A RICH HISTORY

And Still Thriving

SUSTAINING THE NEIGHBORHOODS WE LOVE

Firmly Planted DC Roots For Over 50 Years

About Us

1968 – 1972

  • A man in a tuxedo with a bow tie and boutonniere stands indoors in a black and white photo. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Person sitting casually on a bench, wearing a white shirt and black pants, with hand on chin, smiling at the camera. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Five-story brick apartment building with rectangular windows, surrounded by trees and bushes under a clear blue sky. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Two older men stand indoors, holding beverages and snacks, with a calendar on the wall behind them. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Newspaper clipping titled "Smith Opens Realty Firm," detailing William C. Smith's new real estate business and his past experience, with a small portrait photo on the right side. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Historic black and white photo of a multi-story brick building with trees in the foreground and a vintage car parked on the street. | DC Apartments by WC Smith

1968

WC Smith, originally William C. Smith and Co., was founded in 1968 by William C. Smith, Sr. He was previously a Vice President at Frank S. Phillips Inc. For two years he had been considering striking out on his own. In July 1968, he set up his own company and rented an office at 927 15thStreet NW. By the end of the month, he had three employees. The company grew slowly but steadily, primarily through word of mouth and the reputation of Mr. Smith. A big bump came in 1973 when the company took on the management of the Alonzo O Bliss properties,10 buildings with 900 units. The company had a reputation as an “apartment doctor,” taking difficult buildings and turning them around. Since 1968, the company has grown dramatically, creating a development division, investing in commercial, retail and luxury residential, and expanding the property management division

1969

“The Shop” (now called Property Services) opens in Adams Morgan: Property Services provides repairs and renovations for WC Smith managed properties throughout the city. 

1969

Nancy Smith(Miller) joins the company

1973 – 1977

1973

WC Smith begins managing Bliss portfolio, ten buildings with 900 units

1973

Chris Smith joins the company

1974

Home Rule Act: Congress passes the Home Rule Act, allowing DC residents to elect a Mayor and 13–member Council. The first Mayor is Walter Washington.

1976

The Metrorail Opens: The first section is the red line from Farragut North to Rhode Island Ave, opens

1976

John Ritz joins the company

1977

The average rent at a WC Smith property is $155/month

  • A man wearing glasses and a black sweater is seated, smiling at the camera. He has short hair and is positioned in an indoor setting with natural light. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • John Ritz president of WC Smith
  • A six-story brick building with numerous windows stands at a street corner with traffic signals and mailboxes, surrounded by trees. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Children holding brochures and a Metro flag with the text "Opening March 27, 1976" at an event. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Man holding a rake stands on a lawn near a wheelbarrow. A street and parked SUV are in the background, next to a brick building and fence. | DC Apartments by WC Smith

1978 – 1982

  • A man wearing a cap and a light blue shirt stands outdoors, smiling. Another person in light clothing is partially visible beside him. There are people seated in the background. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • People gather at a rural fair with food stands and a large wooden barn in the background on a cloudy day. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A person in a suit speaks at a podium with a microphone. A sign behind reads "NationsBank" and "William C. Smith" is visible on the podium. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Metal shield-shaped plaque displaying "1401" mounted on an iron fence in front of a brick building with a window. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Entrance of Hilltop House with stairs, metal railings, and plants in front. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Brick apartment building with multiple windows, a central entrance, and a gated pathway flanked by neatly trimmed bushes and small trees. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A two-story red brick building with white trim and a white columned entrance, surrounded by green grass, bushes, and trees. | DC Apartments by WC Smith

1978

WC Smith acquires 1401 Sheridan St NW

1979

WC Smith purchases Hillside Terrace in southeast DC

1979

Marion Barry is elected mayor 

1980

The company acquires 222 St. Paul St, which later became the Tremont Plaza Hotel. WC Smith’s first purchase in Baltimore, this property was mixed-use with apartments and commercial office space on the top floor. In 1986, WC Smith renovated the building and converted the apartments (and later the commercial space) into an all-suite hotel. 

1981

WC Smith holds its first company picnic

1982

WC Smith gets its first computer

1982

WC Smith purchases Hilltop House, a 91–unit building in Columbia Heights

1983

The average rent at a WC Smith property is $258/month

1983 – 1987

1984

The Tremont Hotel in Baltimore opens. WC Smith bought the property at 8 East Pleasant in Baltimore (adjacent to the Tremont Plaza) and converted into an all-suite hotel.

