Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of John DeFerrari's books

233 ratings | 3 reviews | avg rating:4.24

John’s Year In Books

John’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at John’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to John’s 2025 Year in Books

John DeFerrari’s Followers (24)

John’s Bookshelves

to-read (145)
currently-reading (1)
read (238)
did-not-finish (1)
all (0)
architecture (41)
history (72)
photography (1)
restaurant-history (23)
washington-dc-history (227)

John’s Friends (14)

Garrett

52 books | 95 friends

Brett

66 books | 59 friends

Erin

96 books | 99 friends

Stephen Hansen

1 book | 6 friends

Frederick Douglass

62 books | 123 friends

Literary Hill Bookfest

158 books | 8 friends

Jason

277 books | 27 friends

Lisa

223 books | 20 friends

More friends…

John DeFerrari

Goodreads Author

Born

Washington, DC, The United States

Website

http://www.streetsofwashington.substack.com/

Twitter

StreetsofDC

Genre

History, Nonfiction

Member Since

November 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jdeferrari

edit data

John DeFerrari was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and has a passion for local history. Trained as a writer, he has a Master's Degree in English Literature from Harvard University. In 2009, DeFerrari began writing about Washington's rich history in his blog, https://streetsofwashington.substack..... His first book, Lost Washington, D.C., was published in 2011 and his latest, Palaces of the Public: A Cultural History of Washington, DC's Hotels, recounts the key role hotels have played as social centers in developing the nation's capital. ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask John DeFerrari questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
John DeFerrari’s books

Average rating: 4.17 · 202 ratings · 19 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors

	Lost Washington, D.C. 4.02 avg rating — 82 ratings — published 2011 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sixteenth Street NW: Washington, DC's Avenue of Ambitions by John DeFerrari (Goodreads Author), Douglas Peter Sefton 4.13 avg rating — 56 ratings — published 2022 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Capital Streetcars:: Early Mass Transit in Washington, D.C. by John DeFerrari (Goodreads Author), Ken Rucker (Foreword) 4.51 avg rating — 37 ratings — published 2015 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Historic Restaurants of Washington, D.C.: Capital Eats 4.45 avg rating — 20 ratings — published 2013 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A History of Dupont Circle: Center of High Society in the Capital by Stephen A. Hansen, John DeFerrari (Goodreads Author) (Foreword) 3.81 avg rating — 21 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Palaces of the Public: A Cultural History of Washington, DC's Hotels it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by John DeFerrari…

John is Currently Reading

John is currently reading

Carthage: A New History

by Eve MacDonald

bookshelves: currently-reading, history

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Sep 01, 2026 02:25PM

rss
John’s Recent Updates

John is currently reading Carthage: A New History by Eve MacDonald	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 01, 2026 02:25PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Carthage by Eve MacDonald. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Carthage by Eve MacDonald <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John rated a book it was amazing Palaces of the Public: A Cultural History of Washington, DC's Hotels by John DeFerrari (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 01, 2026 09:31AM · like
John rated a book it was amazing The Capitol: The Surprising Biography of an American Building by Brian Jay Jones (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 16, 2026 11:35AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Capitol by Brian Jay Jones. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Capitol by Brian Jay Jones <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John rated a book it was amazing Model Schools in the Model City: Race, Planning, and Education in the Nations Capital (Culture Politics & the Built Environment) by Amber N. Wiley	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 23, 2026 05:14PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Model Schools in the Model City by Amber N. Wiley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Model Schools in the Model City by Amber N. Wiley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John started reading The Capitol: The Surprising Biography of an American Building by Brian Jay Jones (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 23, 2026 05:04PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Capitol by Brian Jay Jones. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Capitol by Brian Jay Jones <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John rated a book it was amazing Model Schools in the Model City: Race, Planning, and Education in the Nations Capital (Culture Politics & the Built Environment) by Amber N. Wiley	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 23, 2026 05:03PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Model Schools in the Model City by Amber N. Wiley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Model Schools in the Model City by Amber N. Wiley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John wants to read Lost in the City: Stories by Edward P. Jones	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 27, 2026 10:56AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John wants to read The Capitol: The Surprising Biography of an American Building by Brian Jay Jones (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 27, 2026 10:54AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Capitol by Brian Jay Jones. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Capitol by Brian Jay Jones <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John is currently reading Model Schools in the Model City: Race, Planning, and Education in the Nations Capital (Culture Politics & the Built Environment) by Amber N. Wiley	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 27, 2026 10:47AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Model Schools in the Model City by Amber N. Wiley. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Model Schools in the Model City by Amber N. Wiley <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John rated a book it was amazing The Great Abolitionist: Charles Sumner and the Fight for a More Perfect Union by Stephen Puleo (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 27, 2026 10:46AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Great Abolitionist by Stephen Puleo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Great Abolitionist by Stephen Puleo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">