Capitol Hill Books

Capitol Hill Books is a used bookstore located on historic Capitol Hill in Washington DC, with three floors of quality used books, first editions and rare books.

In the summer of 2018, a group of long-term employees purchased the store from Jim Toole. More information about the transition can be read here.

We are located directly across from Eastern Market, two blocks from the Eastern Market metro stop and just a short walking distance from the United States Capitol, The Library of Congress, and The Supreme Court. Please click here for Driving Directions to our store.

If you are searching for a particular book, please stop by the store, and we'll help you find it. We have a small staff, a constantly changing inventory and a shop that's sometimes bustling with bibliophiles, so thank you for understanding we are not always able to assist with book searches via email or phone.

We have many, many more books in the store than are listed on our website. To get a real taste of everything we have to offer, we recommend that you come in for a visit. We have fiction books in the Fiction Room, mystery books in the Mystery Room, foreign language books in the bathroom, cookbooks in the kitchen on the kitchen sink, business books in the Business Closet, and a Weird Section for those who like witches, dreams, and things that go bump in the night. We also have books on history, philosophy, travel, Washington DC, theology, psychology, politics (of course), art and more.

History

The store was founded by Bill Kerr who had worked at an earlier Capitol Hill bookstore, Wayward Books. He would take his pay in books and when Wayward closed up and moved to Maine, Bill opened Capitol Hill Books in 1991. He lived upstairs and worked downstairs in the store, while also holding down a job at The Washington Post. He died at age 58 from a heart attack in November 1994 and his sister sold the bookstore to, Jim Toole in February 1995.