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City Cast DC

People, places, and scenes from Washington, D.C.'s past.

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

We attended one of D.C.’s few professional wrestling leagues recently (

!) and it got us wondering what wrestling used to look like in the District.

At the height of the Great Depression in 1935, a small-time D.C. wrestler named 

 what would become the city’s most successful wrestling arena.

Turner was a wrestler and boxing promoter who used to bring events to large D.C. stadiums. When the depression hit, bigger venues were no longer able to host his events, so he looked elsewhere.

He found a rundown garage on 14th & W Streets NW and converted it into an 1,880-seat wrestling ring, which he called Turner’s Arena. Despite a depression-ravaged downtown, the arena was immediately successful.

Its inaugural match between then-world champion Danno O’Mahoney against newcomer Jack Donovon brought in 2,500 people. The arena went on to bring in global wrestling stars like Chief Thunderbird, Swift Eagle, and Lefty Lou. Turner even branched out to host concerts, sports games, and community events.

The arena was one of the few mixed-use facilities in D.C. and was also integrated, which was unusual for public spaces at that time. It later became the home of the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, which became the WWE we know today.

Turner died in 1947, but the arena remained a beloved institution, passing through several hands before it was demolished in 1965. Today, the site of the arena is an apartment building called 14W.

D.C. still has a few professional wrestling leagues, but the venues look a little different. 

We went to one by Fight Club Pro Wrestling

 inside a suburban VFW hall in Cheverly, Maryland. The ring might not have been as grand but the crowd was fervent and the flips went crazy!

At the height of the Great Depression in 1935, a small-time D.C. wrestler named Joe Turner opened what would become the city’s most successful wrestling arena.

The Rise & Fall of DC’s Iconic Wrestling Institution 

People, places, and scenes from DC's past.

DC History

It’s Lunar New Year! In D.C. that means 

parades, lion dancing, and most importantly, lots of food

. Unfortunately, D.C.’s Chinatown is a bit lackluster in terms of traditional Chinese cuisine (you’ll have to 

 for that), but that wasn’t always the case.

Restaurants were some of the first Chinese immigrant-owned businesses in D.C. during the early 20th century, and their legacy continues to shape D.C.’s food scene.

In the 1850s, as Chinese immigrants traveled east from California, 

 They made homes on Pennsylvania Ave. NW, the city’s original Chinatown, and opened several restaurants.

However, negative press and racist assumptions gave the neighborhood a reckless, lawless reputation, and its restaurants 

 “exotic places of mystery,” more akin to a circus than a restaurant. Hong Far Low Restaurant was one of the first, which the 

 was filled with “strange, guttural conversation” and would “beguile the senses.”

The invention of several Chinese-American dishes, especially chop-suey, increased the cuisine's popularity. But it wasn’t until after World War II that 

Chinese restaurants really took off in D.C.

 Better trade meant readily available foreign ingredients and the Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act meant Chinese people could immigrate more freely.

As in the rest of the country during this time, D.C.’s Chinese cuisine primarily came from the southeast regions of China. Think chow fun and BBQ pork. In 1947, The Peking was the first 

northern Chinese restaurant, in both D.C.

 and the entire U.S., introducing now popular dishes like moo shu pork and Peking duck.

Another popular restaurant at the time was Yenching Palace, which allegedly entertained more diplomats than the White House. The restaurant is also where ABC News reporter John A. Scali (friends with the Kennedys) reportedly 

met with Soviet officer Aleksandr Feklisov

 to negotiate the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis, bypassing official diplomatic channels.

Restaurants also often had separate American food and Chinese food menus, or 

 “off the menu.” Menus would also often include instructions about how to order food family-style, how to order a well-rounded meal, and how to use chopsticks.

Sadly, most of these restaurants are gone, 

pushed out to ethnic enclaves in the suburbs

 along with much of D.C.’s Chinese population in the ‘

. Of course, you’ll still see Chinese signs above Five Guys and Walgreens, but it can’t help but feel like a themed movie set, rather than these grand Chinese restaurants of the past.

D.C.’s Chinatown is a bit lackluster in terms of authentic cuisine, but that wasn’t always the case. Restaurants were some of the first Chinese immigrant-owned businesses in D.C. during the early 20th century, and their legacy shaped D.C.’s food scene.

