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Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. Its downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and
Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue (also known as MLK Ave) is a major street in the District of Columbia traversing through both the Southwest and Southeast quadrants. Route Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SW begins at the southwestern tip of the Dis ...
. It is located east of the
Anacostia River The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. ...
, after which the neighborhood is named. Anacostia includes all of the Anacostia Historic District, which was 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 v ...
in 1978. Often the name "Anacostia" is used to refer to the entire portion of the city that is southeast of the Anacostia River. The Anacostia Business Improvement District is responsible for the development of the area.


History

The name "Anacostia" comes from the anglicized name of a Nacochtank settlement along the Anacostia River. 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 The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...
, and met Anacostans. Before the arrival of whites, the Nacostine villages in this area were a lively center of trade visited by Native Americans such as the
Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
of New York. 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. Around the year 1668, native peoples previously living south of Anacostia were forced northward by war. Anacostine Island, which first appeared on a 1670 map drawn by
Augustine Herman Augustine Herman, First Lord of Bohemia Manor (Czech: Augustin Heřman, c. 1621 – September 1686) was a Bohemian explorer, merchant and cartographer who lived in New Amsterdam and Cecil County, Maryland. In the employment of Cecil Calvert, ...
, was settled by the Anacostans around this time. The core of what is now the Anacostia historic district was incorporated in 1854 as Uniontown and was one of the early suburbs in the District of Columbia. 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. The initial subdivision of 1854 carried restrictive covenants prohibiting the sale, rental or lease of property to anyone of African or Irish descent. Abolitionist
Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became ...
, 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. The home is still maintained as the
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, administered by the National Park Service, is located at 1411 W Street, SE, in Anacostia, a neighborhood east of the Anacostia River in Southeast Washington, D.C. United States. Established in 1988 ...
in Anacostia. During the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Anacostia was protected by a series of forts upon the hills southwest of the city. Following the conclusion of the war, the forts were dismantled and the land returned to its original owners. Anacostia, always part of the District of Columbia, became a part of the city of Washington when the city and District became coterminous in 1878. On January 27, 1886, the House of Representatives Committee on the District of Columbia voted in favor of renaming Uniontown to Anacostia. After the bill passed the House of Representatives, the Senate also voted in favor of the name change. The name change became effective on April 22, 1886. At the time, property deeds restricted land ownership to people who were white, and therefore Anacostia had only white residents. The opening of the Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge in 1890 began to link Anacostia to the rest of the District of Columbia.


Great Depression

In 1932, during the
Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, unemployed World War I veterans from all across the country marched on Washington to demand immediate payment of a bonus promised to them. The event became known as the
Bonus Army The Bonus Army was a group of 43,000 demonstrators – 17,000 veterans of U.S. involvement in World War I, their families, and affiliated groups – who gathered in Washington, D.C., in mid-1932 to demand early cash redemption of their servi ...
Conflict. Most of the Bonus Army camped on Anacostia Flats, a swampy, muddy area along the Anacostia River later reclaimed as Anacostia Park/Fairlawn Park. Fearing civil unrest, the President ordered the military to disperse the campers from Washington. The Army Chief of Staff General
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
dispersed them, but exceeded the orders of President
Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
by crossing the bridge to Anacostia and torching the veteran's encampment. MacArthur believed that the Bonus Army was composed of and led by Communists. George Patton and
Dwight Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
served under MacArthur during these events.


Post-war years

Anacostia's population remained predominantly European-American up until the late 1950s and early 1960s, with whites comprising 87% of the population. During the 1960s, the Anacostia Freeway (I-295) was constructed. The highway imposed a barrier between the Anacostia neighborhood and the
Anacostia River The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. ...
waterfront. Numerous
public housing Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, def ...
apartment complexes were built in the neighborhood. With the flight of much of the middle class out of the neighborhood during the late 1950s and 1960s with the opportunity to move to newer housing in postwar suburbs, Anacostia's demographics changed dramatically as the neighborhood became predominantly African American. Interactions between the area's white and black residents were often contentious, as was the case in the 1949 Anacostia riot at a desegregated public pool. Shopping, dining, and entertainment facilities throughout greater Anacostia are limited, as development slowed with a decrease in income in the area. Residents often must travel to either the suburbs or downtown Washington for these services. 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. St. Elizabeth's Hospital, D.C. Village and the Blue Plains sewage treatment plant were long-established Anacostia developments noted in a late-1990s report. The report also cited attention to the area at that time from
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
and
Newt Gingrich Newton Leroy Gingrich (; né McPherson; born June 17, 1943) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U ...
. In 2005, Building Bridges Across the River opened the 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m2)
Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) is a combined cultural and social services campus in Southeast (Washington, D.C.), Southeast Washington, D.C. The campus consists of three connected buildings, playgrounds, basketball courts and p ...
which is home to eleven nonprofit organizations, all of which share the goal of helping children and adults reach their full potential. Free summer evening jazz concerts are also given weekly in Fort Dupont Park. The annual
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
Birthday Parade is a notable annual event along the Avenue bearing Dr. King's name. Starting in 2006 the annual parade date was changed from January to April. (Also see the separate article on
Congress Heights Congress Heights is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C., in the United States. The irregularly shaped neighborhood is bounded by the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus, Lebaum Street SE, 4th Street SE, and Newcomb Street SE on ...
). In January 2007 a new large supermarket opened to serve the neighborhood.


