The historic H Street NE corridor of Washington, D.C. was established in 1849 and quickly became a major commercial hub and working-class community in the early 20th century. The arrival of horse-drawn streetcars in 1871 is largely credited with the area's surge in development during the late 19th century and thus the inspiration for our H Street Carriage Car capsule.
By the 1930s -1950s, H Street NE was a competitor to downtown DC, featuring bustling theaters, restaurants, and the city's first Sears Roebuck store. Electric streetcars traversed the route, carrying over 3 million passengers monthly before being replaced by buses in 1949. After the Riots of 1968 the area faced serious decline and divestment.
Fast-forward to modern day, the District initiated the "Great Streets" plan in the early 2000s, leading to the H Street NE streetcar returning in 2016 but ultimately suffering the same fate as its predecessors, being replaced by buses in 2026.
This is Chris Cardi’s ode to H Street’s original form of public transit and how transportation continues to shape the only area we’ve called home in D.C. Use code: STREETCAR for free shipping on your order good through April 30, 2026.
