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53-470: The Washington Hilton, located on the former site of the Oak Lawn estate, was designed by architect William B. Tabler and developed by Uris Buildings Corporation . A groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 25, 1962 and the hotel officially opened three years later, on March 25, 1965. The hotel structure features a distinctive double-arched design. It long sported the largest pillar-less hotel ballroom in

106-555: A tornado ripped through the county leaving 17 dead (including 13 schoolchildren). On April 28, 2002 , another tornado (rated an F-4) destroyed much of downtown La Plata killing 3 and injuring over 100 people. The county has numerous properties on the National Register of Historic Places . Among them are Green Park and Pleasant Hill , home of the Green and Spalding Families. On December 4, 2004, an arson took place in

159-416: A $ 12,000,000 mixed-use project that was unlike any development ever built in the country. The U-shaped project, which was similar in size and scope to the large Watergate complex built years later, was called Crystal Heights and later Crystal City. It was to include over a dozen 14-story towers made of white marble, glass, and bronze and a 24-story central tower. Eleven of the fifteen towers would house

212-478: A 2,500-room hotel, with around half of its rooms designed with working fireplaces. The remaining four towers would house duplex apartments that shared a similar design to another one of Wright's unbuilt projects, St. Mark's-in-the-Bouwerie Towers in New York City . In addition to the towers, Crystal Heights was to include a 1,000-seat theater, large shopping center, fountains, and gardens, and Wright promised

265-457: A household in the county was $ 62,199, and the median income for a family was $ 67,602 (these figures had risen to $ 80,573 and $ 89,358 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $ 43,371 versus $ 34,231 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 24,285. About 3.70% of families and 5.50% of the population were below the poverty line , including 6.70% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over. As of 2010,

318-520: A lack of funding after World War II began. In 1945 the Cafritz Construction Company and Charles H. Tompkins Company purchased the property for $ 1,000,000, and announced plans to construct eight buildings on the site that would serve as a hotel and apartments. The architectural firm of E. Burton Corning and Raymond G. Moore was chosen to design the $ 2,500,000 project. In addition to the hotel and apartments, plans included

371-416: A large wing in the rear. Morgan renamed the property Oak Lawn due to the large oak tree that stood a few yards from his house. The tree, nicknamed Treaty Oak , was estimated to be a few hundred years old at the time. There were legends about the tree, the most well known being it was the site of a treaty between early settlers and members of the local Nacotchtank tribe. One year after his new house

424-554: A sunken garden, nursery school, gymnasium, pool, and dining areas. Around the same time Kansas Senator Arthur Capper and California Representative Edouard Izac introduced legislation in Congress that would allocate $ 900,000 to purchase Oak Lawn. The legislation would provide funds for a memorial honoring Union soldiers that served during the Civil War . Both plans for the site were criticized by locals who sought to preserve

477-472: A wooded, undeveloped tract until the 20th century. In 1922 the land was sold to a Masonic group who wanted to build a large temple complex. However, due to the Great Depression and a lack of funds, the plan was canceled. In 1940, a local developer selected Frank Lloyd Wright to design a massive mixed-use project there ( Crystal Heights ) that would include 14 towers and a hotel: that project

530-552: Is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland . As of the 2020 census , the population was 166,617. The county seat is La Plata . The county was named for Charles Calvert (1637–1715), third Baron Baltimore . The county is part of the Southern Maryland region of the state. With a median household income of $ 103,678, Charles County is the 39th-wealthiest county in the United States as of 2020, and

583-501: Is governed by county commissioners, the traditional form of county government in Maryland. There are five commissioners. As of 2022 , they are: Charles County is entirely within the 5th Congressional District , which also includes Calvert, St. Mary's, and parts of Anne Arundel and Prince George's counties. The current representative is former Democratic House Majority Leader and former House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer . According to

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636-583: The Dean Estate , Temple Heights , and Temple Hill ) was a large house and wooded estate that once stood on the edge of today's Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. The estate was bounded by 19th Street, Columbia Road , Connecticut Avenue , and Florida Avenue . Previously called Widow's Mite , the estate was originally several hundred acres, but by the 19th century, had been reduced to around 10 acres (4 ha). The house

689-533: The Federal -style estate house around 1820. Due to complaints from his children and the long commute to work, Nourse sold the property in 1835. It was later acquired by businessman and politician Thomas P. Morgan, who served as superintendent of police and city commissioner and is half the namesake of the Adams Morgan neighborhood. When Morgan bought the estate in 1866, it was around 10 acres (4 ha) and

742-554: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has an area of 643 square miles (1,670 km ), of which 458 square miles (1,190 km ) is land and 185 square miles (480 km ) (29%) water. In its western wing, along the southernmost bend in Maryland Route 224 , Charles County contains a place due north, east, south, and west of the same state—Virginia. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 146,551 people, 51,214 households, and 38,614 families residing in

