Anacostia Historic District

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Anacostia Historic District
Washington, District of Columbia
Area83 acres (34 ha)
Built1854
Architectural styleItalianate, Cottage style
NRHP reference No.78003050[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 11, 1978
Designated DCIHSNovember 27, 1973

The Anacostia Historic District is a

historic district in the city of Washington, D.C., comprising approximately 20 squares[2][3] and about 550 buildings built between 1854 and 1930.[4][5][6] The Anacostia Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[2][3][6] "The architectural character of the Anacostia area is unique in Washington. Nowhere else in the District of Columbia does there exist such a collection of late-19th and early-20th century small-scale frame and brick working-class housing."[6]

The historic district is roughly bounded by:[2][6][7][8]

  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue
    SE between Marion Barry Ave SE and Morris Road SE;
  • Marion Barry Ave SE from Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE to Fendall Street SE;
  • Fendall Street SE from Marion Barry Ave SE to V Street SE;
  • V Street SE between Fendall Street SE and 15th Street SE;
  • 15th Street SE from V Street SE, along the eastern and southern sides of the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site to High Street SE;
  • High Street SE from 14th Street SE to Maple View Place SE; and
  • Maple View Place SE between High Street SE and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE.

Buildings within the Anacostia Historic District are generally two-story brick and wood-frame structures. The houses are primarily wood-frame construction, mostly in the Italianate, Cottage, and Washington Row House architectural styles (although there are some homes in the Queen Anne style).[2][6] Cottage-style buildings tend to have been built earlier, with Italianate structures more popular after 1870.[6] Queen Anne–style homes tend to be clustered in Griswold's subdivision.[6][9] Many of the homes feature large lawns and wrap-around porches.[5][6]

History of the district

Looking north on Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE (formerly Piscataway Road and Nicholls Avenue SE) in the Anacostia Historic District.

The

Piscataway tribes.[12][14][15]

European settlement first occurred in the area in 1662 at

Skyland sometime in the 18th century.[12]

The area became part of the District of Columbia in 1791. Congress passed the Residence Act of 1790 to establish a federally-owned district in which would be built the new national capital, and

Georgetown merchant who later was a party in the landmark Marbury v. Madison Supreme Court case, purchased much of the land that is now the Anacostia Historic District some time in the late 18th century or early 19th century.[12]

The first permanent modern settlement of size in the Anacostia Historic District came in 1820. The growth of the

Good Hope).[7][12][21] Businesses began to construct buildings along Upper Marlborough Road (called Good Hope Road SE today) toward the village of Good Hope, forming the Anacostia Business District. In the late 1820s or early 1830s, Marbury sold his land to Enoch Tucker, who rented out part of the land to tenant farmers and built his home near the intersection of Upper Marlborough Road and Piscataway Road (now Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE).[12] A post office was established in the area and named Good Hope Station.[15][21] In 1849, the post office's name was changed to Anacostia.[15]

Uniontown

Developers John Dobler, John Fox, and John W. Van Hook purchased the 240-acre (97.2-hectare) area known as Anacostia from Enoch Tucker on June 5, 1854, for $19,000 and immediately subdivided the property into lots for houses.

African descent, Mulattoes, or Irish.[2][24] The main street in the 17-block subdivision (bordered by Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE, Good Hope Road SE, 16th Street SE, and W Street SE) was 14th Street SE, which had a central market and a 40-foot (12.2 meter) wide boulevard running down the center of it.[6]

The first house erected in the new subdivision was a two-story brick building on Harrison Street (on the southwest corner of Harrison and Monroe Streets), and next to it on Monroe Street (on the site of the former Enoch Tucker farmhouse) rose a brick structure which held George F. Pyle's grocery store.[12] In 1855, Van Hook himself built "Cedar Hill", a lavish mansion on Jefferson Street near the Fox Mansion.[6][23] Dr. Arthur Christie, a wealthy Englishman, purchased 50 acres (20.25 hectares) of land on the north side of Harrison Street and named his estate Fairlawn.[12] Lewin Talburtt built a spectacular 21-room mansion, "Mont View," on what is now Mount View Place SE; his son, George Washington Talburtt, lived there for many years (although it is an apocryphal story that John Howard Payne composed the song Home! Sweet Home! there).[12][26] The first church in the area, the Episcopalian "Ryan's Chapel," opened in 1862.[16]

Uniontown in 1865, showing Fort Stanton, Barry Farm, and St. Elizabeths Lunatic Asylum.

