Palaces of the Public: A Cultural History of Washington, DC's Hotels

John DeFerrari presents *Palaces of the Public: A Cultural History of Washington, DC’s Hotels*, a richly illustrated history of the city’s hotels and their role in Washington’s social and cultural life. In conversation with Carolyn Muraskin, he examines hotels as gathering places for officials, diplomats, lobbyists, tourists, and residents, as well as settings for weddings, concerts, inaugural balls, and the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

The book traces Washington’s hospitality landscape from eighteenth-century taverns and pre–Civil War boarding houses through the development of modern hotels. It also explores hotels for women, tourist hotels, African American-owned and African American-serving hotels during segregation, mid-century motels, contemporary boutique hotels, and the role of historic preservation in saving landmark buildings. The discussion will appeal to readers interested in Washington history, architecture, and the evolution of the city’s communities and built environment.

When: Sunday, September 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008.

Program: John DeFerrari will discuss the book in conversation with Carolyn Muraskin.

Speaker: John DeFerrari is a native Washingtonian whose work focuses on local history and historic preservation. He writes the “Streets of Washington” blog and coauthored *Sixteenth Street NW: Washington, DC’s Avenue of Ambitions* along with several other books.

Conversation Partner: Carolyn Muraskin founded DC Design Tours in 2015. A trained architect and former architectural designer, she leads architecture, urban-planning, and history tours and lectures with a team of professional designer-guides. Her partners and affiliations have included the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Academy of Sciences, the Discovery Channel, and the Smithsonian Institution, where she is also a lecturer and guide.

Tickets: Free admission.

Seating: Seating is first come, first served.

Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The organizers will try to accommodate requests made up to the event time.