795-710: The Washington Hilton , with the east and west sides shaped like the letter Y, was criticized by architect Frederick Gutheim in The Washington Post . Gutheim suggested Tabler study Hilton 's more inspiring designs, including the Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus and Caribe Hilton Hotel . He also noted that construction of the second office building on the property, named the Universal North Building, could block

848-493: The census of 2000, there were 120,546 people, 41,668 households, and 32,292 families residing in the county. The population density was 262 inhabitants per square mile (101/km ). There were 43,903 housing units at an average density of 95 per square mile (37/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 68.51% White , 26.06% Black or African American , 0.75% Native American , 1.82% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 0.72% from other races , and 2.08% from two or more races. 2.26% of

901-512: The $ 3,000,000 complex, which was to include a central tower, neoclassical temples, and an auditorium seating 3,000 people. Each building in the complex was meant to represent various Masonic organizations, including the Scottish Rite , Royal Arch Masonry , and Knights Templar . The Masons began a fundraising campaign that lasted until the 1929 stock market crash and start of the Great Depression . The group had announced construction

954-686: The Treaty Oak which was estimated to be 350–400 years old and was decaying, were felled. By 1956 a new design for the $ 8,000,000 office building was announced. Named the Universal Building (later the Universal South Building), Werner designed it to include the "park at your desk" layout with parking spaces for around 500 vehicles and commercial space on the second floor. Construction of the Universal Building began later that year. Cafritz and Tompkins also announced

1007-456: The Treaty Oak would not be removed. Taking advantage of the gradual decline of the property's terrain, five parking levels for 1,500 cars were to be built along Florida Avenue. On top of the parking structure would be a large terrace. Wright described his project as Usonian and said, " Versailles won't look like much when it is finished." The Crystal Heights project was later cancelled due to local zoning laws regulating building height and

1060-545: The adjoining Wyoming Apartments , protested the project. In 1949 the Cafritz and Tompkins companies offered the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization 35,000 square feet (3,252 sq m) of land, valued at $ 350,000, for the agency to build their headquarters on the site. The agency was offered the site for free as long as they started to build their headquarters at some point the following year. That offer

1113-723: The city. Numerous large events have been regularly hosted at the Hilton Washington, including the annual dinners of the White House Correspondents Association and the Radio and Television Correspondents Association , as well as the National Prayer Breakfast . During the 1960s and 1970s, the hotel hosted a number of big musical acts for concerts in their large ballroom, including The Doors and Jimi Hendrix . In 1972 it

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1166-471: The county population's racial makeup was 48.38% Non-Hispanic whites, 40.96% blacks, 0.65% Native Americans, 2.98% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islanders, 0.17% Non-Hispanics of some other race, 3.20% Non-Hispanics reporting more than one race and 4.27% Hispanic. According to the 2022 publication "Meet Charles County" of the County Department of Economic Development, its top employers are: Charles County

1219-424: The county. The population density was 320.2 inhabitants per square mile (123.6/km ). There were 54,963 housing units at an average density of 120.1 per square mile (46.4/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 50.3% white, 41.0% black or African American, 3.0% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.3% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.3% of

1272-473: The development of Hunters Brooke, a few miles southeast of Indian Head . The Hunters Brooke Arson was the largest residential arson in Maryland history. Owing to the considerable voting power of its large number of freedmen following the Civil War , and later its growth as a suburban area, Charles County was for a long time solidly Republican . The only Democrat to carry Charles County until 1960

1325-796: The highest-income county in the United States with a Black-majority population. Charles County was created in 1658 by an Order in Council . There was also an earlier Charles County from 1650 to 1654, sometimes referred to in historic documents as Old Charles County , which consisted largely of lands within today's borders but "included parts of St. Mary’s, Calvert, present-day Charles, and Prince George’s County". John Tayloe I purchased land around Nanjemoy Creek after 1710 from which to mine iron and ship to his furnaces at Bristol Iron Works , Neabsco Iron Works and later Occoquan Ironworks. In April 1865, John Wilkes Booth made his escape through Charles County after shooting President Abraham Lincoln . He

1378-513: The hotel was almost complete in 1965, the design was praised by local architectural critic Wolf Von Eckardt . In addition to the Universal South Building, Universal North Building, and Washington Hilton, there are three buildings on the former Oak Lawn estate. A small commercial building at 1835 Connecticut Avenue NW, between the two larger office buildings, was constructed in 1968. A former theater at 1929 Florida Avenue NW

