From the Archives: Eastern Market Turns 150
Eastern Market turned 150 years old on Sunday. That’s older than the telephone, ketchup, and the other state of Washington. It was a key part of D.C.'s market system ... until the refrigerator came along.
Eastern Market turned 150 years old on Sunday. That’s older than the telephone, ketchup, and the other state of Washington. It was one of three public marketplaces that L’Enfant planned for D.C., including Western Market and Central Market. And it opened in 1873, after being designed by the same architect who designed the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building.
It thrived until the second half of the 20th century, when the invention of the refrigerator meant customers could keep meats and produce far longer, requiring fewer market visits. In addition, the rise of modern grocery stores eclipsed the market in terms of convenience. By 1958, only two of the typical 22 vendors remained.
But as other downtown markets closed in the ‘60s, Eastern Market was rejuvenated with new vendors and customers and has remained popular till today. It’s one of the few historic public market buildings left in D.C. and the only one that’s still a public market.
Nowadays, the hall is filled with florists, butchers, delis, and breakfast spots (hello, Market Lunch’s buckwheat pancakes). It also has a lot of Asian grocery providers (critical since D.C. is an H Mart desert 😭) and food stalls.
Want to make a whole day of it? Check out more suggestions on our City Cast DC episode!
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