Geography

Anacostia downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and
Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue (also known as MLK Ave) is a major street in the District of Columbia traversing through both the Southwest and Southeast quadrants. Route Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SW begins at the southwestern tip of the Dis ...
. It is the most famous neighborhood in the
Southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
quadrant of Washington, located east of the Anacostia River, after which the neighborhood is named.


Demographics

As of the 2010 Census, Anacostia's population is 92% African-American, 5% Non-Hispanic White, and 3% other.


Landmarks

The Anacostia Historic District is 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 v ...
as a historic district, and it retains much of its mid-to-late 19th-century low-scale, working-class character, as is evident in its architecture. In 1957, an Anacostia landmark, the "world's largest chair", was installed at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and V Street SE. The chair was installed by the Curtis Brothers Furniture Company and built by
Bassett Furniture Bassett Furniture Industries is a furniture manufacturer and retailer, headquartered in Bassett, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1902, by John D. Bassett, Charles C. Bassett, Samuel H. Bassett, and Reed L. Stone. Bassett Furniture is on ...
. In the summer of 2005, the " Big Chair" was removed for repairs, then returned in April 2006.


Industry

Notable facilities in the area include
Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling (JBAB) is a 905-acre (366 ha) military installation, located in Southeast, Washington, D.C., established on 1 October 2010 in accordance with congressional legislation implementing the recommendations of the ...
(formerly
Bolling Air Force Base Bolling Air Force Base or Bolling AFB was a United States Air Force base in Washington, D.C. In 2010, it was merged with Naval Support Facility Anacostia to form Joint Base Anacostia–Bolling. From its beginning, the installation has hosted el ...
and
Naval Support Facility Anacostia Naval Support Facility (NSF) Anacostia was a United States Naval Base in Washington, D.C., close to where the Anacostia River joins the Potomac River. On 1 October 2010 the base was conjoined with the adjacent Bolling Air Force Base to form t ...
).


Tourism

Founded in 2000, the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative is revitalizing a piece of the Anacostia River waterfront to promote the community. Plans include numerous parks restored of their natural wetlands and forests, canoe tie-ups, a playground, a four-acre 9/11 memorial grove, and an environmental education center. The center provides visitors with education about the history and use of the Anacostia River through a , two-story complex topped by a green roof/nursery center with classrooms, labs, and a multipurpose area beneath.
Studios Architecture A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial d ...
was chosen to be the architect of the project, while the administrating agency will be the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation.


Hospitals

* St. Elizabeths Hospital (more than 100 years old) *
United Medical Center United Medical Center, formerly Greater Southeast Community Hospital, is the only public hospital in Washington D.C. The 330-bed facility is located in Southeast Washington, D.C. In 2016, the government of the District of Columbia awarded a no-b ...
(formally Greater Southeast Community Hospital)


Education

District of Columbia Public Schools The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) is the local public school system for the District of Columbia, in the United States. It is distinct from the District of Columbia Public Charter Schools (DCPCS), which governs public charter ...
operates public schools.
Anacostia High School Anacostia High School is a public high school in Anacostia, in the Southeast quadrant of the District of Columbia. History In August 2009, Friendship Public Charter School partnered with DC Public Schools to manage the high school. As a result, ...
serves Anacostia. Ballou High School is in southern Anacostia. The area has a number of middle and elementary schools, and is also the location of
Thurgood Marshall Academy Thurgood Marshall Academy is a charter school in Washington, D.C., United States., the first law-themed school in DC. Thurgood Marshall Academy was founded based on the principles of Justice Thurgood Marshall that every child should have a worl ...
.


