1300 Naylor Court NW
History of the DC Archives
This timeline demonstrates the longstanding neglect of the DC Archives. The selection of 1300 Naylor Court as the site of the DC Archives represented a bad planning decision from the start and the city has done little to rectify this mistake. The appropriation to construct a new facility offers an opportunity finally to provide the state-of-the-art facility this city deserves.
1984
Philip Ogilvie, DC Public records administrator, begins his search to find building suitable for the storage of the city’s records.
1985
DC-Law 6-19 “District of Columbia Public Records Management Act” establishes a comprehensive program of public records management, archival administration, and library of government information.
February 11, 1986
Mayor’s Order 86-28 establishes the Office of Public Records within the Office of the Secretary. OPR has three divisions: the Public Records Center, DC Archives, and Library of Government Information.
1988
1300 Naylor Court, NW, an old carriage house, is selected as site of D.C. Archives.
1989
Architectural team led by Joseph B. Reid renovates the Naylor Court site to house 50,000 cubic feet of city records in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment.
1990
The D.C. Archives opens for researchers at Naylor Court. At this early date, it has little room left for more records.
December 4, 2003
The Washington Post publishes “City Records Center Compiles a History of Neglect: Documents Lie All But Ignored in Dingy Building” by Sewell Chan.
December 10, 2003
SAA President-Elect Randall Jimerson and Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference chair Lisa C. Mangiafico write letters to Mayor Anthony Williams. Each includes this line: “It is disheartening that this symbol of home rule and civic pride is left to rot.”
December 11, 2003
Midwest Archives Conference President Stephen McShane and Northwest Archivists Inc. President Jodi Allison-Bunnell write letters to Mayor Anthony Williams.
December 18, 2003
The Washington Post prints a letter by SAA President Tim Ericson: “Lack of support for the facility represents a false economy.”
November 5, 2005
DC Historical Studies Conference sponsors session: “The Future of D.C.’s Historical Record,” moderated by Trudy Peterson.
January 10, 2006
Historical Records Forum held as follow up to 2005 conference.
June 2010
The Recorder of Deeds moves out of 515 D Street, NW, to 1101 4th Street, SW. Without any additional appropriation for storage expenses and staffing, the DC Archives takes the Libers and handles reference requests.
November 5, 2010
Historical Studies Conference holds panel, "Plight of the District’s Historic Record: An Update."
June 2012
LYRASIS conducted preservation needs assessment funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
August 2013
The FY 2014 budget submitted to Congress includes $44,500 for an “Archives Building comparable to state archives in managing their historical records.” It is a timed appropriation: $4,000 for FY 2014; $20,000 for FY 2015; $20,000 for FY 2016.
April 18, 2014
Group of interested archivists, historians, and civic activists met at Ben’s Chili Bowl to form the Friends of DC Archives.
May 7, 2014
“Safeguarding the Story of the District,” a column by Jonetta Rose Barras appears in The Washington Post.
May 13, 2014
Secretary of the District of Columbia Cynthia Brock-Smith and former Acting Archivist of the United States Trudy Peterson appear on the Kojo Nnamdi Show to discuss the D.C. Archives.
May 19, 2014
Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, chair of the Government Operations Committee, recommends a reduction in the budget for the DC Archives. Although he agreed that the construction of the new facility was essential, he did not believe that the necessary planning had taken place.
May 15-28, 2014
The Department of Government Services held stakeholder meetings with Gregory Hunter, Ph.D., to help formulate a vision for the Archives.
June 9, 2014
FDCA joins celebration for International Archives Day.
August 15, 2014
The FY 2015 budget submitted to Congress includes a budget of $38,825 for the construction of a new D.C. Archives, representing a $5,675 reduction from FY 2014 appropriation. It is a timed appropriation: $1,925 for FY 2015; $18,000 for FY 2016; and $14,400 for FY 2017.
October 14, 2014
FDCA submits letter to Mayoral candidates asking for support of the Office of Public Records and construction of D.C. Archives.
November 5, 2014
FDCA co-chairs write letters to Mayor Bowser asking for support of DC Archives.
November 20, 2014
FDCA co-chairs write to outgoing Mayor and Councilmembers to ask that they comply with city code and turn over their records to successor or Office of Public Records.
November 22, 2014
Archivist Bill Branch participates in panel discussion at the 41st Annual D.C. Historical Studies Conference.
November 25, 2014
FDCA members write to Mayor-Elect Bowser to ask for support of the DC Archives.
January 15, 2015
Department of Government Services issues an RFP to solicit proposals from architectural-engineering design firms for planning of the new D.C. Archives.
January 22, 2015
FDCA members meets with Attorney-General Karl Racine to discuss the importance of the Office of Public Records.
January 30, 2015
FDCA members meets with Lauran Vaughn, the nominee for the Secretary of the District of Columbia, to discuss planning for a new D.C. Archives.
May 21, 2015
The Bowser administration, in cooperation with FDCA, held a public forum to discuss the needs of the new DC Archives.
May 26, 2015
The Council submitted a budget that appropriated $2 million for FY 2016 for the DC Archives, representing a cut from the $12 million proposed by Mayor Bowser. They delayed the project to FY 2019 and FY 2020. The total seven-year appropriation for the Archives has increased from $34 million to $48.4 million.
July 10, 2015
Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the selection of Hartman-Cox and EYP as architects for the new DC Archives.
September 30, 2015
Rebecca Katz is appointed new public records administrator.
October 27, 2015
The DC Department of General Services pledged at a meeting with members of FDCA to spend $3 million to repair 1300 Naylor Court.
December 15, 2015
Hartman & Cox/EYP completed their programming report for a new archival facility for the DC Archives.
