It was one of Washington’s most spectacular fires. It happened on September 29, 1897, at the Capital Traction Company’s powerhouse at 14th and E Northwest. It is now the site of the John Wilson Building, the Council of the District of Columbia. On September 29, 1897, the Capital Traction Company’s powerhouse at 14th and E NW burned down – and almost took downtown DC with it.
Today, the location is taken by the John Wilson Building, the Council of the District of Columbia. After the conflagration, the company replaced the cable cars it served with an electric system, using horses in the interim. The electric wire for the cars was placed in the old cable system’s underground conduit. The 14th Street branch switched to electric power on February 27, 1898, the Pennsylvania Avenue division on April 20, 1898 (March 20 west of the Capitol), and the 7th Street branch on May 26, 1898. The place where cars changed between Capital Traction and Metropolitan was initially located at U and 18th Streets. It was moved to just east of the bridge over Rock Creek – to the Calvert Street Loop – in the spring of 1899 when the conduit system was changed to the more standard and less expensive contact shoe. The old line on Florida Avenue between 18th and Connecticut was discontinued that year and the track removed.
On yesterday’s date in 1897, fire destroyed the Capital Traction Powerhouse at 14th/Penn.
All that remained was a sign reading “Absolutely Fireproof.”
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