D.C. officially recognizes ‘Exorcist Steps’

In Georgetown, hundreds of city residents and officials gathered Friday at the bottom of the staircase for a ceremony where the District of Columbia officially recognized the “Exorcist Steps” as something locals and movie buffs have already known it to be: a tourist attraction.

“It is important that all the tourists know what exactly what these steps mean to D.C. history,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, adding “they are indeed an icon in our town.”

With the unveiling of a plaque that reads “The Exorcist Steps,” Bowser touted the city as an up-and-coming “film town,” which she said would create “good-paying middle class jobs.”

Also at the event were William Peter Blatty, who wrote the book The Exorcist and the screenplay for the film, and film director William Friedken.

“Academy Award winners are the plague of the earth, I mean they teem, there are so many,” said Blatty. “How many have a staircase in prime real estate named after them?”

Described as “a precipitous plunge of old stone steps fell away to M Street far below” in the book, the “Exorcist Steps” is situated in Georgetown at Prospect Street NW and 36th Street NW. Blatty attended school at nearby Georgetown University.

The staircase is notable in the 1973 film for a scene, which takes place in Georgetown, where a priest attempts to remove an evil spirit from a young girl, Regan MacNeil. “Take me!” the priests yells as he wrestles with the possessed girl. Answering his call, the demon leaves the child and enters the body of the priest, whose eyes turn a pale yellow. In a final attempt to defeat the demon, the priest throws himself out the window onto the staircase below, where he tumbles to his death.

A film enthusiast and D.C. local, Andrew Huff, started the movement to officially commemorate the staircase.

The movie garnered 10 Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture. It won the awards for best adapted screenplay and best sound mixing.