District of Columbia Archives Office of Public Records (OPR)

History and Founding

The Office of Public Records Management, Archival Administration, and Library of Governmental Information—commonly known as the District of Columbia Archives or DC Archives—was established on 11 February 1986 by Mayor's Order 86-28, in accordance with DC Law 6-19, to collect and preserve the history of the District government. It is administered through the Office of the Secretary of the District of Columbia. After a lengthy search for a suitable facility, the Archives located the former B.F. McCaully & Co. Tally-Ho Stables at 1300 Naylor Court NW in the Shaw neighbourhood. Construction to convert the historic stable into an archive was completed in 1990. The building is part of the Blagden Alley–Naylor Court Historic District. The current facility has been at capacity since within a few years of opening, and planning is under way for a new purpose-built facility with a 50-year accession strategy and public programming space for 300 people.

Collections and Holdings

The DC Archives holds vital records on millions of individuals as well as wide-ranging institutional records of the District government. Genealogical collections include birth certificates (1874–1895), death certificates (1874–1940s), marriage certificates, wills, and related vital records. The Archives is particularly notable for holding original wills of prominent figures including Dolley Madison, Francis Scott Key, Frederick Douglass, Henry Adams, Woodrow Wilson, Alexander Graham Bell, and Louis D. Brandeis. It also preserves Mildred and Richard Loving's marriage certificate and Duke Ellington's birth certificate. Additional holdings include Board of Health minutes, Board of Commissioners reports, land records, architectural plans and building permits, and administrative, fiscal, and legal records of District agencies. A much larger collection of retained records is held in leased space at the Washington National Records Center and in various DC government buildings.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

The archives' administrative and legislative records document the governance of the nation's capital as covered by local and national press since the nineteenth century. Records relating to press licensing, public events, and civil affairs in Washington, DC, are contained within the administrative holdings. The genealogical and vital records have been used extensively by journalists and documentary researchers tracing family histories of prominent figures in American public life.

Access and Usage

The DC Archives is open Monday through Friday, 8:15 am–4:45 pm. Research visits for land records are held Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 am–12 pm; all other research is by appointment via email. A digital repository of collections is accessible at archives.dc.gov. The Office of Public Records certifies records in the Archives' custody and handles public record requests. Records management, records scheduling, and agency services are also administered through the Office.