Skip to main content

This DC landmark was inspiration behind the name of the Watergate Hotel

[connatix_element_embed script_id=e8c022cfce4340248754568ff281cbc8 player_id=7bc491b4-922b-4e8d-b1b1-150648e80442 video_id=3c242071-c59e-4f49-95fd-c900f6d873a2 align=right]

When you hear the word “Watergate,” the first thing that likely pops into your head is the infamous scandal that brought down President Richard Nixon in 1974. But have you ever wondered how the name “Watergate” came to be?

In 2025’s first episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax wades into D.C.’s canal system to explore the fascinating backstory behind the actual Water Gate that inspired the hotel’s name.

Check out Matt’s video about this humble wooden structure and its place in D.C. history.

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

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

Check out all “Matt About Town” episodes here.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Step into a vault of rare texts from Shakespeare and beyond at DC’s Folger Library

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. If you venture through a maze of hallways, past layers of tight security, and cross the threshold of what looks like an old-fashioned bank safe door, you'll arrive at one of the rarest collections of books not just in the nation's capital — but in the entire known universe.
Read Next Story