The Cairo -- It Can't Stand Up Against The United States Capitol
by Cora Wandel
Title
The Cairo -- It Can't Stand Up Against The United States Capitol
Artist
Cora Wandel
Medium
Photograph
Description
The historic Cairo, at a height of 164 feet, was the tallest apartment building in Washington, DC when finished in 1894, and still is to this day. In the 1890s, the building was roundly criticized as a dreaded and unnecessary "residential skyscraper" for our nation's capital, where the unwritten policy had long been that the city would be comprised of shorter buildings for the purpose of never having a structure overshadow the United States Capitol and Washington Monument (the latter is the tallest structure in Washington). With the completion of The Cairo, the Height of Buildings Act of 1899 and related zoning laws were enacted by Congress, thus restricting the heights of future buildings in our nation's capital. The Cairo, also known for its distinctive Egyptian style, is a condominium today, and at 120+ years old, it stands proudly at 1615 Q Street in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington.
Uploaded
May 11th, 2015
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