636 G St. SE is the birthplace of John Philip Sousa (1854-1932), known both as the “American March King” for the 136 military marches he composed and also as director of the Marine Band from 1880-1892. Many of his marches are famous, including “Semper Fidelis,” the official march of the US Marine Corps, “The Washington Post,” “The Liberty Bell” and “Stars and Stripes Forever.” A Capitol Hill neighborhood boy, he started his music education at the age of 6 at his teacher’s 8th Street house and attended nearby Christ Church. At the age of 14, his father, a Marine Band trombonist, had him enlisted as an apprentice in the band to keep him from running away to join a circus band. At 21 he left the band to continue his education and gain experience and began composing not only marches but also operettas, songs and other musical numbers. Returning to the Marine Band as conductor, from 1880 to 1892 he raised the level of the band into a highly respected music organization. Then he formed his own band, which also gained renown for its military and symphonic music, touring the US and Europe (1900-1905) followed by a world tour in 1910-11. Every year on his November 6th birthday, the Marine Band salutes one of its most famous conductors with a musical tribute at historic Congressional Cemetery.

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For more information on these historic sites, go to the restoration society’s web page for the walking tour at http://chrs.org/historic-sites-tour-2020/

Best to view in "Original" because other versions resized by Pbase are decidedly unsharp.

Tropical water lily, posted earlier: