Mayfair Mansions Apartments are historic structures in the Mayfair neighborhood of the Northeast quadrant of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

The garden apartments were built between 1942 and 1946 and were listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1989.

History

Mayfair Mansions were the project of radio evangelist Lightfoot Solomon Michaux. Albert I. Cassell, one of Washington's first professionally trained African American architects, designed the three-story buildings in the

Colonial Revival The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the archit ...

style. They are among the first federally subsidized housing projects for African Americans in the United States. The complex was built on the former location of the

Benning Race Track Benning Race Track was a horse racing and motorsport venue that opened in 1890 on the east side of Washington, D.C. With the close proximity to the capital, the races were attended by many politicians. A journalist once took a photo of Alice Roo ...

. The initial 571 units are now divided into two separate properties: Mayfair Mansions III composed of 160 units and another composed of the remaining 411 units. Mayfair Mansions III underwent a major renovation in 2011 and the other property was rehabilitated for $48 million in 2009.

References

Residential buildings completed in 1946 Apartment buildings in Washington, D.C. Colonial Revival architecture in Washington, D.C. Residential buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. African-American history of Washington, D.C. 1946 establishments in Washington, D.C. {{WashingtonDC-NRHP-stub