I must reiterate my thought: "You must be wondering how the location of this neighborhood has resisted to be interrupted with such commotion surrounding its boarders. "
Here we go again talking about boarders, LeDroit Park once a place that restrained African Americans from entering the whitewashed community and lifestyle by surrounding itself with gates and guards. Life outside LeDroit park, again known for its historical residents, professionals and intellectuals, is a display of the lack of social, economic and cultural development in the African American community. It is hard to believe that such a landmark, famous for equal rights, civil rights, equal opportunities for blacks in DC and inspiration to other states in the country, is now overpopulated with poverty, homelessness and no social outreach to progress the community. Now that this border has changed the community of LeDroit Park, what has really changed?
Sidenote-Please don't take this as a bashing of Washington DC as a community, all words and thoughts are sincere, in the interest to see DC African American community shine with a historical culture that praises our existence and roots rather than defaces them.
"All that shines is not gold"
This breakdown of LeDroit Park Crimes shows that the place that promotes itself as diverse and wealthy is suffering just like all of the other streets off Georgia Ave:
http://dc.everyblock.com/locations/neighborhoods/le-droit-park/?only=crimehttp://homes.point2.com/Neighborhood/US/District-of-Columbia/Washington/LeDroit-Park-Demographics.aspx
http://www.thehilltoponline.com/ledroit-park-receives-a-safety-update-1.2179563
A post by JimGriffith: "Ledroit is "up and coming."The DC translation is "no longer a war zone."
Once you meet the sign that says “LeDroit Park 1873” you have entered a tranquil part of DC where your journey has just begun.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Current LeDroit Park Community Development
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| The Gage-Eckington School is being replaced by a new park at 2025 3rd Street, NW. This new 1.5 million park will be funded by Mayor Adrian Fenty. The structuring of this new park will be going on for the next 3 to 5 years. |
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| Annette Douglas Baldwin has been living in LeDroit park since 1971. She said, "They used to be the projects. Now the area is getting better," as she pointed toward the direction on the Dwelling Unit Rehabilitation funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has funded $94.5m of the $10 billion toward this act. Funding is to prevent foreclosure, homelessness, community development, affordable housing and prevention of hazardous substances. |
Public Art Muralist Garin Baker
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| "This Is How We Live " You will find Garin Bakers public art murals all over Washington DC. This particular painting, commending the beauty and history of LeDroit Park, can be found on Elm Street NW next to the Gage-Eckington Elementary School. http://carriageart.com/ |
Home of Robert and Mary Church Terrell
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| This house is part of the Save Americas Treasures Project. It was officially pronounced an individual landmark property and was nominated as a National Register of Historic places in 1975. The house of Mary Church Terrell is being preserved and is recognized as a historical site. In this house lived survivor of the Civil War Mary Church Terrell, an activist for the woman suffrage movement and equal rights, a teacher, founding member of the NAACP, writer and the first African American woman in the United States to be appointed local school board. Her husband was the 3rd black graduate of Harvard University, 1st to graduate cum laude and first black Municipal Judge for the District of Columbia. This small house holds a history of profound African Americans who made a difference in the DC community and African American history. For more information visit the Robert and Mary Church Terrell House & LeDroit Park Museum and Cultural Center at http://www.marychurchterrellhouse.org/. |
LeDroit Park and its History
The rise of this neighborhood began from 1873 to 1877, after the abolishing of slavery in April 16, 1862 and the assassination of the great President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. on April 14, 1865. The wake of this city included the establishment of trains, streetcar lines and the the suburbs, LeDroit Park being one of them. This neighborhood was originally made for wealthy white residents by Amzi L. Barber, co founder of Howard University and recognized as “ The Asphalt King.”
Known architect and engraver James H. McGill’s artistically structured houses still stand, with radiance that catches the eyes of passerby’s. Although McGill’s signature talent for brickwork and roof lines have made it to 2011, the gates and guards that once restricted African Americans from entering LeDroit Park have been taken down and the neighborhood is now occupied by a diverse mix of residents. LeDroit Park is directly adjacent to Howard University, the mecca for Black movements in the United States. It was only a matter of time when Howard students would rise up and fight for their equal rights as citizens of DC who have the right to reside in LeDroit Park. The first African American resident in LeDroit Park was Octavius Williams in 1893 on The rise of this neighborhood began from 1873 to 1877, after the abolishing of slavery in April 16, 1862 and the assassination of the great President Abraham Lincoln at the Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. on April 14, 1865. The wake of this city included the establishment of trains, streetcar lines and the the establishment of suburbs, LeDroit Park being one of them. This neighborhood, originally made for wealthy white residents by Amzi L. Barber, a cofounder of Howard University and recognized as “ The Asphalt King”
Known architect and engraver James H. McGill’s artistically structured houses still stand, with radiance that catches the eyes of passerby’s. Although McGill’s signature talent for brickwork and roofline have made it to 2011, the gates and guards that once restricted African Americans from entering LeDroit Park have been taken down and the neighborhood is now occupied by a diverse mix of residents. LeDroit Park is directly adjacent to Howard University, the mecca for Black movements in the United States. It was only a matter of time when Howard students would rise up and fight for their equal rights as citizens of DC who have the right to reside in LeDroit Park. The first African American resident in LeDroit Park was Octavius Williams in 1893 The rise of this neighborhood began from 1873 to 1877, after the abolishing of slavery in April 16, 1862 and the assassination of the great President Abraham Lincoln at the Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. on April 14, 1865. The wake of this city included the establishment of trains, streetcar lines and the the establishment of suburbs, LeDroit Park being one of them. This neighborhood, originally made for wealthy white residents by Amzi L. Barber, a cofounder of Howard University and recognized as “ The Asphalt King”
Known architect and engraver James H. McGill’s artistically structured houses still stand, with radiance that catches the eyes of passerby’s. Although McGill’s signature talent for brickwork and roofline have made it to 2011, the gates and guards that once restricted African Americans from entering LeDroit Park have been taken down and the neighborhood is now occupied by a diverse mix of residents. LeDroit Park is directly adjacent to Howard University, the mecca for Black movements in the United States. It was only a matter of time when Howard students would rise up and fight for their equal rights as citizens of DC who have the right to reside in LeDroit Park. The first African American resident in LeDroit Park was Octavius Williams, a barber, in 1893 at 338 Spruce Street. His daughter still lives there.
As the population of black people rose, white inhabitants started to move out of the DC metropolitan area and out of the LeDroit neighborhood. According to the Washington Post Washington DC, that is known for its African American demographic, is now evolving into a city mostly populated by more whites and hispanics.
Quote from the Washington Post: “When new census data revealed last month that blacks are probably no longer a majority in Washington — a status they had held since shortly after World War II — some residents read that as confirmation that the District’s black identity is slipping away. From politicians to talk-show callers, in diners and schoolyards, many Washingtonians — and especially black residents who have spent all their lives in the city — took the census numbers as proof that the District is turning into one more majority-white city.”
Sources:
http://washington.org/visiting/experience-dc/knowledge-seeker/dc-history-african-american
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc65.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/pondering-meaning-of-changing-dc-demographics/2011/03/30/AF02nCHD_story.html
Loation and Boarders
The neighborhood is easily accessible to the Green Line Howard University Metro stop that takes you from Branch Avenue to Greenbelt, where you can get to BWI airport and AMTRACK. The Green Line has connections to all lines that will bring you to any destination in the DC Metropolitan area.
Picture: http://www.ledroitparkdc.org/history.html
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