Washington DC’s First Chinese Restaurants 

Sunday’s snowstorm in D.C. was remarkable, not only because of how much snow we got but because the 

 means it has caused far more chaos than initially expected. But, it still doesn’t hold a candle to some of D.C.’s biggest storms.

One of the coldest D.C. winters on record was the 

 that plunged temperatures to 13 degrees below zero. The cold wave lasted 42 days, freezing over the Tidal Basin.

This was a rare treat because it created totally smooth ice — perfect for skating. To keep people’s spirits up and minds off their frozen toes, the city hosted an 

. They constructed a bandstand, hung lights, and prepped the ice. More than 15,000 people arrived to skate. It was such a success that it inspired plans to build an ice rink on the Mall.

At the end of January, a blizzard dumped 28 inches of snowfall on the city within a few hours. Tragically, the snow caused the roof of the 

Knickerbocker Theater in Adams Morgan to collapse

 while an unsuspecting audience watched a silent movie inside. The accident killed 98 people and injured another 133.

By morning, there were 600 police officers, soldiers, and firefighters on the scene. Residents provided food and coffee for rescuers and blankets for the injured. Despite these efforts, it became the deadliest accident in D.C. history.

In February, a fast-hitting, poorly forecasted snowstorm paralyzed the DMV, dropping nearly 

. Coincidentally, a huge group of farmers had travelled to protest low wages in D.C. just before the storm hit and used their tractors to help dig the city out and get emergency personnel to hospitals. They became known as the "Tractor Army."

The most severe snowstorm in recent history — and the District's fourth largest ever recorded — happened 16 years ago. D.C. got two feet of snow in a single day, a period that would later be dubbed 

 and businesses went out of power, all airports were closed and the federal government was forced to close for nearly a week. But on the upside, the sledding was the best it's ever been … not something we got to see as much this weekend.

How Does This Week’s Storm Compare?

How This Storm Compares To DC’s Largest

D.C. is the spy capital of the world, naturally 💅 Throughout history, spies have taken to some unusual and unsuspecting local spots to do business… everywhere from a pigeon coop to a Ruby Tuesday! Here are six D.C. spy sites that changed history that you would never suspect. (But I suppose that’s the point 🤔)

This nondescript park in Foggy Bottom, close to the State Department, has seen its fair share of spy activity. Famously, in the ‘90s, Russian spy Stanislav Borisovich Gusev used the park to 

 within the State Department. He would park, smoke cigarettes and feed the meter without ever going inside. The suspicious activity eventually led to him being detained by the FBI.

In the 1970s, Czech spy couple Karl and Hana Koecher used D.C.’s ‘swinging’ underworld as a way to gather pillow-talk intelligence and gain leverage for blackmail. One of the swingers’ groups they used — the ‘Capital Couples’ — 

 two blocks West of the White House. There they rubbed elbows with CIA officers, journalists, and at least one senator.

Peirce Mill Pigeon Coop (Rock Creek Park)

Cold War intelligence officers would work eight-hour shifts in the attic of this 

. At the time, the ground floor was leased by an art collective, while the spies would go upstairs through a padlocked door. Here, they checked on the Hungarian and Czech embassies across the street, snapping pictures of Warsaw Pact diplomats and monitoring bugging equipment. Today, the building is a Park Service museum space, and the attic is just an attic.

Russian spy Mikhail Semenko used to send covert messages to a Russian diplomat parked at the Cleveland Park McDonald’s from the Ruby Tuesday across the street (now a Surfside). He was caught in 2010 along with several espionage agents in his spy ring. Interestingly, he was subletting his Arlington apartment at the time and his tenant 

Aldrich Ames, one of the most notorious traitors in U.S. history, met his Russian handlers at the former Chadwicks Restaurant (now Mr. Smiths) in Georgetown. On June 13, 1985, Ames handed over two shopping bags 

 that would devastate the CIA’s Soviet operations, revealing more than a hundred agents’ names and leading to the execution of at least 10.

,” there are almost a dozen places around the square where spy activity occurred. During the War of 1812, First Lady Dolley Madison would stand on top of the White House to scan for enemy troops. It’s also where Confederate scout Thomas Conrad disguised himself as a clergyman to survey and attempt to kidnap President Abraham Lincoln.

