Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle | |
---|---|
Neighborhood of Washington, D.C. | |
Clockwise from the top: Northwest | |
Ward | 2 |
Government | |
• Councilmember | Brooke Pinto |
Dupont Circle Historic District | |
Location | Roughly bounded by Rhode Island Avenue, NW; M and N Sts., NW, on the south; Florida Avenue, NW, on the west; Swann St., NW, on the north; and the 16th Street Historic District on the east[1] |
---|---|
Coordinates | 38°54′34.7″N 77°02′36.4″W / 38.909639°N 77.043444°W |
Area | 170 acres (69 ha) |
Architect | Mead McKim & White; Carrere & Hastings |
Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Queen Anne, Romanesque |
NRHP reference No. | 78003056 (original) 85000238 (increase 1) 05000539 (increase 2) |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | July 21, 1978 |
Boundary increases | February 6, 1985 June 10, 2005 |
Dupont Circle (or DuPont Circle) is a historic
The traffic circle is located at the intersection of
The neighborhood is known for its high concentration of
History
Dupont Circle is located in the "Old City" of Washington, D.C., the area planned by architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant that remained largely undeveloped until after the American Civil War, when there was a large influx of new residents. The area that now constitutes Dupont Circle was once home to a brickyard and slaughterhouse.[2][3] There also was a creek, Slash Run, that began near 15th Street NW and Columbia Road NW, ran from 16th Street near Adams Morgan, through Kalorama and within a block of Dupont Circle, but the creek has since been enclosed in a sewer line.[4][5] Improvements made in the 1870s by a board of public works headed by Alexander "Boss" Shepherd transformed the area into a fashionable residential neighborhood.[6][7]
In 1871, the
In 1876, the second house located directly in Dupont Circle was built by a wealthy merchant by the name of William M. Galt.[11]
During the 1870s and 1880s, mansions were built along Massachusetts Avenue, one of Washington's grand avenues, and townhouses were built throughout the neighborhood. In 1872, the British built a new embassy on Connecticut Avenue, at N Street NW.[12] Stewart's Castle was built in 1873 on the north side of the circle, the James G. Blaine Mansion was built on the west side in 1882, and the Leiter House was built on the north side in 1893. By the 1920s, Connecticut Avenue was more commercial in character, with numerous shops. Some residences, including Senator Philetus Sawyer's mansion at Connecticut and R Street, were demolished to make way for office buildings and shops.[13] The Patterson House, at 15 Dupont Circle, served as a temporary residence for President Calvin Coolidge while the actual White House was being repaired in 1927.[5] In 1933, the National Park Service took over administering the circle, and added sandboxes for children, though these were removed a few years later.[14]
Connecticut Avenue was widened in the late 1920s, and increased traffic in the neighborhood caused a great deal of congestion in the circle, making it difficult for pedestrians to get around. Medians were installed in 1948, in the circle, to separate the through traffic on Massachusetts Avenue from the local traffic, and traffic signals were added.
The neighborhood declined after World War II and particularly after the
Gentrification accelerated in the 1980s and 1990s, and the area is now a more mainstream and trendy location with coffeehouses, restaurants, bars, fast casual food, and upscale retail stores. Since 1997, a weekly farmers market has operated on 20th Street NW.[20]
Architecture
The area's
One such grand residence is the marble and limestone
Strivers' Section
Today's Dupont Circle includes the
The area, which was once considered an overlap of the Dupont Circle and
Landmarks
Traffic circle
The neighborhood is centered around the traffic circle, which is divided between two counterclockwise roads. The outer road serves all the intersecting streets, while access to the inner road is limited to through traffic on Massachusetts Avenue. Connecticut Avenue passes under the circle via a tunnel; vehicles on Connecticut Avenue can access the circle via service roads that branch from Connecticut near N Street and R Street.
The park within the circle is maintained by the National Park Service. The central fountain designed by Daniel Chester French provides seating, and long, curved benches around the central area were installed in 1964.[14] The park within the circle is a gathering place for those wishing to play chess on the permanent stone chessboards. Tom Murphy, a homeless championship chess player, is a resident.[22] The park has also been the location of political rallies, such as those supporting gay rights and those protesting the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.
