George Cooke. City of Washington from Beyond the Navy Yard. 1832. Courtesy White House Historical Association.

Bridge Across History

December 6, 2021
Producers John R. Wennersten and Barry Harrelson will present the Capitol Hill premiere of their new film exploring the history of the Capitol Hill neighborhood and the rivers that form its boundaries.


A Bridge Across History explores the cultural and historical development of Capitol Hill and the Anacostia waterfront from 1790 to the present covering the Washington Navy Yard, the Civil War, racial progress and regression, and the problems of development and gentrification in the modern era.

The film is a project of Sustainable Waterfronts, a non-profit organization that seeks to preserve the history of Washington’s waterfront from the founding of the city to today.  The film is part of a Sustainable Waterfronts documentary series that includes On the Waterfront With Arthur Cotton Moore which was recently featured at the D.C. Environmental Film festival.



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