Culture

*The
Anacostia Museum The Anacostia Community Museum (known colloquially as the ACM) is a community museum in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. It is one of twenty museums under the umbrella of the Smithsonian Institution and was the ...
, a branch of the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
, was established in 1967 by
S. Dillon Ripley S is the nineteenth letter of the English alphabet. S may also refer to: History * an Anglo-Saxon charter's number in Peter Sawyer's, catalogue Language and linguistics * Long s (ſ), a form of the lower-case letter s formerly used where "s ...
, then-Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. *The Anacostia Arts Center and
Honfleur Gallery Honfleur Gallery located on Good Hope Road in the Anacostia Historic District neighborhood of Washington, D.C., is a gallery that was established in January 2007 by the Action to Rehabilitate Community Housing group. The art gallery An art ...
, located near the corner of Martin Luther Jr. King Ave and Good Hope Road is a gallery showcasing nationally known works alongside that of local artists. It hosts a bi-monthly poetry series called Intersections, sponsored by the
American Poetry Museum The American Poetry Museum (APM) is a museum dedicated to American poetry American poetry refers to the poetry of the United States. It arose first as efforts by American colonists to add their voices to English poetry in the 17th century, wel ...
. *
District of Columbia Public Library The District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) is the public library system for the District of Columbia, in the United States. The system includes 26 individual libraries including Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (the DCPL's central libr ...
operates the Anacostia Neighborhood Library. * Cedar Hill, the home of
abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...
Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became ...
, known as the "Lion of Anacostia", sits atop a hill overlooking the Anacostia neighborhood on W Street SE. * Th
Anacostia Playhouse
brings in many different events to their blackbox theater which includes productions b
Theater Alliance
located at 2020 Shannon Place SE.


Cultural reference

In the 2007 film inspired by the life of Ralph Waldo 'Petey' Greene (played by
Don Cheadle Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (; born November 29, 1964) is an American actor. He is the recipient of  multiple accolades, including two Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also earned ...
), Greene's straightlaced counterpart
Dewey Hughes Dewey Hughes (born 1932) is an African American former radio personality and was Petey Greene's manager. Early life Dewey Hughes was born in South Carolina in 1932. Career Hughes was introduced to Petey Greene by his older brother Milo at Lorton R ...
played by
Chiwetel Ejiofor Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor ( ; born 10 July 1977) is a British actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a Laurence Olivier Award, an NAACP Image Award, and nominations for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awa ...
surprises all with his skill at '9 ball' pool. "Grew up in the Anacostia projects ... ndmade yway through school hustling", he explains about himself after their game in '' Talk to Me''. The film is set in the late 1960s.''Talk to Me'' DVD. 2007 Universal Studios. Subtitles SDH. Circa minute 28:29. Retrieved May 29, 2015.


Transportation

The neighborhood, served by the Anacostia Metro station, is a 10-minute ride on
Washington Metro The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,Google Books search/preview
's Green Line from downtown Washington; other Metro stations on the Green and Orange lines serve other parts of Greater Anacostia.
I-295 Interstate 295 is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States: *Interstate 295 (Delaware–Pennsylvania), a bypass of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania * Interstate 295 (Florida), a beltway around central Jacksonville * Interstate ...
runs through the neighborhood; it connects to DC 295 further north, and these two routes make up the entire routing of the Anacostia Freeway.


Gallery

File:An old Anacostia cottage (585240076) (3).jpg, An old Anacostia cottage File:Anacostia historicaneonsign.JPG, The historic neon "Anacostia" sign at 1115 Good Hope Road SE. The sign is the traditional gateway to Historic Old Anacostia. File:Anacostia w st.jpg, Houses on W Street, SE in Anacostia. File:Martin luther king jr avenue.jpg,
Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue (also known as MLK Ave) is a major street in the District of Columbia traversing through both the Southwest and Southeast quadrants. Route Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SW begins at the southwestern tip of the Dis ...
, SE in Anacostia. File:Anacostia neighborhood Washington DC.jpg, The intersection of High St. & Maple View Place SE


See also

*
Congress Heights Congress Heights is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C., in the United States. The irregularly shaped neighborhood is bounded by the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus, Lebaum Street SE, 4th Street SE, and Newcomb Street SE on ...
*
Fort Greble Fort Greble was an American Civil War-era Union fortification constructed as part of the defenses of Washington, D.C. during that war. Named for First Lieutenant John Trout Greble, the first West Point graduate killed in the U.S. Civil War, it p ...
*
Fort Stanton Fort Stanton was a United States Army fort near Lincoln, New Mexico. Army Fort It was built in 1855 by the 1st Dragoon and the 3rd and 8th Infantry Regiments to serve as a base of military operations against the Mescalero Apaches. Numerous ca ...
* Washington Bellevue * Washington Hillcrest * Washington Highlands


References


Further reading

* * * *


External links


Anacostia Historic District

Honfleur Gallery

Anacostia Watershed Society

Live AnacostiaThree Things About Poplar Point and Anacostia FlatsHistory of Anacostia
Documentary produced by
WETA-TV WETA-TV (channel 26) is the primary PBS member television station in Washington, D.C. Owned by the Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, it is a sister station to NPR member WETA (90.9 FM). The two outlets share studios ...

Anacostia Waterfront InitiativeWhy Is It Named Anacostia
- Ghosts of DC blog {{Authority control 1854 establishments in Washington, D.C. African-American history of Washington, D.C. Populated places established in 1854 Working-class culture in Washington, D.C.