Van Hook had hoped to attract Navy Yard workers to buy and build in the Uniontown development.[6][22] But although most of the lots had sold by 1860, the Panic of 1857 and the Civil War hindered building and few houses were constructed.[12][22][23] The Civil War itself brought many changes to the area encompassed by the Anacostia Historic District. After the First Battle of Bull Run, Northern military leaders realized Washington, D.C., was relatively undefended and quickly began building a ring of forts around the city. The first of these forts was Fort Stanton, which began construction in September 1861, was completed on October 22, and fully armed and staffed by December 25.[27] Fort Stanton was built on "Garfield Heights" (now Fort Stanton Park), and a military road (now Morris Road SE, Erie Street SE, Fort Place SE, Bruce Place SE, and Ainger Place SE) constructed from Monroe Street to provide better access to the river and Navy Yard Bridge (11th Street Bridges) and to link Fort Stanton with its subsidiary batteries, Fort Ricketts and Fort Snyder, and nearby Fort Wagner (now the site of Stanton Elementary School).[27] The area was officially named Uniontown in 1865, but there was so much confusion between the village and Uniontown, Pennsylvania, that the name of the area reverted to Anacostia on April 22, 1866.[15] Fort Stanton closed in April 1866,[28] and the land it occupied was turned back over to private ownership. The structures of the fort itself remained, falling into decay.

The Union Land Association went bankrupt in the

African American.[6]

Later development

Delaware Baptist Church, 13th and V Streets

Several new subdivisions were built in the late 19th century, expanding the Anacostia Historic District. Among these were Griswold's (1881), Green's (1881, carved from the former George Barber farm), Griswold's II (1886), Avalon (1887), Avalon Terrace (1889), Anacostia Addition (1890, created from the Otterback farm), Bryan Place (1892, part of the former Talburtt estate), and Griswold's III (1894).[3][30] These subdivisions retained the architectural styles of the original Uniontown development and are considered extensions of it.[3][6]

The area also saw some civic improvements. Horse-drawn

Barry Farm).[16][37][38] Businessman Arthur Randle purchased the John Jay Knox farm south of St. Elizabeths Asylum and established the new subdivision of Congress Heights in 1890.[30] He purchased undeveloped land south of Pennsylvania Avenue SE and created another new subdivision, Randle Highlands[30][39] Uniontown/Anacostia, Barry Farm, Congress Heights, and Randle Highlands remained isolated from one another, and most of the land between them was undeveloped until World War II.[23] The oppressive need for housing during the war, brought by a massive influx of federal workers to the capital, led to extensive development of the region and the linking of the area encompassed by the Anacostia Historic District with other parts of Southeast D.C.[23] Only 16 percent of the homes in Southeast Washington below Pennsylvania Avenue SE were built before 1940, but 38 percent were built after 1950.[15]

crack epidemic in Washington in the 1980s, the Anacostia neighborhood became synonymous with crime and violence and had one of the highest crime rates in the District of Columbia (albeit not in all crimes)—leading to further deterioration in the condition of the buildings in the area.[38][41]

Recent actions regarding the district

The southern part of the

Anacostia Station at this intersection led to concerns that the Metro station would destroy the character of historic Anacostia, and after pressure from the federal government Metro moved the site of the station to Howard Road SE.[42]

The Anacostia Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. After the 1990 census required the District government to

Ward 7 and Ward 8. This proposal was defeated.[46]

Efforts have been made to improve the physical and economic conditions in the Historic District. The area's designation as a historic district has been used to prevent the McDonald's corporation from moving into the area,[47] the relocation of a homeless shelter to the area,[48] and the construction of moderate-income rowhouses.[49] In 1992, the city began replacing concrete sidewalks in the Anacostia Historic District with red brick to restore the sidewalks to their original condition.[50] In 2002, the city adopted the Historic Housing Tax Credit Act of 2002, which allowed homeowners in the historic district to claim a tax credit of 50 percent of the cost of renovating their home (up to a limit of $25,000 over five years).[51] Five years later, the D.C. Historic Preservation Office provided $300,000 in $35,000 individual grants to Anacostia residents to help them restore, renovate, and rehabilitate their homes.[52] In 2008, the city increased the budget for the grant program to $900,000.[53]

