 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007) |
| Anacostia Historic District | |
|---|---|
| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. Historic District | |
  |
|
| Location: | Roughly bounded by Good Hope Rd., 16th St., Mapleview, Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates: | 38°51′53″N 76°59′8″W / 38.86472°N 76.98556°W |
| Built/Founded: | 1854 |
| Architectural style(s): | Italianate, Cottage style |
| Governing body: | Local |
| Added to NRHP: | October 11, 1978 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 78003050[1] |
Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Its historic downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It is the most famous neighborhood in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, located east of the Anacostia River, which the area is named after. Like the other quadrants of Washington, D.C., southeast encompasses a large number of named neighborhoods, of which Anacostia is the most well known. It includes part or all of an Anacostia Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[1] Often the name Anacostia is used to refer to the entire portion of the city that is southeast of the Anacostia River, and not just the small core area shown on red on this map.
Contents |
History
The name "Anacostia" comes from the name of a Nacochtank Native Americans settlement along the Anacostia River.[2] Captain John Smith explored the area in 1608, and met Anacostans while traveling up the "Eastern Branch" or Anacostia River.[3]
The core of what is now the Anacostia historic district was incorporated in 1854 as Uniontown and was one of the first suburbs in the District of Columbia. It was designed to be financially available to Washington's working class, many of whom were employed across the river at the Navy Yard; its (then) location outside of and isolated from the city made its real estate inexpensive. The initial subdivision of 1854 carried restrictive covenants prohibiting the sale, rental or lease of property to anyone of African or Irish descent. Abolitionist Frederick Douglass, often called "the sage of Anacostia," bought Cedar Hill, the estate belonging to the developer of Uniontown, in 1877 and lived there until he died in 1895. The home is still maintained as a historical site in Anacostia.
During the Civil War, Anacostia was protected by a series of forts upon the hills southwest of the city. Following the conclusion of the war, the forts were dismantled and the land returned to its original owners.
Anacostia, always part of the District of Columbia, became a part of the city of Washington when the city and District became conterminous in 1878.
Anacostia's population remained predominantly White up until the 1950s, with Whites comprising 87% of the population. During the 1950s, the Anacostia Freeway (I-295) was constructed. The highway imposed a barrier between the Anacostia neighborhood and the Anacostia River waterfront. Numerous public housing apartment complexes were also built in the neighborhood. With the flight of much of the middle class out of the neighborhood during the 1950s with the opportunity to move to newer housing in postwar suburbs, Anacostia's demographics changed dramatically as the neighborhood became predominantly African American. Later events with the rise of drugs and poverty adversely affected the area.
Shopping, dining, and entertainment facilities throughout greater Anacostia are limited, as development slowed with a decrease in income in the area. Residents often must travel to either the suburbs or downtown Washington for these services. Anacostia, however, does have a year-round ice skating rink at Fort Dupont Park; the city police boys' club; and a "tennis and learning center", combining sports with academic tutoring in Congress Heights.
In 2005 Trinity Washington University opened its 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m2) Town Hall Education Arts & Recreation Campus (THEARC), which includes a Covenant House. Free summer evening jazz concerts are also given weekly in Fort Dupont Park. The annual Martin Luther King Birthday Parade is a notable annual event along the Avenue bearing Dr. King's name. Starting in 2006 the annual parade date was changed from January to April. (Also see the separate article on Congress Heights). In January 2007 a new large supermarket opened to serve the neighborhood.
Demographics
As of the 2000 Census, Anacostia's population is 92% African-American, 5% Non-Hispanic White, and 3% other.
Landmarks
The Anacostia National Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The historic district retains much of its mid-to-late 19th-century low-scale, working-class character, as is evident in its architecture.
In 1959, an Anacostia landmark, the "World's Largest Chair", was installed at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and V Street, SE. The chair was built by Bassett Furniture. In the summer of 2005, the Big Chair – as it is known – was removed for repairs, then returned in April 2006.[citation needed]
Industry
Notable facilities in the area include Bolling Air Force Base, Naval Support Facility Anacostia, and the Washington Navy Yard.
