[1] Petworth residents spent at least a decade advocating for a public library in their neighborhood, which had grown quickly after the extension of streetcar service to the area.

[5] Designed by architect Nathan C. Wyeth in the Georgian Revival style, it opened in January 1939 as the city's sixth neighborhood library.

[5] When it opened, the Post hailed the opportunity for "[g]reater learning and richer leisure hours ... for the residents of Petworth.

"[6] The building was a civil defense station during World War II and hosted, among other things, meetings of air-raid wardens.

[8] Anthony A. Williams, the fifth mayor of the District of Columbia, kicked off his 1998 campaign at a rally on the library's front lawn.