1431-486: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 11.6% were of German , 10.8% Irish , 10.2% English , 9.3% American and 5.3% Italian ancestry. There were 41,668 households, out of which 41.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.00% were married couples living together, 14.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.50% were non-families. 17.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.20% had someone living alone who

1484-447: The population. In terms of ancestry, 12.6% were German , 10.8% were Irish , 8.7% were English , 6.3% were American , and 5.1% were Italian . Of the 51,214 households, 41.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 16.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 24.6% were non-families, and 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size

1537-501: The property. The chairman of the District Motor Vehicle Parking Agency said the site would be the first of the city's planned "fringe" parking lots designed to alleviate traffic problems. A bus scheduled to depart the parking lot every six to ten minutes would take commuters to their destinations downtown. But by September 1948 that plan was put on hold after local residents, including occupants of

1590-566: The remaining portion of the Oak Lawn site would be developed as part of a $ 25,000,000 project, to include a $ 15,000,000 1,000-room hotel on the hill overlooking the city, a large parking garage for hotel guests, and two $ 5,000,000 office buildings. The Oak Lawn property was sold to Percy Uris by 1961. The new hotel, designed by William B. Tabler , was developed by the Uris Buildings Corporation . The original design of

1643-414: The structure. The new building was to be designed similarly and include around 600 parking spaces. Cafritz and Tompkins also planned on constructing an additional office building and hotel. At the time, the previous 10-acre site had been reduced to around 7.5 acres (3 ha) after T Street was extended through the property. While preparing the site for construction, the remaining trees on Oak Lawn, including

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1696-549: The surrounding streets. In 1921 the Woman's National Foundation wanted to buy the property and build a clubhouse there, but they were unsuccessful. For several years a Masonic group had been looking for a site to build a large temple complex. The group purchased Oak Lawn in 1922 for $ 900,000, a significant amount of money at the time, and the property was nicknamed Temple Heights or Temple Hill for many years. Architects James R. Marshall and Frank G. Pierson were hired to design

1749-555: The time Widow's Mite was said to be shaped like a parallelogram with its boundaries extending from around north of the Old Naval Observatory to present-day Florida Avenue , 17th Street, and Rock Creek Park . The Holmead family owned the land for several decades and when the City of Washington was laid out, Widow's Mite was only a 16-acre (6.5 ha) estate. Holmead sold the property to Colonel Michael Nourse, who built

1802-515: The view of hotel guests. The final design was the hotel being shaped similar to the number 3. Due to the strict height limits for buildings in Washington, D.C., construction of the 12-story hotel included the city's largest excavation project. More hotel space was built underground than above ground. The 500,000 square feet (46,452 m) underground space includes a large ballroom, meeting rooms, concourse, kitchens, and garage. As construction of

1855-449: The wooded area and local officials objected to losing property tax revenue if the memorial was built. The following year new plans were made that included a hotel on the northern end of the Oak Lawn estate and a commercial building with offices, a theater, parking garage, and retail space on the southern end. The $ 20,000,000 project required approval from local officials to reclassify the southern end from residential to commercial. There

1908-522: Was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, although Alf Landon and Wendell Willkie defeated Roosevelt in the next two elections by a combined margin of just 50 votes. Since the turn of the millennium, Charles County has become reliably Democratic, although not as overwhelmingly so as other parts of Maryland's Washington, D.C. suburbs. Charles County is one of only two counties in the nation to have voted for Al Gore in 2000 after voting for Bob Dole in 1996, along with Orange County, Florida . Charles County

1961-464: Was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.24. The median age was 37.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 88,825 and the median income for a family was $ 98,560. Males had a median income of $ 62,210 versus $ 52,477 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 35,780. About 3.7% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over. As of

2014-457: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.21. In the county, the population was spread out, with 28.70% under the age of 18, 7.60% from 18 to 24, 33.20% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 7.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.20 males. The median income for

2067-404: Was James Langworth from Charles County, Maryland , who acquired the property on August 18, 1660. Family members of his son, William, later sold the 600 acre (243 ha) land inheritance containing Widow's Mite to John Bowling. His family sold the land to Thomas Fletchell after Bowling's death. Fletchell's son, Thomas, inherited the land, and it was later granted to James Holmead on July 8, 1725. At

2120-427: Was also canceled. During the next 20 years, multiple plans for Oak Lawn never came to fulfillment. The Oak Lawn house was demolished in 1948, and the Treaty Oak cut down in 1953. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Washington Hilton and two commercial buildings were built on the property that had been home to the old estate. The land where Oak Lawn stood was originally called Widow's Mite. The first known owner

2173-459: Was also the requirement to widen Florida Avenue, creating a T Street extension that would connect 19th Street and Connecticut Avenue and build retaining walls. Plans for the project later changed, and in 1948, it was announced that a large shopping center, movie theater, and retail space would be built on the site. In preparation for the construction of this project, in April 1948, the Oak Lawn house

