D.C. might not be a state, but it’s the place in the United States proudest of the other part of the country’s name — United.
The District is full of “unions,” be it the ever-busy Union Station or the World War II Memorial, displaying the names of all 50 states. But the best united bites don’t come within train halls or on the National Mall — you’ll find them in Union Market, the 1800s open-air farmers market turned historic food hall.
Despite having a whole neighborhood named after it, the Union Market didn’t originate in its upper northeast home. The smorgasbord of meat, fish and fruit stalls were collected under the name Centre Market in downtown D.C., where the National Archives are now located.
The market was the center of life for the fast growing city after the Civil War, with streetcars zipping by as vendors flipped fish in a manner reminiscent of Seattle’s Pike Place. But as anyone who’s journeyed to see the country’s founding documents knows, the once hopping market no longer occupies the District’s downtown space.
In 1926, the federal government began planning to tear down the market, prompting the vendors into a frenzy to find a new locale. Two years later, they settled on a 19th century farm turned World War I training camp, and in 1931 Union Terminal Market was born.
Though the location is more familiar to current visitors to Union Market, not much else about the 1930s market would ring a bell. For one, despite having “Terminal” in its name, the retailers weren’t located in a building — they carried over the six day a week, open air set-up that had become the center of life for so many in D.C.
The market was also still, well, a market, as opposed to the eclectic food hall it’s become now. Over 700 vendors spent the better part of their weeks peddling dairy and meat to eager customers. On the more fun side, the area that hosted the Union Terminal Market was also visited by circuses.
The vendors of Union Terminal Market may have competed for buyers during day, but at night they all teamed up in 1931 and 1932 to participate in the Recreation Duckpin League. Sadly, the recreation bowling beat reporter for The Evening Star back in the 1930s wasn’t devoted enough to the tales from the alley for us to know how well the team did, but given that they disbanded after just two years, I doubt they saw any championships.
Gutter balls weren’t the only thing that plagued Union Market — in 1962, D.C. banned the outdoor sale of meat and eggs. They may as well have banned Union Market directly, as the decision wrecked the area’s business model.
While an indoor space was built in 1967, the downward trend for the once glorious market had already begun. The new regulations made the outdoor farmer’s market a shell of itself, selling only fruits and vegetables and eventually shutting down in 1976.
By the 1980s, the area was in disarray, with old school decrepit industrial buildings crumbling apart and most of the area’s original merchants fleeing for more up to date facilities out in the suburbs.
But as with so many parts of the city, Washingtonians weren’t satisfied letting Union Market fade away, instead opting to keep the historical building a part of contemporary D.C. Real estate company EDENS reopened Union Market in 2012 in the same building it used to occupy, with a vision to reboot the surrounding neighborhood via restaurants and ultra-modern apartment towers.
The area now occupies a distinctive space in the District, blending continuous development with a slice of D.C. history — and, of course, more than a few slices of D.C. food. Now filled to the brim with vendors offering all sorts of meals, treats, drinks and souvenirs, Union Market is the spot in D.C. to visit whether you want an aperitivo or toast slathered with avocado.
While you could explore it by yourself, there’s no guarantee you’ll find the best the market has to offer — plus, where’s the fun in drinking alone? To get the full Union Market experience, and to fill your brain with history and stomach with food hall treats, join one of our expert guides on our Off Menu Union Market Food and Drink tour.
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