Finally I can bear witness to one of two origins of the Foggy Bottom namesake! The confluence of waterways combined with the low-lying area between the river, K Street and the Washington Monument makes for a dramatic contrast in skyline views when the fog settles and hovers.
Foggy Bottom has a colored history in many ways. Going back a couple of centuries it (the space) also covered some of the area around what is now the Washington Monument–that mound was, in part, dredged from the river to firm it up enough to support the massive structure. With that build-up the fog discontinued settling in; apparently it was raised enough to repel it.
By the time full sunshine hit the area it was gone; not a trace remaining of a complete clouding of the neighborhood. Perhaps next time I notice it I’ll get the gumption to hop on the bike and ride over for an up-close view.
Oh, the second reason the area was known as Foggy Bottom was due to the history of industrial smokestacks. Once the first round of residential and business renovation in the area took hold the stacks were gone–but the fog persists.