Hill Center in Southeast Recognized as One City Location of the Month

Sunday, July 1, 2012

The D.C. Office of Motion Picture and Television Development is pleased to recognize Hill Center in Southeast as the July 2012 One City Location of the Month. Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital boasts 2,500 sq. ft. of meeting and event space located in the heart of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.  Beautifully restored architecture and exquisitely landscaped gardens combine distinct historic details with modern amenities for a unique filming experience.

Hill Center occupies a building originally commissioned in 1864 by President Lincoln as Washington, D.C.’s first Naval hospital. Located on Pennsylvania Ave, just blocks from the Capitol, the landmark building has since served as a medical training school, an old soldiers’ home, and more recently as a center for D.C. social services. Nearly 150 years later, the building has been transformed into a vibrant, campus-like hub for cultural enrichment, lifelong learning, and civic engagement.

The facility went through a major, historic renovation over eighteen months and at cost of more than $11 million to bring the structure back to its original appearance, adorned in its original colors and surrounded by its monumental wrought-iron fence. This new building also incorporates many 21st century upgrades, such as a fully ADA-accessible design and a green footprint, with its heating and cooling system supported by 32 geothermal wells.

Today Hill Center offers a wide range of learning opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds. The 11 program rooms—including a fully outfitted demonstration kitchen, computer labs, and activity and meeting rooms—host classes that range from cooking to yoga, from art to early childhood development programs. It also features six gallery spaces for exhibition and sales of contemporary artwork and has an active volunteer docent program to honor the Old Naval Hospital’s proud history. Other rooms in the facility serve in a number of capacities from receptions and weddings to workshops and recitals. The property's historic carriage house soon will be reborn as a family-friendly café.

Hill Center presents an active calendar of special events, including musical performances, television sneak previews, film showings, book readings, and lectures—all supported by state-of-the-art video, audio, and lighting technology. Hill Center most recently hosted a screening for the award winning documentary “The Contradictions of Fair Hope” produced by S. Epatha Merkerson and narrated by Whoopi Goldberg.

In 2011, the D.C. Film Office launched its One City Location of the Month to bring attention to the wide range of varied, cinematically compelling locations that are available to film and television productions. Former One City Location of the Month recipients include, the Howard Theatre in Northwest, Gallaudet University in Northeast, the Bellevue neighborhood in Southwest, and the Anacostia Library in Southeast.

To learn more about Hill Center and to view photos please visit the One City Location of the Month feature on our web site. If you are interested in using Hill Center for a future filming location, please contact us at [email protected].