6 Spy Sites In Washington, DC That Changed History

In Gilded Age Washington, D.C., séances and Ouija boards weren’t just parlor tricks — they were part of a craze that swept through society’s highest circles, captivating the city’s elite in ways both strange and revealing. To get a deep dive into this mystical era, 

City Cast DC sat down with historian Mark Benbow — and he’s naming names

Séances swept the nation beginning in the 1840s, but found a particular foothold in D.C.’s gilded parlors. 

 is believed to have been started with the 

 in New York, who claimed to be communicating with the spirit of a murdered man. At first, mediums communicated with spirits through knocks and whispers in the dark. As more women and mediums joined the movement, the claims became more elaborate, including supposed levitating tables and musical instruments playing themselves.

“This really was a movement dominated by women,” Benbow says. “This was a sphere where women were accepted, as this was legitimate, where they could be leaders.”

Often barred from public life, women became powerful mediums, hosting sessions that promised to carry through messages from lost loved ones. In particular, the far-away deaths of thousands in the Civil War created a space for people to “talk” with their loved ones. By the early 20th century, there were roughly a thousand licensed mediums and fortune tellers in the nation’s capital, according to Benbow.

Many first ladies were influential supporters of spiritualism. 

 famously held séances in the White House after the death of her son Willie in 1862, hoping to communicate with her child. 

, who was First Lady from 1921 to 1923, was also known to be a big believer. But Benbow says that although it was a popular practice among Washington’s elite ladies, it wasn’t something you’d talk a lot about in public.

Despite the secrecy, the city’s elite flocked to mediums, whose client lists included senators’ wives and ambassadors. Even the 

 couldn’t sway true believers, as D.C.’s high society found solace — and sometimes scandal — around the spirit table.

➕ Want more ghost stories in the halls of power? 

For more stories of mysterious predictions, congressional clashes, and the fall of spiritualism, 

tune into the full episode of City Cast DC — if you dare

👻 Plus, the D.C. mansion that may host a ghost

In Gilded Age Washington, D.C., séances and Ouija boards weren’t just parlor tricks — they were part of a craze that swept through society’s highest circles. Here's a deep dive into this mystical era with a local historian — and he’s naming names.

Washington, DC's Ties to 19th Century Spiritualism

DC’s Secret Séance History 

 mandating classical and traditional architecture for federal buildings and admonishing the use of brutalist architecture in D.C. While the District’s brutalist buildings have certainly drawn a fair amount of hate, am I the only one who kind of adores them?

Love them or hate them, they have become a central part of D.C.’s iconography over the years and here’s why.

Many think Brutalism refers to the brutal or harsh looking quality of the buildings. But actually, it 

, meaning raw concrete. It was at its peak in D.C. in the 60s and 70s and still makes up a large part of the city with its bold geometric shapes and utilitarian feel.

Following World War II, the federal government expanded dramatically in D.C. As the number of federal agencies grew, they needed space to bring all their employees to the District. Brutalism offered a 

 to build office buildings. So D.C. ended up with tons of buildings — like the HUD and the FBI buildings — that break the city’s otherwise Neoclassical style.

, calling it “the largest doughnut in the world,” “an illuminated babka,” and “a gesture of urbanistic arrogance.” The museum — funded by Joseph Hirshhorn and designed by Gordon Bunshaft — had a particularly rocky start. Before opening, the designer of the first exhibition died, there was a bribery scandal, and some paintings were stolen. So, not the biggest hit at first, but now it’s seen as a prime example of brutalist architecture around the world.

D.C. Metro is an under-celebrated modernist masterpiece. Designed by Harry Weese and opened in 1976, Metro’s deeply coffered, column-free vaults evoke the descent into Hades and are a classic example of Brutalism in D.C. The design is also extremely practical. The ceiling design encourages airflow that 

 and softens the sound of incoming trains. The low, indirect 

 serves up dramatic shadows reminiscent of a moody cocktail bar, thanks to lighting designer William Lam.

), the J. Edgar Hoover Building is famously crumbling. The 1970s brutalist behemoth has consistently been deemed as the “

” and may be the District's most universally reviled landmark. But at 2.8 million square feet, it provided much needed government office space when it opened in 1975.

Learn More About Brutalism In DC 🎧

Love them or hate them, Brutalism has become a central part of D.C.’s iconography over the years. Here's why.

