jackson
Archives Credits:
- P402, Collection of the Newport Historical Society: collections.newporthistory.or...
- Tudor Place: dcgardens.com/tudor-place/
- Villas and Cottages: archive.org/details/villascot...
Special Thanks:
- Collection of the Newport Historical Society
- DC Gardens
- Getty
- Wikipedia
- Creative Commons
- Tudor Place
- Internet Archive
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[@michaeldick4900]

Love how Arch Digest is making these more informative videos on the history and design of buildings. Please, keep doing them!

[@Parliamentarian]

Agreed. So much more enjoyable than the same-old “tour this celebrity’s million-dollar LA home” videos.

[@jackiec1175]

Yes! Historical architecture deserves to be appreciated.

[@vivlazo]

I’m so happy to see Georgetown on AD! I love walking through here in the fall and winter time. Watching this video has given me a new appreciation for this little town.

[@mylesF33]

Same✨👌🏾

[@ashlink2830]

What? You don't like walking around Georgetown in the swampy DC summer?! 😜

[@karenfleer8194]

I loved this. I lived at 2726 P Street -- the narrowest house in Georgetown -- as a baby in the 1950s. I'd move back in a heartbeat!

[@gabrielle.s1896]

that's so cool!!!

[@davidcattin7006]

And, for the low low price of $991,600, you can live there again!

[@sampejke]

@@davidcattin7006 Can he camp there with his own tent tho? and enjoy this quaint vibe for free? I heard that America is the freest country in the world!!

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

@@davidcattin7006 legal Jim Crow gentrifying gerrymandering redlining- I mean free-market capitalism is seemingly undefeated🥲this is fine

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

I'd argue that "quaint" to describe an area is a subconscious pre-conditioned descriptor to whitewash away Jim Crow Reconstruction "urban planning" @@sampejke

[@LauraAura977]

What a cool segment. People give Georgetown a “snooty” reputation, as a black woman who has lived here for 5 years now I can tell you everyone is super welcoming and friendly. My favorite thing is just taking walks with my young son and enjoying the architecture and great little shops.

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

As a Black Person, it would be in your best interest to research the history of Georgetown & discover the ways Black People were forced out over time

[@festyguy7405]

@@youknowwhoyouare2269 why? That was then, this is now.

[@jhmvjhvg]

@@youknowwhoyouare2269 not relevant.

[@alanmctaggart4371]

@youknowwhoyouare2269 You may be black as well, for all I know, but whether-or-not that's the case, and ESPECIALLY if it isn't, you should really re-consider telling a black person how to feel about their own blackness.

[@kenyonbissett3512]

I’m glad you have found a warm and accepting neighborhood.

[@Wave2680]

Yes, more of architect Nicholas Potts please!

[@bluebox2000]

His valley/sorority girl uptalk at the end of sentences is most endearing.

[@aliciahernandez7135]

I love these videos. I hope AD does a whole History of American Architecture series.

[@hereforit2347]

Me too.

[@1SapphireBlue]

Me too!!

[@cmorth2413]

I lived on Olive St, NW bordering the Parkway in the 70’s. I recently took a walk through the neighborhood and was amused to see the “upgrades” on the row house fronts. I loved your presentation. Learned so much. Hope you will consider doing a walk on Capitol Hill SE neighborhoods.

[@johnfrei9057]

I live in Glover Park just above Georgetown and I’ve walked past these houses many times. Great to gain a better understanding about them.

[@sowcow86]

Please more of this type of content!! ACTUAL ARCHITECTURE DISCUSSION. I don't need to see anymore celeb homes.

[@1SapphireBlue]

Agree!!

[@Lovemycoffee10]

Enjoyed your great video, absolutely love the Georgetown Architecture, the gas lamps, all so beautiful. Canals always beautify locations. Wish we could see the interior of these homes. Thank you!

[@SoCalFreelance]

Feel free to drive up and deconstruct Baltimore -- Fells Point, Federal Hill, Mount Vernon ✌

[@creativelife9871]

How wonderful!! Thanks AD and the Architect for a nice walk through one of our most beautiful & historic DC neighborhoods!! You’ll are going to have me looking for towers on houses from now on. Lol! I absolutely love walking through Georgetown. I’m surprised he didn’t show the cobblestone streets which are both dangerous yet fabulous. 😂 Please do Capitol Hill next! I LOVE my city! 🥰

[@zaboo4088]

So many beautiful neighborhoods in this area! If they did old town Alexandria I’d be a happy camper.

