16th Street Northwest
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Sixteenth Street Historic District
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Intersection of 16th and P Streets
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| Location | 16th St. between Scott Cir. and Florida Ave. NW |
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| NRHP Reference # | 78003060 |
| Added to NRHP | August 25, 1978 |
16th Street Northwest is a prominent north-south thoroughfare in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. Part of the street is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Sixteenth Street Historic District.
Part of Pierre L'Enfant's design for the city, 16th Street begins just north of the White House across Lafayette Park at H Street and continues due north in a straight line passing K Street, Scott Circle, Meridian Hill Park, Rock Creek Park, and the Walter Reed Army Medical Center before crossing Eastern Avenue into Silver Spring, Maryland, where it ends at Georgia Avenue. From K Street to the District line, 16th Street is part of the National Highway System. The Maryland portion of the street is designated Maryland State Highway 390. The entire street is 7 1⁄2 miles (12.1 km) long.
The Washington meridian, a prime meridian once in use in the United States, follows the street.
Early in the city's history, many foreign countries opened their embassies on 16th Street because of its proximity to the White House. Many religious denominations followed with churches, earning the street the nickname "Church Row." These include Foundry Methodist (attended by Presidents Hayes and Clinton), First Baptist (attended by Presidents Truman and Carter), the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church which was originally named the First Colored Baptist Church of Washington, D.C. (visited twice by President Barack Obama), St. John's ("Church of the Presidents"), All Souls Unitarian, Universalist National Memorial Church, St. John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Cathedral,founded in 1949 and built in 1958, and Third Church of Christ, Scientist, which was designed by an associate of I.M. Pei in 1972.Shrine of the Sacred Heart is located just off of 16th Street. After most of the embassies moved to Embassy Row and other parts of the city, the churches became more prominent in 16th Street's identity.
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