Mount Vernon Triangle is a neighborhood and community improvement district in the northwest 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, ...

Originally a working-class neighborhood established in the 19th century, present-day Mount Vernon Triangle experienced a decline in the mid-20th century as it transitioned from residential to commercial and industrial use. The neighborhood has undergone significant and rapid redevelopment in the 21st century. It now consists mostly of high-rise condominium, apartment and office buildings. Several historic buildings in the neighborhood have been preserved and are 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 ...

. Mount Vernon Triangle is now considered a good example of

urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

and a

walkable Walkability is a term for planning concepts best understood by the mixed-use of amenities in high-density neighborhoods where people can access said amenities by foot. It is based on the idea that urban spaces should be more than just transport ...

neighborhood.

Geography

Mount Vernon Triangle, consisting of 17 blocks, is in Ward 6 and the 20001 ZIP code. The triangular neighborhood is bordered by: * 7th Street and

Mount Vernon Square Mount Vernon Square is a city square and neighborhood in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The square is located where the following streets would otherwise intersect: Massachusetts Avenue NW, New York Avenue NW, K Street NW, and 8th ...

and Downtown on the west, *

Massachusetts Avenue Massachusetts Avenue may refer to: * Massachusetts Avenue (metropolitan Boston), Massachusetts ** Massachusetts Avenue (MBTA Orange Line station), a subway station on the MBTA Orange Line ** Massachusetts Avenue (MBTA Silver Line station), a stati ...

and the

Judiciary Square Judiciary Square is a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., the vast majority of which is occupied by various federal and municipal courthouses and office buildings. Judiciary Square is located roughly between Pennsylvania Avenue to the sou ...

neighborhood on the south, * New Jersey Avenue and the

Sursum Corda The ''Sursum corda'' (Latin: "Lift up your hearts" or literally, "Upwards hearts") is the opening dialogue to the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer or Anaphora in Christian liturgies, dating back at least to the third century and the Anaphor ...

and

NoMa Noma, NoMa, or NOMA may refer to: Places * NoMa, the area North of Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, D.C., US ** NoMa–Gallaudet U station, on Washington Metro * Noma, Florida, US * NOMA, Manchester, a redevelopment in England * Noma Distr ...

neighborhoods on the east * New York Avenue and the Shaw neighborhood on the north K Street is considered to be the neighborhood's "Main Street", with the intersection of 5th and K Streets acting as a "community focal point and heart of the neighborhood."

History

Present-day Mount Vernon Triangle was featured on the

L'Enfant Plan The L'Enfant Plan for the city of Washington is the urban plan developed in 1791 by Major Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant for George Washington, the first president of the United States. History L'Enfant was a French engineer who served in ...

for the city, although it was north of the populated areas at the time and remained largely unsettled. In 1810, Congress chartered the 7th Street Turnpike, an extension of 7th Street that ran from Center Market (

National Archives Building The National Archives Building, known informally as Archives I, is the headquarters of the United States National Archives and Records Administration. It is located north of the National Mall at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington, D.C.), Penns ...

present site) to the

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

border. This led to some minor development in the area, although prior to 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 ...

, most of the residences consisted of only modest frame dwellings. The exception was Douglas Row, three large homes built in 1856 by two senators and Vice President

John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress and became the 14th and youngest-ever vice president of the United States. Serving ...

. Douglas Row was used as a hospital during the Civil War and served as the residence of notable figures after the war concluded, including

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

and

William Tecumseh Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

. Stanton Hospital, one of the city's largest temporary hospitals during the war, was located in the neighborhood, across the street from Douglas Row. The rapid growth of the neighborhood was spurred by the 1875 opening of the

Northern Liberty Market The Northern Liberty Market, later called Convention Hall Market and Center Market, was located on the east side of 5th Street NW, between K and L, in the present-day Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It operated from 1875 to ...

, a large public market with 284 vending stalls that stood at 5th and K Streets NW. As the population grew, older dwellings were replaced with permanent brick homes and businesses and the demographics changed dramatically. German, Irish and Jewish immigrants moved to the neighborhood and opened shops. African Americans also moved to the area, though they tended to live in alley dwellings. In addition to the Northern Liberty Market, the neighborhood experienced rapid growth due to improvements made by the Board of Public Works led by Alexander "Boss" Shepherd and the installation of streetcars. Horse-drawn streetcars began service on the neighborhood portion of Massachusetts Avenue and 4th Street in 1884 while Washington, D.C.'s first electric streetcar line began operating on New York Avenue in 1888. The transportation options and proximity to downtown led to speculative development in the neighborhood, though middle-class rows of houses were not built, unlike most neighborhoods in the area. In addition to residential and commercial development, there was an active industrial center in the neighborhood, centered around Prather's Alley (located between 4th and 5th and I and K Streets). In the late 19th century and early 20th century, buildings and stables on Prather's Alley were demolished or converted into bakeries, a dairy bottling plant, warehouses and other industrial facilities. 5th and K - before and after

Commercial development increased in the neighborhood in the 1910s and 1920s. Increased traffic on New York Avenue resulted in the addition of gas stations, garages and car repair shops, many of which replaced residential buildings. By 1930, Northern Liberty Market (called Center Market at the time) was under threat of closing and demolition. A new and modern building for vendors was built on the opposite corner. As the number of commercial and industrial businesses increased, many residents moved elsewhere. Many homes became boarding houses for poor residents, a trend that significantly increased following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In 1946, a fire destroyed much of Center Market, resulting in many local businesses supported by the market to close or move to other parts of the city. The streetcar on New York Avenue was removed in 1949 and many of the residential buildings along that road were demolished and replaced with parking lots. In the 1960s, a large portion of the neighborhood's eastern section, including the remaining portion of Douglas Row, was demolished to make room for Interstate 395. During the

1968 riots 1968 riots may refer to: * Orangeburg massacre, February 8, South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, South Carolina * King assassination riots, April and May, across the United States, including: ** 1968 Washington, D.C., riots, April 4–8, ...

that followed the

assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American clergyman and civil rights leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at 7 ...

