WARD 6 HERITAGE GUIDE A Discussion of Ward 6 Cultural and Heritage Resources District of Columbia Office of Planning Ward 6 Heritage Guide D.C. Office of Planning Text by Patsy Fletcher, DC Historic Preservation Office Design by Kim Elliott, DC Historic Preservation Office Unless noted otherwise, images from the DC Office of Planning Published 2018 This Heritage Guide is among a series of guides on the cultural resources and community heritage of the District of Columbia’s eight wards. Each guide focuses on the historical development of communities within the current ward boundaries. This project has been funded in part by U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund grant funds, administered by the District of Columbia’s Historic Preservation Office. The contents and opinions contained in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of the Interior, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. Department of the Interior. This program has received Federal financial assistance for the identification, protection, and/or rehabilitation of historic properties and cultural resources in the District of Columbia. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, or disability in its Federally assisted programs. If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility as described above, or if you desire further information, please write to: Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240. Right: Columbia Railway Company Car Barn at 15th and Benning Road NE in the 1960s before its demolition in 1971. Library of Congress TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction................................................................................. 5 Historical Perspective.................................................................. 8 Timeline Ward 6 Development Neighborhood Histories Neighborhoods Today Preservation Framework...........................................................50 Historic Sites................................................................................54 Historic Landmarks and Districts in Ward 6 African American Heritage Trail Houses of Worship in Ward 6 Architectural, Cultural and Heritage Resources................... 64 Bibliography................................................................................70 N District of Columbia WARD 6 Ward Map (2012) INTRODUCTION OPID0019295 Feet The tale of Ward 6 is the history of Washington City and its evolution into a ´ N 0510,000 Colonial modern metropolis. Part of the ward’s distinction comes from the fact that it is Village the only one of the District of Columbia’s eight wards wholly situated within the Hawthorne Shepherd Park boundaries of the original Washington City as delineated by the L’Enfant Plan. Its Barnaby Takoma Woods location at the confluence of two rivers also informed its development, especially Rock Creek Brightwood Riggs Chevy Chase Park in the early decades after the District’s founding, when waterways were essential Park Manor Friendship Park transportation corridors. Heights Lamond Tenleytown Forest Fort American Hills 16th Wakefield Petworth Totten University Street Michigan Park Because much of Washington’s early history as the federal city occurred within Park North Heights Cleveland Van Ness Pleasant Park Crestwood Hills Spring Valley the area now defined as Ward 6, it is natural that the ward would hold a large McLean Soldiers Catholic Gardens Cleveland Park Home University Woodridge Mount Park Brookland collection of historic resources, some pre-dating to the move of the seat of Wesley Pleasant Kent Cathedral View Hospital Heights Woodley Zoo Columbia Heights Center Edgewood Park Adams Heights the United States government to Washington. As the home of several historic Mass McMillan Fort Morgan Langdon Glover Ave Pleasant Reservoir Lincoln Heights Kalorama Plains Park Bloomingdale Gateway districts—Capitol Capitol Hill, Mount Vernon Triangle, Mt. Vernon Square, parts of Berkley Observatory Triangle Brentwood Circle U Street Ledroit Kalorama Burleith Park Eckington Shaw and Greater U Street—many Ward 6 residents live in communities devoted Ivy City Arboretum Foxhall Dupont Logan Truxton Palisades Shaw Kenilworth Georgetown Circle Circle Circle Gallaudet to preserving the city’s look and heritage. And because of its proximity to the Eastland West End Trinidad Mt. Vernon Gardens Square H Street Carver Langston Deanwood national government, clusters of federal buildings, many displaying impressive Downtown Chinatown NoMa Mayfair Burrville Foggy White Penn Judiciary Mahaning Bottom Kingman Park River Hillbrook Lincoln architectural features, are located in the ward. House Quarter Square Heights East Heights Federal Triangle Terrace Corner The Benning Benning Heights West The Mall Capitol Capitol Hill Capitol View Potomac Barney Fort Dupont Marshall Heights Park Federal Center Circle Mostly located east and south of the Capitol, the present-day boundaries of Ward Greenway Benning Ridge Civic 6 stretch to Florida Avenue on the northeast, and the Anacostia and Potomac Fort Dupont Park Betterment East Southwest Navy Yard Twining Potomac Dupont rivers on the southeast and southwest. The ward borders the south side of the Park Randle Fort Fairlawn Highlands Park Fort McNair Davis Anacostia Mall, and extends northwest as far as the Shaw community, following an irregular Good Hope Fairfax Village Barry Hillcrest boundary up Massachusetts Avenue to 7th Street, and ultimately as far as 11th Farm Naylor Gardens Buena Vista Woodland and S streets, before returning along New Jersey Avenue. In recent decades, the KnoxGarfield Douglass Hill Heights St. Elizabeth's Bolling The ward boundaries have fluctuated with changes is deviation from a compact Shipley Terrace Air Force Base boundary, as well as a shifting border over the years, has led to some confusion Congress Heights about what and where Ward 6 is. Washington Highlands Bellevue The diversity within these current political boundaries has also contributed to a multi-personality ward, the only ward located in all four quadrants of the city. DC Village Its neighborhoods or communities range from industrial to military installations to modern residential high rises to government office buildings to rowhouses to houseboats. Along with the diverse communities and building types come Neighborhoods in DC District of Columbia widely varied interests of residents, and many stories about the origins and Adapted by Brian Kraft Ward Map (2012) development of the Ward. 5 DC Neighborhoods Office of Planning ~ October 2011 Government of the District of Columbia This map was created for planning purposes from a variety of sources. It is neither a survey nor a legal document. Information provided by other agencies should be verified with them where appropriate. Benefits of a Ward 6 Heritage Guide resource, whether traditional, historic, religious, educational, or other, helps to illustrate the hallmarks of a community’s identity or way of life. This guide is intended to expand awareness and appreciation of historic and culturally important places in Ward 6. It is one of a series of guides for each Residents of Ward 6 live amid more than 110 historic landmarks and several of the District’s wards that also aims to promote planning strategies that historic districts. The Capitol Hill Historic District, for example, in the center will sustain these community assets. The guides complement the District of of the ward, is one of the largest residential historic districts in the country. Columbia’s Historic Preservation Plan by providing more detailed community- By contrast, Mount Vernon Triangle, although one of the smallest historic specific information and analysis not included in the citywide plan. districts in the city, is highly significant as a representation of an early commercial and automobile servicing community. The broad range of A cultural or heritage resource can be a site, building, structure, object, or cultural resources in these and other diverse neighborhoods such as Hill East, ritual of importance to a community or culture. The significance of that Rosedale, and Shaw East, give Ward 6 its historic identity. Capitol Hill Rowhouses 6 Some of these neighborhoods and resources do not have official historic Ward 6 Demographics designation, but are valued just as much by their residents. An example is Old Southwest Washington, so vital to the early story of the District and to its immigrant and African American presence. The remaining historic resources Race and Ethnicity here are among a number of cultural districts and symbols in Ward 6 which 2000 2013 are not widely acknowledged. 2% 4% As the ward develops, historic resources may be threatened or even Asian 5% Other 4% Asian demolished if they are left unrecognized and unprotected. The DC Historic Other 31% Preservation Office, along with community partners, seeks to promote White 51% stewardship of the ward’s heritage by assisting residents in identifying White important cultural icons and places, and by facilitating initiatives to promote, preserve, and reuse the ward’s significant historic resources. 40% This guide presents a brief history of Ward 6, providing a foundation