Sixteenth Street Northwest in Washington, D.C., has been called the Avenue of the Presidents, Executive Avenue and the Avenue of Churches. In this virtual talk, co-authors of the 2022 book Sixteenth Street NW: Washington, DC's Avenue of Ambitions John DeFerrari and Peter Sefton explore the social and architectural history of the street and immediate neighborhoods, and recount the colorful stories of those who have lived, worked and worshipped there.

About John DeFerrari

John DeFerrari is a D.C. native and author of the Streets of Washington blog. He serves as a trustee of the D.C. Preservation League and is review editor of Washington History magazine. He is the author of three additional books about the capital city: Lost Washington, D.C. (2011), Historic Restaurants of Washington, D.C.: Capital Eats (2013) and Capital Streetcars: Early Mass Transit in Washington, D.C. (2015). 

About Peter Sefton

Pete Sefton holds a master’s degree in architectural history from the University of Virginia. He has been active in historic preservation since the early 2000s and serves as a trustee of the D.C. Preservation League. In addition to co-authoring Sixteenth Street NW: Washington, DC's Avenue of Ambitions (2022), he is author of Midcentury Modern Churches of Southwest Washington, D.C. (2015).

How to Participate

This program will take place on Zoom. To participate, please register online, and we will email you a link and instructions for joining. Simply follow that link at the time the program starts (12 p.m. EDT / 9 a.m. PDT). When you register, you can also request to receive a reminder email one day before the program with the link included.

About the D.C. Mondays Series

Join local authors, researchers and community members online for lively discussions about Washington, D.C.’s history, politics, culture and more. Browse upcoming programs