There’s history to behold on some of DC’s manhole covers
An extant manhole cover from the Anacostia & Potomac River Railroad. Photo by the author.
The District has thousands of manhole covers, and a lot of them offer a glimpse into the city’s history. This one, for example, is from a 19th Century streetcar company that hasn’t existed in over 100 years.
The “A&P RR” refers to the Anacostia and Potomac River Railroad, which was the fourth streetcar company to begin operation in DC. A&P ran from 1876 until 1912, when the Washington Railway and Electric Company bought it.
The manhole was almost surely for below-the-street electrical power access. A&P was the last company to switch from horse-cars to electric power, making the switch in 1900, so we can reasonably assume this cover to be from between 1900 and 1912.
This cover is on 11th Street SE, between Pennsylvania Avenue and Lincoln Park. I’ve seen three covers like it in the area, and another on Maryland Avenue NE, just east of 14th Street by the Checkers. Those are the only ones I know about. These locations are a bit surprising since the A&P didn’t run on these streets, nor did any other streetcar. The A&P did run in 11th Street SE, but only south of Pennsylvania Avenue.
Know of any interesting manhole covers in the DC area? Mention them in the comments!