How DC Became a Showcase of Brutalism Architecture 

From The Archive: How DC Became a Showcase of Brutalism

Tucked away in the cute but eerie Glen Echo Park is one of the world's most elaborate and historic carousels. Built by the famous Dentzel Carousel Company in 1921, the carousel features a menagerie of carved wooden animals galloping at five turns per minute (fast!) to a hundred-year-old Wurlitzer band organ.

When the carousel was built, Glen Echo Park was segregated. On June 30, 1960, a group of 

Black college students took a ride on the carousel

 and refused to get off. Once seated, they were confronted by security, resulting in 

 of student Marvous Saunders leaning over his mounted rabbit, speaking to the sheriff. 

The operator refused to start the carousel and after two and a half hours, five of the protesters were arrested. However, activist demonstrations continued outside the park for the rest of the season and it was finally desegregated for the 1961 season.

A few years later, the carousel was bought by a collector with intentions of moving it to California, but the residents of Glen Echo were having none of it. They formed a committee to save it and 

 to buy it — plus an extra $10,000 for the Wurlitzer organ — and donated it to the National Park Service.

By this point the carousel wasn’t looking so hot, so in 1982, the slow and 

 the 52 wooden figures began. It took 150 - 200 hours to complete each animal. Rosa Ragan, the main restorer, had to peel back as many as 10 layers of paint to find and restore the carousel’s original vibrant colors. In 2003, 

Because of this massively in-depth restoration, the carousel has become a kind of living museum piece. Carousel enthusiasts (yep, that’s a thing) 

, or even the world, just to see it in person.

Today, the carousel is the only remaining historic ride at the park and is ridden by over 50,000 people a year.

Tucked away in Glen Echo Park is one of the world's most elaborate and historic carousels that played a surprising roll in the Civil Rights movement. 

The Glen Echo Carousel that Became a Civil Rights Movement

There’s always a lot of drama on Capitol Hill, but some of D.C.’s messiest political scandals have come from local politics. Case in point: the ongoing drama surrounding Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, who said on Friday (during his swearing-in ceremony after a special election) that he 

believes the FBI wants to arrest and kill him

City Cast DC host Michael Schaffer and NBC4’s Mark Segraves have both covered D.C. through all kinds of twists and turns, and take us on a 

greatest-hits tour of D.C.’s most chaotic local scandals

The 1990 FBI sting that caught Mayor Marion Barry smoking crack in a hotel room is still the most infamous moment in D.C. political history. But what made it legendary wasn’t just the arrest—it was the comeback. Barry served six months in prison, then got reelected.

Locals knew exactly why he won: Barry showed up for his constituents, and for many, the scandal didn’t erase the work. 

He’s still called “Mayor for Life” for a reason.

💰 The Bribes and the “Shadow Campaign”

Fast forward to the 2010s and the corruption gets more elaborate. Vince Gray’s campaign was accused of running a secret, multimillion-dollar “shadow campaign” funded by businessman Jeff Thompson. It was also shown that he spent city funds on several superfluous items, including a luxury SUV. Although Gray was never charged, several top aides were, and the whole thing caused enough of a stir that he lost reelection.

Around the same time, Councilmember Michael Brown was busted in an FBI sting for taking tens of thousands in bribes—some of it 

literally stuffed into duffel bags and handed off in a parking lot

And Council Chair Kwame “Fully Loaded” Brown resigned in 2012 after pleading guilty to bank fraud involving personal loans after he was caught falsifying his income on a loan for his boat which he named “Bulletproof.” His nickname comes from one of two “fully loaded” SUV’s he ordered and paid for with city funds, which included a DVD entertainment system, power moonroof, and polished aluminum wheels.

⛳️ The Golf Trip That Sank Harry Thomas Jr.

This one’s no fun. Harry Thomas Jr. was elected to represent Ward 5 on the Council in 2006 and during his tenure, stole more than $350,000 meant for kids’ sports programs and spent it on luxury cars, golf trips, and suits. He called it a “mistake.” The feds called it wire fraud. He got 38 months in prison.

 brazen—and the money was supposed to go to children.

📉 Jack Evans Would Like His Job Back, Actually

Jack Evans held down his Ward 2 Council seat for nearly 30 years, even as the ethics complaints piled up. He was reprimanded for steering city contracts to private clients—and failing to report conflicts of interest.