, several buildings on the west side of Mount Vernon Triangle were burned. By the 1980s, much of the neighborhood was decrepit, consisted of large parking lots and had become a haven for prostitutes and drug dealers. Redevelopment of large areas of Mount Vernon Triangle began in the 21st century as more people moved into the city and local government officials offered tax abatement for residential construction. City officials and real estate developers began to push for revitalization of the area in 2000. The Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District, a nonprofit that coordinates and markets the community improvement district, was established in 2004. The turning point for Mount Vernon Triangle was the 2008 completion of the neighborhood's largest development, CityVista, a complex consisting of 441 condominium units, 224 apartments, and retail space. There was a decline in construction during the

Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At ...

, but development has since resumed. As of 2011, the neighborhood had an estimated population of 2,840, consisting of mostly young professionals. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' has described the neighborhood as a "vibrant, thriving urban center" and "a textbook example of urban planning and design, connectivity among people, and walkability." In 2014, there were 3,691 condominium units, 2,607 apartments, 40 restaurants, and of office space either built or under construction in the neighborhood. Focal points of business on 5th Street include a 24-hour

Safeway Safeway is an American supermarket chain founded by Marion Barton Skaggs in April 1915 in American Falls, Idaho. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and features a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, d ...

grocery store and

Busboys and Poets Busboys and Poets is a full-service restaurant, bar, bookstore, coffee shop, and events venue in Washington, D.C., founded in 2005 by Andy Shallal. The original Busboys and Poets is located at 14th & V in the U Street Corridor. There are now sev ...

. Two outdoor sculptures, '' Lift Off'' and ''

Inspiration Inspiration, inspire, or inspired often refers to: * Artistic inspiration, sudden creativity in artistic production * Biblical inspiration, the doctrine in Judeo-Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible * Creative inspirat ...

'', were installed on the corner of 5th and K Streets in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Historic properties

There are several 19th and early 20th century buildings in the neighborhood which have been preserved and restored. The

Mount Vernon Triangle Historic District The Mount Vernon Triangle Historic District is a Historic districts in the United States, historic district in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood of Washington, D.C., consisting of 22 Contributing property, contributing residential, commerci ...

, originally composed of 24 buildings mostly located between 4th and 5th and I and K Streets, was listed on the

(NRHP) in 2006. Two of the buildings, 470 and 472 K Street NW, collapsed in 2014. The

Emily Wiley House The Emily Wiley House is a historic building at 902 3rd Street and 301 I Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. History The Italianate home was constructed in 1869 to 1871. It served as Holy Rosary Church ...

, completed in 1871, is a former townhouse located at 3rd and I Streets NW that was listed on the NRHP in 2006. The Jefferson Apartment Building, built in 1899 and designed by local architect

George S. Cooper George S. Cooper (December 14, 1864 – March 12, 1929) was an American architect and builder from Washington, D.C. During his 40-year career, he was responsible for designing around 850 properties, including homes, commercial buildings and apar ...

, is located at 315 H Street NW and was listed on the NRHP in 1994. Second Baptist Church, built in 1894 on the site of the church's former 1856 property, is located at 816 3rd Street NW and was listed on the NRHP in 2004.

Public services

Several public transportation options are available for neighborhood residents and visitors. There are three

Metro Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to: Geography * Metro (city), a city in Indonesia * A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center Public transport * Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urba ...

stations within short walking distance: Gallery Place,

, and

. The

DC Circulator The DC Circulator is a bus system in Washington, D.C. The District of Columbia Department of Transportation operates the service in a public–private partnership with RATP Dev. The DC Circulator buses are similar to shuttle buses since they op ...

's Georgetown-Union Station route runs along Massachusetts Avenue and there are several Metrobus stops throughout the neighborhood. Three

Capital Bikeshare Capital Bikeshare (also abbreviated CaBi) is a bicycle-sharing system which serves Washington, D.C.; Arlington County, Virginia; the cities of Alexandria, Virginia and Falls Church, Virginia; Montgomery County, Maryland and Fairfax County, Virg ...

stations are also located in the neighborhood. Elementary and middle school students attend Walker-Jones Education Campus, which lies on the eastern boundary of the neighborhood. Older students attend Dunbar High School in nearby

Truxton Circle Truxton Circle is a neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C. Politically, it is located in Ward 5. Truxton Circle is bordered by New Jersey Avenue to the west; Florida Avenue to the north; New York Avenue to the south; and North Capitol Str ...

. There are several pocket parks in Mount Vernon Triangle: two at 7th and K Streets, Cobb Park (2nd Street and Massachusetts Avenue), Milian Park (5th and I Streets) and Seaton Park (500 block of Massachusetts Avenue). Most of these parks are small triangular lots sited between busy streets and intersections. Local advocates are pursuing a larger public space and "urban park for passive pursuits, including strolling, reading, and sitting."

References

External links