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2226-421: Was bounded by present-day 19th Street, Columbia Road , Connecticut Avenue , and Florida Avenue . The surrounding area was still largely undeveloped. The Holmead's Burying Ground was just to the south and on nearby present-day California Street there was a training area for soldiers. In 1873 Morgan greatly expanded the house into a large and impressive four-story Second Empire -style building which included

2279-617: Was built around 1820 and was greatly expanded in 1873 by Thomas P. Morgan, one half of the eponym of the Adams Morgan neighborhood. A large oak tree, nicknamed the Treaty Oak , was reportedly hundreds of years old and stood just a few yards from the house. Oak Lawn was located on a hill. Due to its expansive views of the city, the estate was sought after by local developers. The surrounding neighborhoods evolved into bustling residential and commercial areas. However, Oak Lawn remained

2332-460: Was built in 1963 and adjoins the Universal North Building. A luxury apartment building, The Hepburn, was constructed in 2016 and designed by Cecconi Simone. The Hepburn is located next to the hotel, and much like the hotel rooms, its apartments include expansive views of the city. 38°54′59″N 77°02′41″W  /  38.916275°N 77.044703°W  / 38.916275; -77.044703 Charles County, Maryland Charles County

2385-646: Was complete, Morgan sold Oak Lawn to Edward C. Dean, a businessman who served as president of the Potomac Terra Cotta Company. The property was also called Dean's Estate after he acquired it. After he died in 1899, Dean's widow, Amanda, continued to live on the estate. By the early 1900s, the Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan neighborhoods were highly developed areas with commercial properties and large apartment buildings lining Connecticut Avenue and rows of middle and upper-class houses on

2438-476: Was demolished by the General Wrecking Company. When the house was demolished, it was described as containing expensive mahogany woodwork, ornate fireplaces, gas light fixtures, and a 1,000-gallon water tank on the third floor. The lumber, bricks, and fixtures were later sold. Later that month, a new plan was announced for the estate, which included building a parking lot for 450 vehicles on

2491-503: Was drafted by Democratic state delegate (lower house) Walter Digges and co-sponsored by state senator (upper house) William J. Frere , both from Charles County, Maryland. In Maryland's unrestricted general election of 1911, the Digges Amendment was defeated with 46,220 votes for and 83,920 votes against the proposal. Nationally Maryland citizens achieved the most notable rejection of a black-disfranchising amendment. In 1926,

2544-413: Was home to the first International Conference on Computer Communications which demonstrated new ARPANET technology. The hotel was the site of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr. on March 30, 1981. The attempt occurred at the hotel's T Street NW exit. As a result, the hotel is sometimes colloquially referred to by locals as the "Hinckley Hilton". The hotel

2597-470: Was offered for 109,964 square feet (10,216 sq m) of land at the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Florida Avenue, but the offer was turned down. In August 1940, the wooded estate, described as "the last great undeveloped piece of property close to the center of the downtown area", was purchased by a syndicate led by developer Roy C. Thurman, despite continued calls for the land to become a public park. Thurman hired noted architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design

2650-717: Was on his way to Virginia . He stopped briefly in Waldorf (then called Beantown) and had his broken leg set by local Doctor Samuel Mudd , who was later sent to prison for helping him. Booth then proceeded to hide in the Zekiah Swamp in Charles County, avoiding search parties for over a week until he and his accomplice were able to successfully cross the Potomac River . The 1911 Digges Amendment , which attempted to disenfranchise African Americans in Maryland,

2703-443: Was rejected and plans for a parking lot were revived by 1952. In 1952 the companies announced plans for a twelve-story office building to be constructed on a one-acre (0.4 ha) portion of the property at the corner of Connecticut and Florida Avenues. The architect chosen for the project, Leroy L. Werner, had designed a "park at your desk" office building at 1625 I Street NW which featured an indoor parking ramp, gradually rising inside

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2756-587: Was renamed the Hilton Washington in 1998. It was purchased in June 2007 by an investment firm jointly owned by former professional basketball star Magic Johnson . From 2009–2010 it underwent a $ 150 million renovation. When that was completed, the hotel returned to its original name. 38°54′59″N 77°02′43″W  /  38.9163°N 77.0452°W  / 38.9163; -77.0452 Oak Lawn (Washington, D.C.) Oak Lawn (later known as

2809-571: Was to begin on the first building in October 1929 after having raised $ 2,000,000. However, due to the economic downturn, the plan was canceled. The property mostly remained untouched for the next decade, except for an occasional meeting of the Order of the Eastern Star in the Oak Lawn house. Congress considered purchasing part of the estate in 1936 to turn into a public park. Over $ 300,000

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