These projects were created to study and document the history of two DC neighborhoods and to engage community members from the neighborhoods to co-create a vision for celebrating their unique histories and cultures.
We selected Hillcrest in the southeast quadrant and Woodridge in the northeast quadrant.
In collaboration with branch libraries in each neighborhood, we developed programming aimed at increasing Washingtonians’ understanding of the histories of the neighborhoods and drawing residents to use the free resources available through the DC Public Library.
Highlighting these community histories allows us to explore how DC provided unique opportunities for Black Americans in the 20th century. It also provides us an entryway to learn about the transformation of space and place in Northeast and Southeast DC over time. We can use these neighborhood histories as an entry point for analyzing the intersection of race and class and how both have influenced the trajectories of these neighborhoods.
It is our hope that this model can be replicated at neighborhoods across the city, so we are exploring how we can expand the project to more sites.
They are each longstanding DC neighborhoods that many longtime residents and newcomers do not know about.
Both developed as white, racially exclusive enclaves during the early waves of “suburban” development in the early-to-mid 20th century.
Both went on to become enclaves for thriving multi-racial, increasingly Black, and upwardly mobile communities.
Both experienced friction between the original citizens associations and incoming civic associations in the mid-20th century, and much of what exists in the archival records are related to these frictions.
These booklets are an illustrated expression of the walking tours developed in partnership with the DC History Center, Briana Thomas of Black Broadway Travel, and longtime Hillcrest community historian Jim Beyers and Woodridge Civic Association’s Jeremiah Montague, Jr. (respectively). Designed by Carlos Carmonamedina, they include a neighborhood introduction, map, and historical information about each tour site.
DC History Center’s Neighborhood History Project was created in partnership with the DC Public Library and supported by the DC Public Library Foundation.