Follow WTOP’s Matt Kaufax as he explores hidden gems, local landmarks and unique stories across the D.C. area every week. New episodes of WTOP’s “Matt About Town” segment are released each Tuesday and Thursday. 

It’s a little-known document containing some of the earliest design plans for D.C.

And it inspired the layout of many of the places you see today, like Union Station, Federal Triangle, and the National Mall.

In Tuesday’s episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP dives into the McMillan Plan.

Proposed in 1902, the McMillan Plan was the product of a commission devised by President William McKinley (and headed by Sen. James McMillan from Michigan) to improve the design of the nation’s capital. 

During the American Civil War, the District of Columbia expanded rapidly, and builders deviated from the original designs proposed for the city in 1791 by its original aesthetic architect, Pierre L’Enfant. It got the point where railroad tracks were even running through the heart of D.C.’s National Mall.

In this episode, WTOP examined how the recommendations from the McMillan plan helped give D.C. a makeover, influencing what you see in the District in 2026. It will also touch on other projects proposed in the plan that were never built, but could still be constructed in the future.

Hear “Matt About Town” first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM. 

“Matt About Town” is now also on YouTube. Follow @WTOPNewsDC and @TheMattAboutTown to subscribe and get the latest episodes wherever you are! 

If you have a story idea you’d like Matt to cover, email him, or chat with him on Instagram and TikTok. 

Source