Anna J. Cooper Circle
Anna J. Cooper Circle | |
---|---|
DDOT |
Anna J. Cooper Circle is a
History
The LeDroit Park neighborhood south of Howard University was one of the first planned subdivisions in the Washington, D.C. area, when it was developed in 1873 by Amzi L. Barber and his brother-in-law Andrew Langdon. The neighborhood, named after Barber's father-in-law, LeDroit Langdon, was initially segregated and featured dozens of homes designed by architect James H. McGill.[1]
The layout of the neighborhood included a
Up until the early 1980s the traffic circle, which was located near Cooper's former house, was known as Reservation 311. The local Advisory Neighborhood Commission asked DC Councilmember David A. Clarke to sponsor legislation that would rename the circle in honor of Cooper. The DC Council approved the bill in December 1982 and the renaming came into effect the following year. The interior of the traffic circle was later restored and landscaped at a cost of $90,000, providing a small park area.[4][5] The traffic circle is the only one in Washington, D.C., that is named in honor of a woman.[5]
The traffic circle's park, which The Washington Post described as a "pocket of escape" and authors John J. Protopappas and Judith Meany described as the "spiritual heart of the LeDroit Park community," features a sign by Cultural Tourism DC which gives people walking the LeDroit Park/Bloomingdale Heritage Trail information on Cooper's life story.[6][2] The traffic circle also serves as a focal point for the LeDroit Park Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[1][7]
See also
- Geography of Washington, D.C.
- List of circles in Washington, D.C.
References
- ^ a b c Ganschinietz, Suzanne (December 11, 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form - LeDroit Park Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ ISBN 9781588343208.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ISBN 0-8078-2463-1
- ^ Eisen, Jack (January 8, 1983). "LeDroit Park Landmark". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ a b Erickson, Andrew (November 2019). "Monumental Change". American University Magazine. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ Ables, Kelsey (August 26, 2021). "Driver's nightmare or urban oasis? Discover D.C.'s traffic circles — from the bustling to the bucolic". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
- ^ "LeDroit Park Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved March 18, 2022.