In 1999, Thelma Billy was arrested handing out Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless.[23][24][25] In 2009, a tug of war was sponsored by the Washington Project for the Arts.[26]
In 2014, the city proposed to turn an 850-square-foot (79 m2) concrete sidewalk on the south side of the traffic circle into a "kinetic park". Previously occupied by bike lockers, the parklet was repaved with 100
Embassies
The Dupont Circle neighborhood is home to numerous
Other landmarks
Other landmarks, many of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, include the
Institutions
In addition to its residential components, consisting primarily of high-priced apartments and condominiums, Dupont Circle is home to some of the nation's most prestigious
Demographics
DuPont Circle roughly coincides with the following five Census tracts, which had a total population of 15,099 in 2020. The area is roughly 70% non-Hispanic (NH) White, 10% Hispanic, 9% NH Asian, 7% NH Black and 4% NH Multiracial.[37]
Tract | Location | Total | Hispanic/ Latino |
Non-Hispanic | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
One race alone | Multi- racial | |||||||||
White | Black | American Indian | Asian | Pacific Islander | Some other race | |||||
42.01 | From S St to Florida and 16th to 18th St | 3,548 | 334 | 2,597 | 194 | 3 | 259 | 0 | 9 | 152 |
42.02 | N of Circle | 2,850 | 279 | 2,070 | 110 | 2 | 242 | 1 | 14 | 132 |
53.02 | E of Circle, from Q St to S St | 2,518 | 236 | 1,857 | 117 | 6 | 176 | 0 | 14 | 112 |
53.03 | E of Circle, from Q St to Mass. Ave | 3,215 | 332 | 2,047 | 301 | 4 | 380 | 3 | 17 | 131 |
55.02 | W of Circle | 2,968 | 293 | 1,977 | 292 | 1 | 257 | 0 | 19 | 129 |
Total population of the 5 census tracts | 15,099 | 1,474 | 10,548 | 1,014 | 16 | 1,314 | 4 | 73 | 656 | |
Racial/ethnic groups as % of total pop. | 100% | 9.8% | 69.9% | 6.7% | 0.1% | 8.7% | 0.03% | 0.5% | 4.3% |
Note: "Circle" refers to the Dupont Circle traffic circle. Source: 2020 decennial Census
Transportation
Dupont Circle is served by the Dupont Circle station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro. There are two entrances: north of the circle at Q Street NW and south of the circle at 19th Street NW. The northern entrance is framed by a quote from Walt Whitman's 1865 poem, "The Wound-Dresser", that was carved into the entrance in 2007 and echoes the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s.[38]
Annual neighborhood events
Capital Pride
High Heel Race
Held annually since 1986, the Dupont Circle High Heel Race takes place on the Tuesday before Halloween (October 31). The race pits dozens of drag queens against each other in a sprint down 17th Street NW between R Street and Church Street, a distance of three short blocks. The event attracts thousands of spectators and scores of participants.[41][42]
See also
- The Anchorage
- Dupont Circle Building
- The Dupont Circle Hotel
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington, D.C.
- The Real World: Washington, D.C., television series filmed in Dupont Circle in 2009
- Architecture of Washington, D.C.
References
- ^ a b c "Dupont Circle Historic District". National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2008-06-12.
- ^ Ramsdell, Henry J.; Benjamin Perley Poore (1884). Life and Public Services of Hon. James G. Blaine. Hubbard Brothers. p. 173.
- ^ Lanius, Judith H.; Sharon C. Park. "Martha Wadsworth's Mansion: The Gilded Age Comes to Dupont Circle". Washington History: 24–45.
- ^ Evelyn, Douglast E.; Paul Dickson; Evelyn Douglas; S J Ackerman (2008). On This Spot: Pinpointing the Past in Washington, D.C. Capital Books. p. 202.
- ^ a b c d Proctor, John Clagett (July 25, 1937). "Dupont Circle Memorial". Washington Evening Star. p. 46. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- ^ "Local History: Neighborhoods, Dupont Circle". ExploreDC.org. WETA Public Broadcasting. 2001. Archived from the original on 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ When the White House's roof and upper floor were under construction in 1927, President Calvin Coolidge and his wife lived at 15 Dupont Circle for six months."Coolidges Have New Address". The Meriden Daily Journal, via Google News. Meriden, Connecticut. Associated Press. March 3, 1927. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "Dupont Circle". connavedotcom. 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-12-28. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
- ^ "Scenes from the Past" (PDF). The InTowner. March 2004. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2008.
- ^ "Gallery of Art Unique in Design: Quaint Structure of Stucco Contains Many Rare Objects", The Washington Times, 18 November 1906, archived from the original on 2021-04-22, retrieved 2021-04-22. This structure was later replaced by an automobile show room, now a Starbucks coffeehouse.
- ^ "The Galts and Galts of Dupont Circle". InTowner Publishing Corp. 2014-03-17. Archived from the original on 2019-04-06. Retrieved 2019-04-06.
- ^ Goode, James M. (1979). Capital Losses: A Cultural History of Washington's Destroyed Buildings. Smithsonian Institution. p. 231.
- ^ "Scenes from the Past" (PDF). The InTowner. March 2008. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2008.
- ^ a b c Bednar, Michael J. (2006). L'Enfant's Legacy. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 181.