This timeline demonstrates the longstanding neglect of the DC Archives. The selection of 1300 Naylor Court as the site of the DC Archives represented a bad planning decision from the start and the city has done little to rectify this mistake. The appropriation to construct a new facility offers an opportunity finally to provide the state-of-the-art facility this city deserves.
1984
Philip Ogilvie, DC Public records administrator, begins his search to find building suitable for the storage of the city’s records.
1985
DC-Law 6-19 “District of Columbia Public Records Management Act” establishes a comprehensive program of public records management, archival administration, and library of government information.
February 11, 1986
Mayor’s Order 86-28 establishes the Office of Public Records within the Office of the Secretary. OPR has three divisions: the Public Records Center, DC Archives, and Library of Government Information.
1988
1300 Naylor Court, NW, an old carriage house, is selected as site of D.C. Archives.
1989
Architectural team led by Joseph B. Reid renovates the Naylor Court site to house 50,000 cubic feet of city records in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment.
1990
The D.C. Archives opens for researchers at Naylor Court. At this early date, it has little room left for more records.
December 4, 2003
The Washington Post publishes “City Records Center Compiles a History of Neglect: Documents Lie All But Ignored in Dingy Building” by Sewell Chan.
December 10, 2003
SAA President-Elect Randall Jimerson and Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference chair Lisa C. Mangiafico write letters to Mayor Anthony Williams. Each includes this line: “It is disheartening that this symbol of home rule and civic pride is left to rot.”
December 11, 2003
Midwest Archives Conference President Stephen McShane and Northwest Archivists Inc. President Jodi Allison-Bunnell write letters to Mayor Anthony Williams.
December 18, 2003
The Washington Post prints a letter by SAA President Tim Ericson: “Lack of support for the facility represents a false economy.”
November 5, 2005
DC Historical Studies Conference sponsors session: “The Future of D.C.’s Historical Record,” moderated by Trudy Peterson.
January 10, 2006
Historical Records Forum held as follow up to 2005 conference.
June 2010
The Recorder of Deeds moves out of 515 D Street, NW, to 1101 4th Street, SW. Without any additional appropriation for storage expenses and staffing, the DC Archives takes the Libers and handles reference requests.
November 5, 2010
Historical Studies Conference holds panel, "Plight of the District’s Historic Record: An Update."
June 2012
LYRASIS conducted preservation needs assessment funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
August 2013
The FY 2014 budget submitted to Congress includes $44,500 for an “Archives Building comparable to state archives in managing their historical records.” It is a timed appropriation: $4,000 for FY 2014; $20,000 for FY 2015; $20,000 for FY 2016.
April 18, 2014
Group of interested archivists, historians, and civic activists met at Ben’s Chili Bowl to form the Friends of DC Archives.
May 7, 2014
“Safeguarding the Story of the District,” a column by Jonetta Rose Barras appears in The Washington Post.
May 13, 2014
Secretary of the District of Columbia Cynthia Brock-Smith and former Acting Archivist of the United States Trudy Peterson appear on the Kojo Nnamdi Show to discuss the D.C. Archives.
May 19, 2014
Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, chair of the Government Operations Committee, recommends a reduction in the budget for the DC Archives. Although he agreed that the construction of the new facility was essential, he did not believe that the necessary planning had taken place.
May 15-28, 2014
The Department of Government Services held stakeholder meetings with Gregory Hunter, Ph.D., to help formulate a vision for the Archives.
June 9, 2014
FDCA joins celebration for International Archives Day.
August 15, 2014
The FY 2015 budget submitted to Congress includes a budget of $38,825 for the construction of a new D.C. Archives, representing a $5,675 reduction from FY 2014 appropriation. It is a timed appropriation: $1,925 for FY 2015; $18,000 for FY 2016; and $14,400 for FY 2017.
October 14, 2014
FDCA submits letter to Mayoral candidates asking for support of the Office of Public Records and construction of D.C. Archives.
November 5, 2014
FDCA co-chairs write letters to Mayor Bowser asking for support of DC Archives.
November 20, 2014
FDCA co-chairs write to outgoing Mayor and Councilmembers to ask that they comply with city code and turn over their records to successor or Office of Public Records.
November 22, 2014
Archivist Bill Branch participates in panel discussion at the 41st Annual D.C. Historical Studies Conference.
November 25, 2014
FDCA members write to Mayor-Elect Bowser to ask for support of the DC Archives.
January 15, 2015
Department of Government Services issues an RFP to solicit proposals from architectural-engineering design firms for planning of the new D.C. Archives.
January 22, 2015
FDCA members meets with Attorney-General Karl Racine to discuss the importance of the Office of Public Records.
January 30, 2015
FDCA members meets with Lauran Vaughn, the nominee for the Secretary of the District of Columbia, to discuss planning for a new D.C. Archives.
May 21, 2015
The Bowser administration, in cooperation with FDCA, held a public forum to discuss the needs of the new DC Archives.
May 26, 2015
The Council submitted a budget that appropriated $2 million for FY 2016 for the DC Archives, representing a cut from the $12 million proposed by Mayor Bowser. They delayed the project to FY 2019 and FY 2020. The total seven-year appropriation for the Archives has increased from $34 million to $48.4 million.
July 10, 2015
Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the selection of Hartman-Cox and EYP as architects for the new DC Archives.
September 30, 2015
Rebecca Katz is appointed new public records administrator.
October 27, 2015
The DC Department of General Services pledged at a meeting with members of FDCA to spend $3 million to repair 1300 Naylor Court.
December 15, 2015
Hartman & Cox/EYP completed their programming report for a new archival facility for the DC Archives.