This was a scandal that kept dripping for years, like a leaky roof nobody wanted to deal with until it was raining indoors. After being forced out in 2020, he promptly (and unsuccessfully) tried to run again. Evans is recently 

 as an economic development program specialist.

🌀 Trayon White: From Conspiracy Theories to a Federal Indictment (and Still Getting Reelected)

Councilmember Trayon White has always had a reputation for being visible, accessible, and responsive in Ward 8—handing out groceries, showing up at neighborhood events, and staying connected to the community. But his time in office has also been marked by two major scandals.

The first came in 2018, when White posted an Instagram story blaming a late-season snowstorm on the Rothschild family, referencing a long-standing antisemitic conspiracy theory that caused swift backlash. White apologized, then made headlines again after cutting short a reconciliation visit to the Holocaust Museum.

Then came actual federal charges. In February 2025, White was ejected from the D.C. Council after being indicted on federal bribery and wire fraud charges, accused of soliciting bribes in exchange for official actions, and misusing the power of his office. 

The Council voted unanimously to expel him

—something that’s only happened once before in D.C. history.

And yet, just a few months later, he was reelected as Ward 8 councilmember in a special election, the results of which were certified on Friday. During his swearing-in, White alleged that he believes the FBI is coming after him and wants 

. White is currently awaiting trial, set for January 2026. For some voters, especially longtime supporters, the services he provides outweigh the legal issues. Others see 

his return as a “bad omen” for local governance

, wondering what it says about accountability in D.C. politics.

Either way, it's one of the most surreal political comebacks the city has ever seen.

Want the full breakdown? Listen to the episode: 🎧 

The Wildest DC Political Scandals (That Didn’t Happen on Capitol Hill)

 on Aug. 1, which, if approved, would bring the Washington Commanders back to D.C. As the possibility of their return approaches, we couldn’t help 

 with longtime fan and Washington Post columnist Kevin Blackistone.

RFK Stadium, originally known as D.C. Stadium, became 

 that could host both football and baseball. The Washington Redskins played their first game at the stadium on Oct. 1, 1961 and went on to win three Super Bowls during their time in D.C.

The Redskins captured the region. On Sundays, grocery stores in D.C. would be empty. Elementary schools had Redskins pep rallies (some core memories for many on our team). Once, in the 80s, the team lost a game in Kansas City and 20,000 people

 showed up at the airport to welcome them back. Then, when they won their first Super Bowl, 

 gave federal and city workers D.C. two hours paid leave to go to the celebration parade.

Of course it wasn't all roses. RFK Stadium also played a role in D.C.’s civil rights history. When the Redskins owner at the time, George Preston Marshall, refused to integrate his team, President Kennedy forced his hand by denying the team access to the then-federal stadium unless it was desegregated. Marshall relented and drafted a black player, Ernie Davis, becoming the last NFL owner to integrate. Not D.C.’s proudest moment.

The team relocated 35 years later to Landover, Maryland, but RFK Stadium still 

 in the 1994 World Cup and 1996 Summer Olympics. It also hosted The Beatles’ penultimate concert in front of 32,000 fans and a mass wedding with 

With the team in Maryland and Dan Snyder taking over as owner in 1999, local fanaticism over the team faded. The small neighborhood feel at games was gone and fans turned to other sports like baseball and basketball for their fix.

Bringing the team back to D.C. would be a big point of pride for the city. (Indeed, Mayor Bowser and the team are 

 to help sell the deal). But, will it actually bring back the glory days?

“ It'll be different, but the enthusiasm and pride that people had in the old team, I certainly think that can happen again,” said Blackistone. As someone who was too young to experience the early days of RFK stadium, I certainly hope so.

Stories From RFK’s Glory Days

As the possibility of the Commander's return to D.C. approaches, we couldn’t help reliving some of their glory days with longtime fan and Washington Post columnist Kevin Blackistone.

Reliving RFK Stadium's Glory Days

If you’ve ever been through Union Station, you’ve probably seen the 46 massive plaster Roman legionnaire statues that overlook the great hall. But thanks to a few prudish railroad officials and some tactfully placed shields, you’ve probably never seen their sculpted manhoods.

You’ve probably seen the 46 massive plaster Roman legionnaire statues that overlook Union Station's great hall. But thanks to some tactfully placed shields, you’ve probably never seen their sculpted manhoods.