Fiona Hagan

11/9/23

LeDroit Park, a subdivision of Northwest DC, continues to be a physical and symbolic representation of the Black community’s efforts to combat racial discrimination. Recently, citizens of LeDroit Park have worked to restore the neighborhood’s history and to share the area’s cultural richness with other DC residents. A key factor in this process has been the restoration of some of LeDroit Park’s oldest and most significant homes, many of which were constructed in the 1880’s and still stand today. 

Kim Williams, a Historic Preservation Specialist for the DC Historic Preservation Office, spends much of her time researching the history of LeDroit Park and working to preserve its history. “All the renovation work that is going on is so important to retain the historic character of our city,” she notes. “LeDroit Park is a tight-knit community. Black Washingtonians stuck together as a community and LeDroit Park had a distinct cohesiveness in culture and architecture that made it such an attractive place to live.” 

Characterized by its unique history and colorful late 19th century row houses, the neighborhood has long been home to some of the most influential members of the American fight for racial equality. Its proximity to Howard University, a prominent historically Black university, has attracted African American intellectuals, artists, and politicians for over 130 years.   

The area was originally founded as an all-white residential neighborhood, constructed between 1873 and 1877. Guards were stationed at the edges of the neighborhood to prevent entry by non-white residents, and a large fence divided LeDroit Park from the rest of the area. This later became a large point of tension amongst neighboring Black residents, who, during the summer of 1888, demolished the fence in a protest against segregation. 

It wasn’t until years after the fence was torn down that LeDroit Park’s first Black resident moved in. Octavius Williams, a barber, moved in in 1893, beginning the large-scale relocation of Black citizens from other areas into Ledroit Park. This initial period of integration was not long-lasting. Most of the white residents had moved out by 1915. From this point on, the neighborhood was predominantly Black, and became a hub for social progress within the Black community of DC and beyond.

Three of the neighborhood’s most noteworthy residents, Jesse Jackson, Anna J. Cooper, and Mary Church Terell, achieved great strides in the civil rights movement while living in LeDroit Park. Jesse Jackson, born on October 8, 1941, is a political activist, minister, and politician. He was a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr, and following King’s passing, Jackson took on many of Dr. King’s roles in the civil rights movement. While living in LeDroit Park, Jackson ran as a Democratic Presidential candidate, and used his influence in the Democratic party to bring African-American issues to the forefront of the party’s platform. 

Another influential activist that achieved great things while living in LeDroit Park was educator, activist, and author Anna Julia Cooper. She participated in the creation of the Colored Women’s League in 1892 and started “colored” sections of the Young Women’s Christian Association and the Young Men’s Christian Association to help young Black men and women who were traveling from the South to DC. Before her successful efforts, these organizations would not admit African American members. 

Mary Church Terell had great positive impacts on both the fights for Black civil rights and women’s rights. Born in 1863, she worked alongside Ida B. Wells in anti-lynching campaigns and served as the president of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW). 

These prominent Black activists are only a few of LeDroit Park’s most famous residents. For many years, LeDroit Park’s historic structures have been undergoing preservation to help protect and celebrate the neighborhood’s rich history. Howard University has taken charge in the restoration of Mary Church Terell’s home on 326 T Street. Terrell’s efforts for various humanitarian causes that changed the sociopolitical climate of the nation’s capital and the entire country were honored by being included on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1987, Howard University was given the house as per Terrell’s wishes. In 1999, after years of abandonment, the house was listed as one of the Most Endangered Places by the DC Preservation League. In the midst of work to restore the historic site, the house was taken off the list in 2023. The project was completed in the last few months thanks to the Mary Church Terrell House Board’s unwavering devotion and the LeDroit Park Civic Association’s support. 

In addition to preserving LeDroit Park as an attractive residential area, Williams’ and her colleagues’ work helps protect the neighborhood and its structures as a kind of open-air museum of Black culture and activism in Washington. Any serious student of American history and culture would be well served by a walking tour of its storied streets.