[@creativelife9871]

@@zaboo4088 I love Old Town as well! Has the same type of charm and walkability.

[@jlasf]

There used to be many more cobblestone streets, but they have disappeared over time. Were all the streets in Georgetown cobblestone? I don't know.

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

"dangerous" cobblestones, "walkability" - Starkk kontrast with other sektions of DC & other non-affluent surrounding areas @@creativelife9871

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

@@creativelife9871 certain areas have 'types of charm', while others kklearly do not- that's by design, precisely the intent behind their establishment

[@dougfromsoanierana]

I lived in an apartment building near 27th and Q for more than a decade until last year and even though many of those buildings a familiar sights to me I just learned a lot about their architecture. Much appreciated.

[@outtathyme5679]

Kew Gardens?

[@investigatinglamps]

This is the kind of content I'm looking for! It's more entertaining because of new learnings from professionals! More power AD!

[@DD-hy1nl]

Such beautiful buildings, I love old homes with so much history. Classic!

[@vaibhavjoshi8900]

I am surprised there is not an AD video on Boston's architecture. Its a beautiful city filled with different neighborhood each with its own charm. And there are so many other hidden architectural gems

[@maryoconnor2527]

Oooh I would watch the heck out of that. I did the federal trail? Or something? And it was super cool going through the historic neighborhoods I bet an actual overview of the city would be that much better

[@CooperJeanne]

I love these walking tours and looking at architecture in different cities! Thank you Architectural Digest for this video!

[@nathanielscreativecollecti6392]

Those town homes are beautiful! It is a shame we don't build those instead of suburbia these days. I would love to have a whole new neighborhood built in that style with mixed use zoning. The American Amsterdam.

[@stephen902]

One thing you aren’t factoring in: neighbors. This is why suburbia exists.

[@gatleystone2480]

@@stephen902the reason Americans hate neighbors is because of suburbia. if u hate cities so much go live on a farm

[@stephen902]

@@gatleystone2480 angry much

[@HaggisIsGross]

Definitely my favorite series! Thank you so much and keep it up!

[@lochjess2]

This is awesome! I'd love to see a walking tour of Boston, Providence, or Newport.

[@callancattleprod]

More of this kind of content please AD ♥️ thank you.

[@DewitaSoeharjono]

Great job AD and architect in explaining all the different types of architectural style of Georgetown houses. I sometimes walked around Georgetown neighborhood but don’t know much about these houses, except that I admire those houses and love taking pictures. The next time I’ll go to G-Town will pay more attention to the houses. Thank you 🙏

[@paulabjerketvedt5379]

This was wonderful! Please keep making more of these types of videos.

[@michael7324]

I love these walking tours. Keep up the great work. Thank you.

[@sarahengberg8111]

What an insanely informative and crazy interesting video. This guy's knowledge of architecture is so impressive and captivating. Thoroughly enjoyed this, please make more videos like this :)

[@michellebaker1974]

Absolutely beautiful !!! Thank you for sharing.

[@Kaytecando]

Fantastic video about the different type of architecture in early D.C. All of these architectural videos are well-presented and informative.

[@fransirahome]

Love this architecture tour. Informative video.

[@Jupe367]

I’m curious what the inside of these homes look like. Must be very beautiful.

[@nagolhayze9366]

This was an amazing insight into a beautiful part of Washington. Thank you.

[@apartmentdetectives2730]

This is awesome. I hope you keep doing these videos.

[@tynaedwards8452]

I haven't been to Georgetown in many years. This was so nice to see. So informative.

[@adamritter1396]

Nick I absolutely love your neighborhood tour videos. So cool!

[@curtandoscar]

Thank you so much. Absolutely loved this video. Fantastic to have a tour like this by someone so knowledgeable. Wonderful.

[@marinedrive5484]

It's what you could call a 'happy accident' when a neighborhood goes into decline, whereby very little gets torn down or put up. Leaving behind a sort of time capsule of glorious architecture which is ripe for gentrification, thereby giving us the legacy of so many architectural gems, in the now very sought-after area of Georgetown. Great presentation by Nicholas.

[@jlasf]

Many areas have survived to due their undesirability. The Art Deco buildings of South Beach in Miami were the run-down dwellings of seniors. They survived the wrecking ball because people didn't want to live in that area. Further afield, the Marais section of Paris, once the most elegant "quartier" in the 16th C., had become industrial and rundown. Not until the 1970's was it rediscovered and revived. Even Tribeca in NYC was an undesirable industrial area until the 1980's. Thank goodness these places have survived.

