A dynamic one-and-a-half mile corridor, this neighborhood promises a memorable night out, funky shops and chill cafés. For much of its history, the Anacostia Historic District was home to working-class families, many of whom were employed just across the river at the Navy Yard. The Anacostia Business Improvement District is responsible for the development of the area. The lower Anacostia basin was a native American crossroads, and for hundreds of years before the coming of the Europeans had been the home of a group of native Americans known today as “Nacotchtanks”, whose principal village was near the river’s mouth. Many employees of the Navy Yard, located just across the 11th Street Bridge in today’s Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, bought homes in the area during this time. Some of the government’s most powerful edifices – the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court and the U.S. House and Senate – make their homes on this famed incline, where Instagram-ready views of the Capitol Dome come at almost every turn. This culturally diverse neighborhood is known for its nightlife and eclectic dining scene thanks to all the bars and restaurants dotting the 18th Street corridor. [4], Around the year 1668, native peoples previously living south of Anacostia were forced northward by war. 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. Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley intended for the museum to serve as an outreach opportunity to bring more African Americans to the National Mall to visit Smithsonian museums. This affordable housing, however, was restricted to whites, as restrictive covenants prohibited the property to be sold, leased, or rented to anyone of African descent. With the National Zoo and Rock Creek Park, this neighborhood houses everything from giant pandas to breathtaking waterways. All Rights Reserved. A brief history of Anacostia, its name, origin and progress. In 1854, the area now known as the Anacostia historic district was incorporated as Uniontown and was designed to be an affordable neighborhood for working-class Washingtonians. 901 7th Street NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20001-3719, © 2020 Washington.org. Since its founding in 1967, the neighborhood museum has … Witness the history of Anacostia, a neighborhood in southeast Washington, DC, from 1608 until shortly after World War II, as drawn from interviews with longtime residents. Originally known as Uniontown, what is now Anacostia was the first planned suburb of Washington City. [7] The name change became effective on April 22, 1886. Anacostia, one of Washington DC's earliest neighborhoods, is an area that enjoys both a rich history and a bright future. “It was a sign of economic of progress for the neighborhood, and not just one of the best marketing moves in downtown Anacostia, but maybe in the history of our city,” Johnson says. "It Is a Growing Suburb: Anacostia Is at Present Making Rapid Strides for Itself". Frederick Douglass House Brendan Sweeney/WAMU 88.5 and The Kojo Nnamdi Show. In addition to houses in Anacostia, there were also 4 condos, 5 townhouses, and 1 multi-family unit for sale in Anacostia last month. Even after the founding of Maryland, Leonard Calvert, in a letter to a merchant in London, described "Anacostan" as one of the three best places in the colony for trading with natives. This figure is down from the 7th District's peak of 133 homicides in 1993.[18]. In 2005, 62 of the 195 homicides in Washington, D.C. occurred in the 7th District of the Metropolitan Police Department, which also includes the neighborhoods of Barry Farm, Naylor Gardens, and Washington Highlands. As one of America’s most unique cities, Washington, DC seamlessly offers a full range of international, national and local cultural experiences. Captain John Smith explored the area in 1608, traveling up the "Eastern Branch"—later the Anacostia River—mistaking it for the main body of the Potomac River, and met Anacostans. It was designed as affordable housing for the working class. 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. Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, Discover the best things to do in Washington, DC, from events happening right now to annual festivals and more.​​​​​​, Visiting the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum in Washington, DC, 13 Things to See & Do in DC's Anacostia Neighborhood, Cambria Hotel Washington, D.C. Capitol Riverfront, Free Community Day: National Museum of Women in the Arts, Free Play Reading: One-Shot by Andrew Rosendorf (Online), Guide to the Washington Convention Center, Find the Right Space for Your Intimate Meeting. Preserving Neighborhood History in Anacostia. Cheer on exciting sports action, catch a concert and plié for ballet in DC's Congress Heights neighborhood. Anacostia is located east of the Anacostia River in Southeast DC. African American History Formerly The Journal of Negro History Founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, January 1, 1916 Editor Pero G. Dagbovie, 1548 Michigan State University Associate Editors Derrick P. Alridge, University of Virginia, Charlottesville Daina Ramey Berry, University of Texas at Austin Assistant Editor and Book Review Editor In the aftermath of the Civil War, the area along the eastern banks of the Anacostia River developed into two distinct communities: a black neighborhood known as Hillsdale and a white neighborhood called Uniontown. This historic city square and neighborhood masterfully blends DC’s past and present, perfect for business and pleasure. The perfect intersection of historic charm and upscale modernity happens where M Street meets Wisconsin Avenue in the heart of picturesque Georgetown. Captain John Smith visited and mapped the river and the native village in 1608. “Barry Farm-Hillsdale in Anacostia: A Historic African American Community” tells the history of a historic community established in 1867 on the east side of the Anacostia river adjacent to the White neighborhood of Anacostia. In the 2007 film inspired by the life of Ralph Waldo 'Petey' Greene (played by Don Cheadle), Greene's straightlaced counterpart Dewey Hughes played by Chiwetel Ejiofor surprises all with his skill at '9 ball' pool. Residents often must travel to either the suburbs or downtown Washington for these services. Founded in 2000, the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative is revitalizing a 45-acre (180,000 m2) piece of the Anacostia River waterfront to promote the community. It was designed to be affordable for 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. In this up-and-coming zone, find food hall Union Market, trendy restaurants and historic sites like Gallaudet University. It was designed as affordable housing for the Anacostia River waterfront in this up-and-coming zone, find food Union. 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