District of Columbia, a district of the United States, containing the federal capital, is bounded on the west by the river Potomac, and on all other sides by the state of Maryland. It originally contained 100 sq. miles, and embraced lands on both sides of the Potomac, the portion east of the river (64 sq. miles) being ceded to the general government by Maryland, and that west of the river (36 sq. miles) by Virginia in 1788-89; the latter section, however, was retroceded to Virginia in 1846, and the present district, containing the cities of Washington (q.v.) and Georgetown (q.v.), has an area of 64 sq. miles. The federal city, afterwards called Washington, was laid out from a plan furnished by Major L'Enfant, and the public buildings were erected and completed before December 1800, when the seat of government was removed thither from Philadelphia. In 1814 the British burned the Capitol, White House (the president's residence), and executive buildings, besides much private property, the total damage being estimated at $2,500,000. The district remained an unorganised territory, under the sole government of congress, up to the year 1871, although it had a county organisation, and the two cities held charters for their local government; a congressional committee each session recommended such legislation and appropriations as were deemed needful for it. An Act passed in 1871 organised a territorial government, and provided for a governor to be appointed by the president, and approved by the senate; for a secretary, appointed by the president; and for the election of a delegate to congress, to serve for two years. There was also a legislature, with eleven councilmen appointed by the president, and twenty-two delegates chosen by the people. In 1878, however, congress placed the whole control and government of the district in charge of three commissioners, appointed by the president and approved by the senate. These have full power to make all appointments to absolutely all offices in the cities and district; the citizens have nothing to say in relation thereto, nor is a vote given to them either in district or national affairs.
There are a number of suburban villages springing up in the district, and the real estate is increasing in value very rapidly. Among institutions of note outside the capital are the Soldiers' Home, 3 miles to the north (with grounds covering 500 acres, endowed with $118,719 remaining in 1851 of the sum levied on the city of Mexico), to which each private soldier in the United States army pays a small tax of twelve cents a month; the Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb (1857), whose collegiate department (1864) admits students from all parts of the United States; and the government hospital for the insane, about a mile from the city, with accommodation for a thousand patients, drawn from the army and navy, and from the District of Columbia. Pop. of the district (1800) 14,093; (1850) 51,687; (1870) 131,700; (1880) 177,624; (1890) 230,392.