Newspapers founded in Washington, D.C., during the 18th and 19th centuries

More than 405 newspapers were founded in Washington, D.C., during the 18th and 19th centuries. They included daily, weekly, and monthly newspapers, mostly published in English, with a few in German and one in French. Many reported on news of national government affairs, since Washington, D.C., is the capital seat of the United States of America. Thomas Jefferson helped establish some of the early newspapers. During the American Civil War, some newspapers were founded and published in military camps and hospitals within Washington, D.C., including Brookland, Tenleytown, Carver General Hospital, Finley General Hospital, Armory Square Hospital, and Kalorama. Most of these newspapers ceased publication before 1900, but a few survived to the 20th century, including the Evening Star, and at least one to the 21st century: The Washington Post.

Newspapers by founding date 1700s Georgetown, originally part of the state of Maryland, was the first populated place in Washington, D.C. The first newspapers appeared in Georgetown, which became an independently municipal government within the District of Columbia, along with the City of Washington, the City of Alexandria (retroceeded to Virginia in 1846), and the newly created County of Washington and County of Alexandria (retroceded to Virginia in 1847, now Arlington County, Virginia). See Defunct newspapers of Virginia for newspapers that were part of the District and then became part of Virginia.

+ Washington, D.C., newspapers founded in the 1700sNewspaper titlePlace of pub.FoundedEndedLanguagePublishersOCLC or ISSN referenceThe Times, and Patowmack PacketGeorgetown17891791 EnglishCharles Fierer (1789), Charles Fierer & Thomas U. Fosdick (1790-1791), , The George-town Weekly LedgerGeorgetown17901793 EnglishM.Day and Hancock (1791), Alexander Doyle (1792); James Doyle (1792)The Columbian ChronicleGeorgetown17931796 EnglishHanson & Briggs (1794), Hanson & Priestley (1795), Samuel Hanson (1795-1796)Impartial Observer and Washington AdvertiserWashington, D.C.17951796 EnglishThomas WilsonThe Washington AdvertiserWashington, D.C.1796179? EnglishJohn Crocker & Co.The Washington GazetteWashington, D.C.17961798 EnglishBenjamin MoreThe Centinel of Liberty and George-town AdvertiserGeorgetown17961798 EnglishGreen, English & Co., The Centinel & Country GazetteGeorgetown17961800 EnglishGreen, English & Co; Editor: Samuel Hanson (1796-1799)The Centinel of Liberty and George-town and Washington AdvertiserGeorgetown17991799 EnglishGreen, English & Co.; Editor: Samuel HansonThe Centinel of Liberty or George-town and Washington AdvertiserGeorgetown17991800 EnglishGreen, English & Co.

18001829 Between 1800 and 1829, 68 newspapers were founded in the area that is now Washington, D.C. All of these newspapers ceased printing by 1891.

