Washington, D.C.
International Temple of the Order of the Eastern Star
Obscure Freemasons still live in D.C.’s largest private residence.
Places Added by Elliot Carter
178
Items added
Items this traveler has added to the Atlas.
Washington, D.C.
Catacombs of Washington, D.C.
Franciscan monks created a facsimile of the Holy Land for North Americans who couldn’t afford the trip overseas.
San Bernardino County, California
Searles Lake
This sun-scorched lakebed contains samples of half the natural elements known to humankind.
Bethesda, Maryland
Congressional Country Club
Proto-CIA agents trained with grenades in the sand traps and fired machine guns from the fairways.
Pensacola, Florida
'Wall South' Vietnam Memorial
Florida’s half-sized replica of the Vietnam Veterans Wall.
Washington, D.C.
C&O Boat Elevator Ruins
This forgotten boat elevator was an engineering marvel in its heyday.
Nashtifan, Iran
Nashtifan Windmills
The vertical-axis windmills of ancient Persia have been grinding flour for 1,000 years and counting.
Washington, D.C.
Senate Corncob Capitals
Corn-inthian columns with a uniquely American take on neoclassical architecture.
Washington, D.C.
Russian Ambassador's Residence
Was there a small "backpack nuke" hidden in the attic? JFK apparently thought so.
Washington, D.C.
Embassy Gulf Service Center
Behind an abandoned storefront is an example of pioneering 1930s gas station architecture.
Pingtang County, China
The Eye of Heaven
The largest radio telescope in the world searches for extraterrestrial life from the remote limestone peaks of southern China.
Washington, D.C.
Bare-Chested George Washington
Perhaps the most scandalous statue of America's first president.
Arlington, Virginia
Pentagon Cable Crossing Sign
Please don’t anchor your boat onto the Department of Defense’s underwater data cables.
Washington, D.C.
Sharpshooter's Tree
A diminutive plaque recalls the treetop sniper who almost killed Abe Lincoln.
Washington, D.C.
St. Elizabeths Hospital
Government testing at the asylum briefly explored using marijuana as a "truth serum" on Nazi prisoners of war.
Washington, D.C.
Knife Edge
Architecture lovers won’t stop touching the National Gallery's 19.5 degree marble prow.
Washington, D.C.
Ruins of the Columbian Cannon Foundry
These recently uncovered walls are all that's left of Washington, D.C's first defense contractor.
Fort Washington, Maryland
Fort Foote Rodman Guns
A mammoth pair of Civil War artillery guns abandoned out in the forest.
Washington, D.C.
Peirce Mill Spy Station
Cold War intelligence agents monitored communist embassies from an attic in a former pigeon coop.
Washington, D.C.
Library of Congress Book Conveyor Tunnel
A fantastic array of trays and cables once whisked books over to the Capitol at 600 feet per minute.
Washington, D.C.
Legislative Bell System
An ear-piercing buzzer calls lawmakers to a vote with a series of long and short rings to form coded messages.
Bethesda, Maryland
Naval Surface Warfare Center
This massive swimming pool is the high tech home to the human-powered submarine races.
Washington, D.C.
The Tabulating Machine Co.
The early data processor factory founded in Washington for the 1890 U.S. Census went on to become IBM.
Cabin John, Maryland
USDA Rammed Earth House
This suburban house is made of dirt, and almost sparked a revolution in home construction.