[@liokin229]

Just learned about this concept in one of my urban planning classes today, preservation by neglect. Happened in Charleston, SC.

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

Did they begin with the history of "urban planning" as it relates with segregation🙃 @@liokin229 otherwise you're only learning a small fraction of the story

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

Instead of "gentrification", why not kkall it what it's ALWAYS been? Legal forced displacements of 'unsavorables' like indigenous Native, Black People, etc

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

Industrial revolution and "urban planning" have been used throughout history to justify kkountless suffering around the entire globe @@jlasf

[@annakenoff9141]

Loved this!

[@laurentruong]

Love this. Thank you!

[@embeaston]

More of these please!

[@zaboo4088]

Do old town Alexandria next! Love these videos

[@aca2983]

"Narrow" 10' house in Georgetown? Pfft! See 523 Queen Street, 7 feet wide.

[@jasondownsnet]

These are cool. Keep it up AD. Do more neighborhoods.

[@ML-xi2rt]

Nicholas Potts is amazing! Please do more presentations !

[@lovingmayberry307]

Beautiful! Would love to see the interiors!

[@Drezzedtokill]

Thank you for this …. Amazing I learned a lot and I was fascinated by this whole video ! Please do more 🍿✨🍿✨🍿✨🍿✨

[@aeaissabagnall154]

Glad I found this channel. Love this persons voice!

[@huahindan]

Good stuff! Thanks

[@maramakesjournals2319]

Excellent! Thank you.

[@ChrisLovesThisGame]

This is great! Would love to see a video with Peter Pennoyer discussing classical architecture!

[@bleuedee6531]

I love these videos!

[@i123456987654]

i never noticed that about nice homes...i'm glad i can get to know what it's like from an architect's perspective

[@chuffs5286]

This is so COOL

[@stephenw5647]

Wonderful video!! Exploring Georgetown has always been a favorite. From the Exorcist steps to the trendy boutiques it’s a gorgeous and fascinating area

[@dickneywithplants7377]

This video made me miss living in DC! Georgetown was always so nice to walk around

[@stephaniec.4384]

Loved this video so much! Please do a video on the embassy buildings and cathedral along Massachusetts Ave NW!

[@elaineross426]

Love walking there. Thanks.

[@ski5566]

thank you AD! i hope to one day make georgetown my home. one of those houses on the c&o canal was recently on the market. the old mule house, named because it harbored actual mules that pulled boats.... now it is a 2 million home.

[@anniejillybean]

Love this, but I do wish they had featured the Car Barn. It's an interesting building that was built in the Romanseque Revival style. It was literally a barn for cars and says alot about the history of mass transportation in DC. You can still see remnants of streetcar tract going into its garage on M St. Also, it's right next to the Exorcist Steps.

[@OneAdam12Adam]

Agreed. DC actively tries to ignore it's street car history. I don't know why. It's bizarre.

[@xacket1]

Awesome video I love content like this and would also love to see a tour around San Francisco 😁

[@ewells95]

These are the type of AD videos I'm looking for

[@Jeannified]

Such a beautiful area!

[@laurenwinstead3432]

Awesome!

[@michelemurphy3541]

Gorgeous!!

[@MrPhotodoc]

Georgetown was a template for dozens of developments around the country. Georgetown HOA in Macomb, Il actually had measurements and photos done to use as examples before they built it in the 1960's. It's still standing today and in very good condition.

[@blakemorris2328]

What is an "earlier version of gentrification?" Isn't it simply more accurate that, since their creation, cities have changed over time?

[@mistertee5000]

more of these videos, please!

[@penelope2146]

Such an amazing and beautiful place to have some quality time

[@everythingBLUE]

Amazing stuff! Come to Seattle please!

[@heberobinson]

Love this series! Would love to see a Miami walkthrough

[@emblum87]

Would love to see other DC neighborhoods!

[@twilde3754]

Lovely!

[@CD318]

Nick Potts ROCKS!

[@1SapphireBlue]

Agree!!

[@elenayee3093]

I really loved this area when visitng pre-pandemic in 2020

[@lilithgrrrl]

Love architectural history and especially American historical and vernacular styles. This type of knowledge is, sadly, a lost art among the McMansion developers and "flippers" of today, who Home Depot-ify our built heritage.

[@hereforit2347]

😭😭😭😭 Sad, but TRUE.

[@javierpacheco8234]

But it can change, only if we learned those styles but copy the important details and make it a little different, not identical like the previous ones.