- ^ "Historical Photo Archives". District Department of Transportation. 2007-11-26. Archived from the original on 2007-11-26. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
- ^ "D.C. Transit Track and Structures". BelowTheCapital.org. 2008-04-01. Archived from the original on 2011-03-15. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- Dupont Circle Metro Station is completely separate from the former underground streetcar station; Metrorail trains operate nearly 200 feet (61 m) underground, far deeper than the original streetcars."WMATA Facts" (PDF). WMATA. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-27. Retrieved 2008-05-27. In 1995, developer Geary Simon renovated the streetcar station as a food court called "Dupont Down Under"; the project failed, and was shut down a year later.Kelly, John (2003-12-28). "What is 'Dupont Down Under' and What Makes Metro Stations Windy?". The Washington Post. p. M09. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2008-06-23. In 2007, plans circulated to transform the underground area into a number of adult clubs, possibly to replace several gay bars that were forced out by the building of the Nationals Park baseball stadium. However, opposition from the community largely stalled any further planning, and the space remains unused."Adult clubs in Dupont Down Under?". The Washington Times. 2007-07-14. Archivedfrom the original on 2010-12-03. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ^ "Dupont Circle/Sheridan-Kalorama". Cultural Tourism DC. 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-06-18. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
- ISBN 0-7385-1753-4
- ^ Kettlewell, Caroline (2003-06-27). "Harvest Home". The Washington Post.[dead link]
- ^ Section, Striver's. "Striver's Section". www.cr.nps.gov. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ Tower, Wells (September 30, 2007). "The Days and Knights of Tom Murphy". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2008-10-12. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
- ^ Loose, Cindy (1999-11-25). "Hassles Over Feeding the Hungry Are Warmly Rewarded". Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2017-07-06.
- ^ Riechmann, Deb (1997-03-16). "Kind Act Grows into Hunger Crusade". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
- ^ "Thelma vs. the Park Police". The Washington Times. January 14, 1997.
- ^ Marchand, Anne (April 18, 2009). "Tug-Of-War At WPA". Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ Neibauer, Michael (August 21, 2014). "Step On It: D.C. Plans 850-Square-oot, $200K Kinetic Pocket Park at Dupont Circle". Washington Business Journal. Archived from the original on August 26, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Meagan (November 18, 2016). "From Your Feet to the Light Bulb: Dupont Park Uses Kinetic Energy to Light Up Sidewalk". NBC4. Archived from the original on 22 March 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- ^ Michael Laris (November 30, 2016). "This Dupont Circle sidewalk turns footsteps into power". The Washington Post.
- ^ Tim Regan (November 18, 2016). "Kinetic Tiles Now Generating Electricity at Dupont 'Pocket Park'". Borderstan. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "DC Geographic Information System (GIS), Historic Structures". District of Columbia, Office of the Chief Technology Officer. Archived from the original on July 1, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
- ^ "Contact Us". Embassy of the Republic of Iraq. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
- ^ Save Outdoor Sculpture! (1993). "Nuns of the Battlefield, (sculpture)". SOS!. Smithsonian. Archived from the original on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
- ^ Jacob, Kathryn Allmong. Testament to Union: Civil War monuments in Washington, Part 3. JHU Press, 1998, p. 125-126.
- ^ "Dupont Underground debuts World Press Photo exhibition". dc.curbed.com. 2017-11-07. Archived from the original on 2018-11-16. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
- ^ "What You Need to Know About Dupont Circle's Secret Tunnels". dc.curbed.com. 2014-08-12. Archived from the original on 2018-03-10. Retrieved 2018-03-09.
- ^ "Census Tract Map of the District of Columbia, 2020" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-04-27. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
- ISBN 978-1626199736.
- ^ Chandler, Michael Alison (June 11, 2007). "Street Fest Lets Gays Revel in Freedom". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
- ^ "Parade Route Map". Metro Weekly. June 4, 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
- ^ "High Heel Race DC". Archived from the original on 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
- ^ "25th Annual D.C. High Heel Drag Queen Race 2011". DC Metromix. Archived from the original on 2011-10-28. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
Further reading
- Dupont Circle: A Novel (Houghton Mifflin, 2001), by Paul Kafka-Gibbons
- Dupont Circle (Images of America Series) (Arcadia Publishing, 2000), by Paul Williams
- Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C. (U.S. Department of the Interior, Division of History, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, 1967), by George J. Olszewski
External links
- Dupont Circle at Curlie
- Dupont Circle Business Improvement District
- Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets
- Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission (local elected government)
- Dupont Circle Citizens Association
- Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium
- NPS Dupont Circle Historical District
- WETA Neighborhoods - History of Dupont Circle
- Dupont Circle Metro station
- Washington Post's Guide to Dupont Circle
- D.C. High Heel Drag Queen Race Photo Galleries
- History of Dupont Circle Documentary produced by WETA-TV