Amanda Diddon Edwards

Amanda Didden Edwards will present an Overbook Lecture, “How the Carry-Didden Family Left Their Mark  On Capitol Hill and Beyond,” Monday, March 31, 202, 7 pm, at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE.

National Capital Brewery – Image LOC

Albert Carry and Clement Didden were two pioneering entrepreneurs who left their mark on their local community and the city at large. On March 31, the Overbeck Capitol Hill History Lecture by Amanda Didden Edwards will focus on their contributions. Both immigrants, they honed their skills, brewing and architecture respectively, here in America, building an array of successful businesses.  Some of these local enterprises include the National Capital Brewing Company, the National Capital Bank, and Clement A. Didden & Son, Architects.  After more than 150 years, their influence on Capitol Hill can still be traced through the city’s built environment.  This lecture will examine the architecture of the Carry and Didden businesses to illuminate historical social trends, urban design, and historic preservation.  Their community involvement and commitment to good design continues as part of their family legacy across six generations of Washingtonians.

The speaker, Amanda Didden Edwards, is Senior Architectural Conservator and principal of MTFA design + preservation, with expertise in historic material research and condition assessments for the preparation of architectural preservation plans, historic structure reports, and construction documents. She has worked on projects involving the Folger Shakespeare Library, Cannon House Office Building, and the Cosmos Club, among others. Amanda is a LEED Green Associate and a Professional Associate with the American Institute for Conservation (AIC). She currently lives near Lincoln Park with her husband and two daughters and volunteers her time on the boards of the Cosmos Club Historic Preservation Foundation and the Old Naval Hospital Foundation at Hill Center.

The Monday, March 31, lecture on the Carry-Didden family will be held at Hill Center, Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE beginning 7:00 pm. (Please note the earlier start time.) Admission is free but a reservation is required due to limited capacity. Reservations can be made starting March 17 through Hill Center ((https://www.hillcenterdc.org/event/overbeck-lecture-how-the-carry-didden-family-left-their-mark-on-capitol-hill-and-beyond/. Seating will begin at 6:30 pm; available seats will be released to others beginning at 6:45 pm. The power point presentation will begin at 7 pm. If you have a reservation and are unable to attend, please notify Hill Center (202-549-4172) so that another person can attend.

Overbeck lectures are supported by the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. For more information on the lecture series, visit CapitolHillHistory.org.