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Anacostia Historic District." National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior. No date. Accessed 2009-12-26.
  3. ^ a b c d e "A New Historic District." Washington Post. March 5, 1978.
  4. ^ Donovan, Carrie. "9 Sites On List Of Places In Peril." Washington Post. June 16, 2005.
  5. ^ a b Wheeler, Linda. "Anacostia Hopes Lifeline Is Colored Green." Washington Post. December 24, 1991.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "Anacostia Historic District - National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form." National Park Service. United States Department of the Interior. October 10, 1978.
  7. ^ a b Anacostia Historic District. D.C. Historic Preservation Office. Office of Planning, District of Columbia. Washington, D.C.: March 2007. Archived 2010-01-08 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 2009-12-26.
  8. ^ "Boundaries: Anacostia Historic District." Washington Post. November 29, 2003.
  9. ^ Griswold's subdivision, built in three stages between 1881 and 1894, is bounded by Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE, W Street SE, Fort Stanton Park, Hunter Place SE, Howard Road SE, Talbert Terrace SE, and Talbert Street SE. See: Gilmore, and Harrison, "A Catalog of Suburban Subdivisions of the District of Columbia, 1854-1902," Washington History, Fall/Winter 2002/2003.
  10. ^ Humphrey, Robert L. and Chambers, Mary Elizabeth. "Ancient Washington: American Indian Cultures of the Potomac Valley." G.W. Studies. 1977.
  11. ^
    ISBN 0-8139-2644-0
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Burr, Charles R. "A Brief History of Anacostia, Its Name, Origin, and Progress." Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 1920.
  13. ^ There is some evidence that Smith was not the first European to visit the area. A Spanish vessel may have brought European explorers to the Anacostia River around 1550. See: Bryan, A History of the National Capital..., 1914, p. 47.
  14. ^ Williams, Brett. "A River Runs Through Us." American Anthropologist. 103:2 (June 2001).
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Cantwell, Thomas J. "Anacostia: Strength in Adversity." Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 1973/1974.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h Bryan, Wilhelmus Bogart. A History of the National Capital from Its Foundation Through the Period of the Adoption of the Organic Act. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1914.
  17. ^ Crew, Harvey W.; Webb, William Bensing; and Wooldridge, John. Centennial History of the City of Washington, D.C. Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing House, 1892.
  18. ISBN 0-674-00902-9
  19. Evening Star
    . July 7, 1907.
  20. ^ Kober, George M. "The Health of the City of Washington." Charities and the Commons. March 3, 1906.
  21. ^
    ISBN 1-58549-154-3
  22. ^
    ISBN 0-8122-1958-9
  23. ^
    ISBN 0-8108-4094-4
  24. ^
    ISBN 1-933102-70-5
  25. ISBN 1-4262-0225-3
  26. ^ a b Senkevitch, Anatole. Old Anacostia, Washington, D.C.: A Study of Community Preservation Resources. School of Architecture, University of Maryland. 1975.
  27. ^
    ISBN 0-8108-6067-8
  28. Army and Navy Journal
    , March 24, 1866.
  29. ISBN 0-393-31376-X
  30. ^ a b c Gilmore, Matthew B. and Harrison, Michael R. "A Catalog of Suburban Subdivisions of the District of Columbia, 1854-1902." Washington History. 14:2 (Fall/Winter 2002/2003).
  31. ISBN 0-8018-8328-8
  32. ^ "Corner-Stone to be Laid." Washington Post. April 28, 1879.
  33. ^ "'Emanuel' Church." Washington Post. December 8, 1878; "Laid By Bishop Paret." Washington Post. October 8, 1891; "Church of Emanuel." Washington Post. August 29, 1903.
  34. ^ "Changes in Street Names." Washington Post. June 7, 1908.
  35. ^ "Lays Church Cornerstone." Washington Post. October 4, 1920; "Fort Sites Eyed for Future Use." Washington Post. October 2, 1964.
  36. ^ Record Group 328, Records of the National Park Service, National Archives, General Records, Planting Files, 1924-67, 545-100, Fort Drive, #2, T.C. Jeffers, Landscape Architect, "THE FORT DRIVE, A Chronological History of the More Important Actions and Events Relating Thereto," February 7, 1947.
  37. ISBN 0-8232-1988-7
    ; Bentley, George R. A History of the Freedmen's Bureau. Philadelphia, Pa.: University of Pennsylvania, 1955.
  38. ^
    ISBN 0-7618-2857-5
  39. ^ Randle Highlands is bordered by Minnesota Avenue SE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE on the north, Naylor Road SE on the southwest, and Fort Dupont Park on the south.
  40. ^ Little rioting had occurred in Anacostia. There were isolated reports of looting and rock-throwing, and two stores burned—relatively minor incidents compared to the tens of city blocks burned and hundreds of stores looted in the rest of the city. See: Asher, Robert L. and Weil, Martin. "City's Diary of Violence Goes On Without Letup." Washington Post. April 7, 1968.
  41. ISBN 1-59359-868-8; Labbé-DeBose, Theola. "Homicide Increases East of Anacostia."
    Washington Post. March 2, 2009.
  42. ^ a b Sisler, Peter F. "Decades of Frustrating Debate Kept Green Line Sidetracked." Washington Times. December 27, 1991.
  43. ^ Burgess, John. "Metro to Halt Start of Leg To Rosecroft." Washington Post. March 18, 1982.
  44. ^ Feaver, Douglas. "Metro Choices Detailed." Washington Post. October 18, 1977.
  45. ^ Vesey, Tom. "Green Line War Heats Up Again." Washington Post. June 23, 1982.
  46. ^ Sanchez, Rene. "Old Anacostia Neighborhood Savors an Unexpected Taste of Political Power." Washington Post. June 6, 1991.
  47. ^ Mansfield, Virginia. "City Slow to Regulate Fast Food Restaurants." Washington Post. March 21, 1985.
  48. ^ Bruske, Ed. "Moving of Homeless to Anacostia Protested." Washington Post. October 1, 1985.
  49. ^ Armstrong, Janice. "Town House Project Opposed." Washington Post. March 29, 1990.
  50. ^ Henderson, Nell. "Face Lift Begins in Southeast." Washington Post. October 29, 1992.
  51. ^ "D.C. Gives Credit to Owners of Historic Homes." Washington Post. April 7, 2002.
  52. ^ Johnson, Jenna. "In Anacostia, Giving New Life to Worn Historic Area." Washington Post. July 5, 2007.
  53. ^ Plumb, Tierney. "Anacostia Historic District Gets $900,000 in Grants." Washington Business Journal. April 15, 2008.

External links

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