Gavel to come down on iconic U Street building with RBG mural

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: WTOP

Gavel to come down on iconic U Street building with RBG mural

Heather Gustafson | [e-mail]
December 5, 2025, 4:51 PM

The U Street landmark widely known as “the RBG building” is headed to auction next week, raising questions about the future of the beloved mural of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Standing three stories tall, the mural depicts Ginsburg in her judicial robe with her hands open as a flock of birds flies above her. It’s an image that has become a staple of D.C.’s public art scene, even being an included stop on city tours.


RBG mural
The mural of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the side of 1508 U Street NW. (Click to expand)

“People know the building because it is the RBG building,” said owner lisa wise, who commissioned the artwork in 2019, one year before the justice’s death.

The building’s owner said she knew instantly what she wanted the mural to be. ... “When we drove up and I saw the wall, I just thought that needs to be a mural of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and I would like her to be releasing a flock of birds.”

{snip}

Heather Gustafson
Heather Gustafson is a Freelance Anchor/Reporter for WTOP, a DMV native and an Emmy award-winning journalist lauded for her 2020 Black Lives Matter protests coverage.
[e-mail]

Read more: https://wtop.com/dc/2025/12/gavel-to-come-down-on-iconic-u-street-building-with-rbg-mural/

[J_William_Ryan]

1. "the RBG building"

To be purchased by someone on the fascist right and torn down.

[pimpbot]

2. what a terrible headline

Couldnt they just say "Building with RBG mural to be sold at auction"? To me the current headline makes it sound like the mural is coming down.