The Georgetown street renaming occurred as a result of an 1895 act of the United States Congress that ended even the nominal independence of Georgetown from Washington, D.C. The Act required, among other things, that the street names in Georgetown be changed to conform to the street-naming system in use in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. However, the old street names were shown on maps as late as 1899.[1]

The lists below set forth the old and new names of Georgetown's streets.[2] Because most east–west streets are not continuous across Wisconsin Avenue, separate lists are provided for those east–west streets that are north of M Street and either east or west of Wisconsin Avenue.[3]

North–south streets, east to west

Old nameNew name
North Street26th Street[4]
Monroe Street27th Street[4][5]
Montgomery Street28th Street[4]
Greene Street29th Street[4]
Washington Street30th Street[4]
Jefferson StreetThomas Jefferson Street
Congress Street31st Street
Valley Street32nd Street
High StreetWisconsin Avenue
Potomac Streetnot renamed
Market Street33rd Street
Frederick Street34th Street
Fayette Street35th Street
Lingan Street36th Street
Warren Street37th Street

East–west streets, south to north

M Street and south

Old nameNew name
Water StreetK Street. West of 33rd Street NW, the United States Postal Service still recognizes both "K Street" and "Water Street" in addresses.[6]
Grace Streetnot renamed
Bridge StreetM Street
Falls StreetM Street

North of M Street

Old name, east of Wisconsin AvenueOld name, west of Wisconsin AvenueNew name
Olive StreetProspect Streetnot renamed
Gay StreetFirst StreetN Street
Dunbarton Street—spelling changed slightly to Dumbarton Street
Beall StreetSecond StreetO Street
West StreetThird StreetP Street
—Fourth StreetVolta Place
Stoddert (or Stoddard) StreetFifth StreetQ Street
—Sixth StreetDent Place
—Seventh StreetReservoir Road
Road StreetEighth StreetR Street

References

  1. ^ Tindall, William (1907). Origin and government of the District of Columbia. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 27.
  2. ^ Taggart, Hugh Thomas (1908). Old Georgetown. Lancaster, Pa.: Press of the New Era Print. Co.
  3. ^ "Is it Dumbarton St. or Avenue?". The Georgetown Metropolitan. Archived February 21, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  4. ^ "Letter from Washington". The Baltimore Sun. February 17, 1874. p. 4.
  5. ^ Monroe Street had also been known as Rock Street and Mill Street
  6. ^ "Temporary Lane Shifts on Water Street NW / K Street NW". GovDelivery (Government of the District of Columbia). October 26, 2023. Retrieved December 24, 2025.