+ Washington, D.C. newspapers founded 18001829Newspaper TitlePlace of pub.FoundedEndedLanguagePublishersOCLC ReferenceThe CabinetGeorgetown18001801 EnglishJ. LyonBoyce's Saturday AnvilWashington, D.C.18??18?? EnglishS. BoyceThe National Citizen SoldierWashington, D.C.18??1881 EnglishCitizen and Soldier Pub. Co.The National Intelligencer and Washington AdvertiserWashington, D.C.18001810 EnglishSamuel Harrison Smith (1800–); Joseph Gales (1810), The Museum and Washington and George-town AdvertiserGeorgetown18001802 EnglishGreen & English, 1800–The Museum and Washington and George-town Daily AdvertiserGeorgetown18001800 EnglishGreen & English, 1800The PeopleWashington, D.C.18??1??? EnglishCentral Council of the Labor LeagueSoldiers' National Free PressWashington, D.C.18?????? English John W. HallTrue BlueWashington, D.C.18??18?? EnglishunknownWashington AdvertiserWashington, D.C.18001800 EnglishBrown & Snowden, 1800The Washington City GazetteWashington, D.C.18001800 EnglishCharles Cist, 1800Washington FederalistGeorgetown1800180? EnglishWilliam Alexander Rind and John Stewart, 1800–1809, The Washington PostWashington, D.C.18?????? EnglishunknownWashington RepublicanWashington, D.C.18??1824 EnglishJames C. Dunn, and Co.The Sunday CapitalWashington, D.C.18??1890 EnglishWashington Critic Co.The Sunday GazetteWashington, D.C.18??1891 EnglishT. G. MorrowThe Church NewsWashington, D.C.18??18?? EnglishChurch News Pub. Co. (Catholic)The ApolloWashington, D.C.18021802 EnglishW. Duane & Son, 1802The OlioGeorgetown18021803 EnglishParks & Co., 1802–American Literary AdvertiserWashington, D.C.18021804 EnglishJames Lyon and Richard DinmoreColumbian RepositoryWashington, D.C.18031804 English Bradford & BurgessAtlantic WorldWashington, D.C.18071807 EnglishJohn Wood & Thomas W. White, 1807–Washington Expositor and Weekly RegisterWashington, D.C.18071807 EnglishUnknown, The MonitorWashington, D.C.18081809 EnglishJ. B. Colvin, 1808–1809 The Washington ExpositorWashington, D.C.18081809 EnglishDinmore & Cooper, 1808–1809 Independent American and Columbian AdvertiserGeorgetown18091809 English Edgar Patterson Independent AmericanGeorgetown180918?? EnglishE. Patterson, 1809– Museum; Georgetown advertiserGeorgetown1809180? EnglishW. Rind Jr., 1809–National IntelligencerWashington, D.C.18101869 EnglishGales and Seaton (1814–1860)The CourierGeorgetown18121812 EnglishB. Parks (1812)Federal RepublicanGeorgetown18131816 EnglishA. C. Hanson and J. Wagner (1813-1816)Daily National IntelligencerWashington, D.C.18131869 EnglishGales & Seaton, 1813–, Federal RepublicanGeorgetown18141816 EnglishA. C. Hanson & J. Wagner (1816)The SenatorWashington, D.C.18141814 EnglishE. H. Cummins, 1814, Washington City GazetteWashington, D.C.18141814 EnglishWilliam ElliotWashington City Weekly GazetteWashington, D.C.18151817 EnglishJonathan Elliot, 1815–1817, The MessengerGeorgetown18161817 EnglishJames C. Dunn & Co.National MessengerGeorgetown18171821 EnglishJames C. Dunn & Co., 1817-1821City of Washington GazetteWashington, D.C.18171821 EnglishJ. Elliot (1817–1821)The Columbian, District Advertiser and Commercial GazetteGeorgetown182?1829 EnglishSamuel S. RindThe MetropolitanGeorgetown182018?? EnglishW. A. Rind Jr.MetropolitanGeorgetown18201827 EnglishWashington GazetteWashington, D.C.18211826 EnglishElliot and Irvine, The Columbian StarWashington, D.C.18221829 EnglishAnderson & Meehan, (1822-1829); author: Baptist General Convention for Foreign Missions (U.S.) , National ObserverWashington, D.C.182218?? EnglishB. Irvine & Co., 1822–Washington Republican and Congressional ExaminerWashington, D.C.18221824 EnglishPublished for the Proprietor by James C. Dunn, & Co., 1822-1824Washington Republican and Congressional ExaminerWashington, D.C.182218?? EnglishJ. C. Dunn & Co., 1822-National JournalWashington, D.C.18231832 EnglishPeter Force, 1823-National Palladium and Congressional RegisterWashington, D.C.1823182? EnglishJames Wilson (1823–)National PalladiumWashington, D.C.18231823 EnglishJ. Wilson (–1823)Daily National JournalWashington, D.C.18241832 EnglishP. Force (1824–1832), The ColumbianGeorgetown18261826 EnglishSamuel S. Rind (1826)United States' TelegraphWashington, D.C.18261837 EnglishJohn S. Meehan (1826–1837)U. S. telegraph and Commercial HeraldWashington, D.C.18261827 EnglishDuff GreenGeorgetown Columbian and District AdvertiserGeorgetown18271827 EnglishSamuel S. Rind (1827)Columbian & District AdvertiserGeorgetown18271827 EnglishSamuel S. Rind (–1827)Mrs A S Colvin's Weekly MessengerWashington, D.C.18271828 EnglishA. S. ColvinUnited States TelegraphWashington, D.C.18271828 EnglishD. Green (–1828)United States' TelegraphWashington, D.C.18271837 EnglishDuff Green, 1827–1837Georgetown Columbian, District Advertiser, & Commercial GazetteGeorgetown18281828 EnglishSamuel S. Rind (1828–)United States Weekly TelegraphWashington, D.C.18281832 EnglishDuff Green (1828–)United States' Telegraph ExtraWashington, D.C.18281829 EnglishGreen and Jarvis (1828–1829)Washington ChronicleWashington, D.C.18281828 EnglishW. Ustick, 1828Washington City ChronicleWashington, D.C.18281829 EnglishA. Rothwell & T. W. Ustick (1828–1829)We, the PeopleWashington, D.C.18281828 EnglishJ. ElliotColumbian GazetteGeorgetown18291835 EnglishB. Homans (1829–)Banner of the ConstitutionWashington, D.C.18291832 EnglishCondy Raguet (1829–1832), Washington City Chronicle and Literary RepositoryWashington, D.C.18291829 EnglishA. Rothwell & T. W. Ustick (1829)

18301859

There were 143 newspapers founded in Washington, D.C. between 1830 and 1859. The Daily Evening Star, founded in 1852, continued publication under several different names until it ceased publication in 1981, as the Washington Star.