Tourism
Founded in 2000, the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative plans to revitalize a 45-acre (180,000 m2) piece of the Anacostia River waterfront to promote community and appreciation of one of the District of Columbia's greatest natural resources.
Plans include numerous parks restored of their natural wetlands and forests, canoe tie-ups, a playground, a four-acre 9/11 Memorial Grove, and an Environmental Education Center. The Center will engage visitors in learning about the history and use of the Anacostia River through a 9,000-square-foot (840 m2), two story complex topped by a green roof/nursery center with classrooms, labs and a multipurpose area beneath.[1] Studios Architecture was chosen to be the Architect of the project, while the administrating agency will be the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation. [2]
Public health and safety
Saint Elizabeth's psychiatric hospital (more than 100 years old), and Greater Southeast Community Hospital.
Crime
High crime rates, associated with drug trade, reached a peak in the 1990s. In 2005, 62 of Washington, D.C.'s 195 homicides occurred in the 7th District of the Metropolitan Police Department, which also includes the neighborhoods of Barry Farm, Naylor Gardens, and Washington Highlands. This figure is down from the 7th District's peak of 133 homicides in 1993.[4]
Athletics
The Washington Nationals professional baseball stadium is located on the North side of the Anacostia River in southeast Washington.
Education
District of Columbia Public Schools operates public schools. Anacostia High School serves Anacostia.[5] Ballou High School is in southern Anacostia. The area has a number of middle and elementary schools.
Culture
- The Anacostia Museum, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution, was established in 1967 by S. Dillon Ripley, then-Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
- The Honfleur Gallery, located near the corner of Martin Luther King Ave and Good Hope Road is a gallery showcasing nationally-known works alongside that of local artists. It also hosts a bi-monthly poetry series called Intersections, sponsored by the American Poetry Museum.
- District of Columbia Public Library operates the Anacostia Interim Library.[6]
- The home of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, known as the "Lion of Anacostia", sits atop a hill overlooking the Anacostia neighborhood on W Street SE
Transportation
The neighborhood, served by the Anacostia Metro station, is a ten minute ride on Washington Metro's Green Line from downtown Washington; other metro stations on the Green and Orange lines serve other parts of Greater Anacostia.
See also
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anacostia |
Notes
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://www.nr.nps.gov/.
- ^ Humphrey, Robert L., Mary Elizabeth Chambers (1977). Ancient Washington: American Indian Cultures of the Potomac Valley. George Washington University.
- ^ McAtee, Waldo Lee (1918). A Sketch of the Natural History of the District of Columbia. H.L. & J.B. McQueen.
- ^ Metropolitan Police Department - Crime Statistics
- ^ "Attendance Zones for Neighborhood High Schools." District of Columbia Public Library. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
- ^ "Hours & Locations." District of Columbia Public Library. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2008-04-15. http://www.nr.nps.gov/.
- ^ Humphrey, Robert L., Mary Elizabeth Chambers (1977). Ancient Washington: American Indian Cultures of the Potomac Valley. George Washington University.
- ^ McAtee, Waldo Lee (1918). A Sketch of the Natural History of the District of Columbia. H.L. & J.B. McQueen.
- ^ Metropolitan Police Department - Crime Statistics
- ^ "Attendance Zones for Neighborhood High Schools." District of Columbia Public Library. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
- ^ "Hours & Locations." District of Columbia Public Library. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
- Williams, Brett (June 2001). "A River Runs through Us". American Anthropologist 103(2): 409-431. http://www.anthrosource.net/doi/abs/10.1525/aa.2001.103.2.409.
- Burr, Charles (1920). "A Brief History of Anacostia, its Name, Origin and Progress". Records of the Columbia Historical Society 23: 167-179. http://books.google.com/books?id=WFW1gSS0MhAC.
External links
- Anacostia Historic District
- And Now, Anacostia
- Honfleur Gallery
- Anacostia Watershed Society
- Washington, D.C./Anacostia travel guide from Wikitravel
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||
Coordinates: 38°51′56″N 76°59′22″W / 38.865673°N 76.989393°W
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