1984

The first Mac computer is offered for sale

1984

WC Smith acquires Jetu, 426 units in northeast DC

1986

The company headquarters move to new offices at 1220 L Street NW

1986

Washington Commercial Services, WC Smith’s first subsidiary company, is formed

1987

Washington Heating and Cooling, a WC Smith subsidiary company, is formed

1987

Kelley Smith (Worman) and Tracey Smith (Patch) join the company

  • Three people pose on a boat with a life ring labeled "Spirit Cruises. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A group of people stand in front of a building entrance. An elderly woman prepares to cut a red ribbon, surrounded by others, including a man in a white coat and individuals in business attire. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Red-brick apartment building with a "Now Leasing" sign on the wall and a white sign in front reading "Jetu Apartments." Green lawn and fence in the foreground. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Industrial boiler room with large cylindrical machinery, pipes, and control panels. Beige walls and floor. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A laundry room with two stacked industrial washers and dryers against a wall, blue and beige checkered floor tiles. | DC Apartments by WC Smith

1988 – 1992

  • A four-story residential building with a central entrance, surrounded by symmetrical greenery and a fenced walkway under a clear blue sky. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Red brick three-story apartment building with white-framed windows, surrounded by a black fence and trees, under a blue sky with clouds. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A group of people wearing yellow hard hats is gathered at a construction site, where a man is speaking to them. Wooden buildings under construction are visible in the background. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A group of people in matching green shirts stand on a stage in front of a large screen, with a podium on the left. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Two men standing in a hallway, one wearing a blue sweater with red and white stripes, and the other wearing a blue jacket over a plaid shirt. They are positioned near a door and window. | DC Apartments by WC Smith

1989

WC Smith acquires the Twin Oaks apartments

1989

WCS Construction and the WCS Development team are established

1991

WC Smith acquires and begins the transformation of the Villages of Parklands. Parklands consists of 1300 units on 54 acres in southeast DC. In addition to renovating the apartments, the company builds the city’s first splash park, a daycare center, and upgrades the adjacent shopping strip.

1991

WC Smith forms District Electric Services, a subsidiary company

1991

The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) begins. SYEP provides work opportunities for youth living in WC Smith–managed buildings. For over 25 years, these salaried positions have provided over 1200 young people with opportunities to gain work experience while simultaneously participating in workshops on health and wellness, college counselling, life coaching, and community service.

1991

Debut of the World Wide Web

1991

Sharon Pratt Kelly is elected Mayor of DC

1993 – 1997

1993

WC Smith acquires the Dupont Apartments

1995

The company completes the renovation of the 353–unit Washington View Apartments, in southeast DC

1995

Marion Barry is elected Mayor

1997

THEARC development starts. WC Smith incorporates a 501(c)3 non–profit organization, Building Bridges Across the River(BBAR) to oversee the development and management of THEARC, The Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus. It took several years of fundraising before construction could begin.

1997

The MCI Center (now the Capital One Arena) opens at Gallery Place, sparking the revitalization of downtown DC

  • Exterior view of a large modern building with tall glass windows and a banner that reads "Gem." People walk along the sidewalk in front of the building. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Five-story brick and stone building with white decorative trim, featuring large windows and a small balcony above the entrance, surrounded by trees and neighboring structures. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A community swimming pool with blue and white umbrellas is surrounded by apartment buildings. There's a view of the city skyline in the background under a partly cloudy sky. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A group of people wearing hard hats stand in front of a building under construction, holding a banner that reads "Town Hall Education Arts & Recreation Campus. | DC Apartments by WC Smith

1998 – 2002

  • Ten-story office building with large glass windows, rectangular structure, and blue sky in the background. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Street view of a row of modern townhouses with a tree-lined sidewalk and a brown signpost in the foreground. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A grand, ornate building at night with festive lighting and Christmas trees adorning the facade. | DC Apartments by WC Smith

1998

WC Smith buys The TremontGrand in Baltimore. Previously the Grand Lodge of the Maryland Masonic Temple, WC Smith saved the building from a planned demolition and restored the historic building as a special event space.

1999

Anthony Williams is elected Mayor of DC

2002

The 210 Townhomes at Oxon Creek are completed. WC Smith created the first homeowner’s club in the area to assist prospective homebuyers with the process of qualifying for a mortgage and purchasing their first home. Prices ranged from $99,000 to $159,000.

2003 – 2007

2003

The company builds its first office building at 1100 New Jersey Ave SE. The following year the corporate office moves in.

2003

WC Smith forms the Canal Park Development Association to plan and develop Canal Park

2005

THEARC celebrates its grand opening with ten non–profit partners: the Washington Ballet, the Levine School of Music, the Corcoran School of Art, Covenant House, Children’s National Medical Center, the Parklands Community Center, the Boys and Girls’ Club, the Washington School for Girls, Building Bridges Across the River, and Trinity University

2005

The Montreal Expos are brought to DC to become the Washington Nationals

2005

WC Smith and 800 volunteers begin the first phase of the Oxon Park revitalization, cleaning the park, installing new playgrounds, repairing basketball courts and rebuilding the outdoor amphitheater

2007

Apple produces the first iPhone

2007

Adrian Fenty is elected Mayor of DC

  • Aerial view of a cityscape featuring a large curved building, surrounding smaller structures, and roads with vehicles. The U.S. Capitol is visible in the background under a clear sky. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Colorful water fountains illuminate a plaza in front of a modern building with a large cube structure on top, labeled "PARK(ing)". It's dusk, and the sky is clear. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Three men in suits and ties are having a conversation outdoors. One man is wearing a flat cap, and a group of people are visible in the background near a brick building. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A large group of people in green shirts are working outdoors on a circular construction project with equipment, surrounded by trees and a parked white van. | DC Apartments by WC Smith