[@thisisHowHedidit]

I LOVE GEORGETOWN AND LIVE JUST 15 MINUTES OVER THE BRIDGE IN ARLINGTON, VA! IT'S A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD TO VISIT FOR SHOPPING AND DINING, BUT YOU'D BETTER BE A MILLIONAIRE IF YOU PLAN TO OWN A HOME HERE- IT'S MAD EXPENSIVE!! 😃😃💝💝

[@katysleta4285]

To be honest, Georgetown's architecture is quite underwhelming for a part of a capital city. All the more impressive to see Nicholas sharing so many details about these buildings.

[@jlasf]

I grew up in Washington and recall my parents memories of Georgetown as run-down area. It wasn't until FDR that Georgetown was rediscovered and in the 1960's, when it became chic to live there. The Kennedy area marked the true rebirth of the area.

[@jlasf]

Oops. Kennedy era.

[@youknowwhoyouare2269]

"run -down"- post Slavery Reconstruction Jim Crow Redlining & ultimate displacement of Black folks helped 'clean up' your precious burb- & "chic" is kkode for White populated

[@samanthab1923]

That’s right! My step dad grew up down there & even as a kid loved wondering around Gtown. His mom was aghast, to her it was just a rundown section of town. No place for young boys. He was born in 1935.

[@ItsKells]

Loved this! And his glimmer of enthusiasm is so refreshing against with the conservative essence of Georgetown ✨

[@colecarpenter3022]

nice video

[@jmo8a_veda]

Looks really fresh and castlelian

[@michaelmarshall6150]

I have been fortunate enough to have GRANDMOTHER'S THAT TAUGHT ME ALL ABOUT D.C. HISTORY AND WHO LIVED WHERE AND WHEN? GEORGETOWN AND OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS THERE BACK IN THE EARLY 19 CENTURY TELLS ONE OF THE MIRE INTERESTING STORIES.

[@EHQUNDEH]

Come to Baltimore next ! So many beautiful row homes and historic churches !

[@ichasussy1001]

Keren keren gaya arsitekturnya, terima kasih informasinya soal arsitektur

[@zeldamag8381]

Beautiful houses. I would live in that tiny one near the waterfront.

[@mapdrm2]

This is a great video but at 2:46 are the waves breaking in the opposite direction of the shoreline ?

[@falsificationism]

Great information! Absolutely love these informational videos! Note to the presenters-enunciation and a good mic go a LONG way to making for accessible videos. That’s my one demerit.

[@seanluke3052]

Nice to see Georgetown's narrow houses: but four narrower houses, including the narrowest house in North America, are just down the river in Alexandria.

[@vernawilliams3979]

This is a beautifu neighbourhood.

[@albertine2169]

What a very interesting film. Love these 'American' style houses, I think they are so beautiful. However, I would have loved to have seen inside one. I live in Scotland in a granite house built in 1870 and know too well about upkeep of these old buildings.

[@Jen]

I live here 😍 if you ever visit come in the fall! The front doors and porches are decorated so perfectly! 🎃🍂 It’s a dream.

[@sampejke]

Hehe, a richie detected

[@kathleenweinberg6442]

Neighborhood looks so clean and quiet and peaceful

[@yelling3874]

it had better for the price 😂

[@drssupreme3332]

It’s a very very very expensive area to live in. Guaranteed anyone who can afford to live there is taking great care of their property.

[@dextervincent2433]

AD should do an analysis of Providence next!

[@uncledmsr]

I think I’m falling for Nicholas Potts

[@ThecrazyJH96]

If y’all haven’t, hope you made it down the river to downtown Alexandria! Hell even downtown Fredericksburg and hour south

[@eprohoda]

Architectural~perfect editing- see ay!.

[@BrianDawkins10]

Watching this from Georgetown Texas

[@tonkeasley6210]

By the ways it has been many days since you posted an open door episode. I particularly am into those ones, taking a look at celebrity homes is really my cup of tea. It's also a great way to get an idea about sophisticated designs, isn't?

[@attilarza2488]

After playing Division 2, im in love with DC

[@aaronbynum8968]

What I Love about Georgetown its a community within one of Americas busiest cities thats necessary for people who want that separation without having to leave the city

[@brianalucinda4102]

Nick Potts is what’s up!! Live for these types of videos 🤎 🏠

[@johnscanlan9335]

I lived in D.C. in 1977/78 and I remember there was a big story in The Washington Post when that house sold for - wait for it! - $100,000!!!

[@adiaward3502]

I was born and raised in the DC area and went to Georgetown University. It's still my dream to own a home there.