For my final project I would like to research the rise and fall of brothels within the red-light district of D.C., and what has become of that district since then. The first steps I will take to look into this topic is to look for primary sources that can help me trace the origins of the red-light district. Once I have found these sources and have established it’s roots they will hopefully lead me in the right direction for continued research. The first place I will look for information will be in the mason databases, as well as digging through Google sources to find reliable sites. If done correctly this project to lead to an interesting insight into a portion of D.C.’s history that is not addressed in the textbooks.
For the purposes of this paper, you’ll need to pick a red light district and a time period. They’re slippery and have shifted location at different periods from the National Mall (remnants of a reputedly elegant brothel were uncovered at the current site of the Museum of the American Indian) to Murder Bay and Hooker’s Division, mid-nineteenth century, to the Logan Circle area later in the twentieth. Definitely contact the WAshington Historical Society. They’re really helpful and likely to be able to help you go in an efficient direction from the beginning. The Washingtoniana Room of the DC Public Library is another great resource. It often happens, though, that they’re understaffed and busy, so the research experience through them can be more challenging, although valuable.