2008 – 2012

  • Empty retail plaza with red brick facade, blue and red awnings, and vacant parking lot under a clear blue sky. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A paved walkway through a park with green grass, trees, and buildings in the background under a partly cloudy sky. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Group of people wearing hard hats and safety vests stand in front of a stadium under construction. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Four-story brick building with a sign reading "Sheridan Station" and multiple windows along the facade. Trees and a sidewalk line the street in front. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A baseball field surrounded by trees and greenery, with roads and buildings in the background. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Brick entrance sign reading "Asheford" in front of suburban homes with manicured lawns and clear blue sky. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A group of people wearing hard hats and suits participate in a groundbreaking ceremony, holding shovels and standing in front of construction equipment. | DC Apartments by WC Smith

2008

Nationals Park opens in the Capitol Riverfront

2008

WC Smith develops Asheford Court, 75 single–family homes

2008

WCS Development oversees the establishment of Ward 8’s newest street–level retail shopping plaza, The Shops at Park Village. The Shops includes a 65,000 SF full–service supermarket and a sit–down restaurant.

2010

 WC Smith renovates 3333 Wisconsin Avenue, a luxury, multi–family apartment complex

2011

 Phase I of Sheridan Station is complete. It is the first multifamily building in the city to receive LEED Platinum designation. The last phase was completed in 2015.

2011

The company rebuilds the baseball field at Oxon Park, initiating the second phase of Oxon Run revitalization

2011

Vincent Gray is elected Mayor of DC

2012

Canal Park opens, managed by a WC Smith non–profit subsidiary, Canal Park Development Association. The park includes a restaurant, skating rink, interactive fountains and an innovative stormwater management system.

2013 – 2018

2014

Fairway Park with 406 units, opens in northeast DC, a transformation of a formerly troubled apartment community

2014

The Skyland Workforce Center opens. The Center is a partnership of the Skyland Town Center development team and five nonprofits that provide employment services to the community. In its first two years of operations, the Center helped 200 people find employment.

2014

Skyland Town Center Groundbreaking WC Smith and partners break ground on the Skyland Town Center, an 18–acre mixed–use project in southeast DC

2014

Muriel Bowser elected Mayor of DC

2014

Park Chelsea at The Collective opens

2015

Sheridan Station is complete. WC Smith finishes work on all three phases of Sheridan Station, a 327–unit mixed–income community, made up of both rental and homeownership units

2016

WCS Mortgage closes its first $100 million loan

2017

WC Smith adopts Yardi, completing a major overhaul of the property management software.

2017

Archer Park opens 190 affordable apartments on Mississippi Ave SE

2018

The third building at THEARC opens.The new building provides an additional 93,000 SF and allows THEARC to expand to 15 partners.

2018

Agora at The Collective opens, the second phase of the amenity–rich trilogy of buildings

2018

WC Smith celebrates 50 years of building and managing communities in Washington DC

  • Entrance of a brick apartment building with a white door, black shutters, and a streetlamp on the right. Steps lead up to the door, flanked by black metal railings. Building number 900 is visible. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A group of people in hard hats participate in a groundbreaking ceremony at a construction site for Skyland Town Center, standing on sand while holding shovels. A backhoe is in the background. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • People cutting a red ribbon at a career center's entrance during an opening ceremony. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Person wearing a hard hat operating a yellow excavator near a building with "SMILE" on it. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A modern, multi-story brick building labeled "THEARC WEST" with large windows and a landscaped entrance. Two people walk along the path in the foreground. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Row of modern, four-story apartment buildings with brick and siding exteriors along a street lined with trees and parked cars on a sunny day. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Aerial view of a modern multi-story residential and commercial building next to a road with vehicles. The complex has green spaces and rooftop terraces. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Rooftop pool area with lounge chairs and wooden pergola. Blue sky with scattered clouds in the background. | DC Apartments by WC Smith

2019 and Beyond

  • Street view of a lively urban area with people walking, cars parked, bicycles, trees, and multi-story brick buildings featuring shops and cafes under a clear blue sky. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Modern multi-story residential building with glass facade and ground-floor shops, situated on a street corner under a blue sky. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • A modern, multi-story apartment building on a city corner with glass and concrete facade, adjacent to streets with cars, pedestrians, and bicycles, under a partly cloudy sky. | DC Apartments by WC Smith
  • Three-story brick apartment building with multiple entrances. Cars are parked along the street in front. Small trees and shrubs are in the lawn area. | DC Apartments by WC Smith

2019

City View opens, with 58 affordable units near Sheridan Station and Washington View

2020

Avec on H opens, with 419 units and 44,000 sf of retail space.

2020

The last building at the Collective, the Garrett, opens, bringing the total number of units to 1138 and the total amenity space to 105,000 SF.

2021

250 M Street, the new headquarters of the DC Department of Transportation, opens in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood.

2021

The Petworth Station renovation is completed, preserving 78 and adding 10 new affordable units near the Petworth Metro Station

2021

The Crest, first phase of the Skyland Town Center, opens. Located at the intersection of Good Hope Rd, Alabama Ave and Naylor Rd SE, the Crest features 263 apartments and 84,000 SF of retail.