Anacostia
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Map of Washington, D.C., with Anacostia highlighted in red |
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View from Maple View Place SE of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE in the Anacostia neighborhood, and the Washington D.C. skyline. |
Anacostia is a historic
neighborhood in
Washington, D.C.. Its historic downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It is the most famous neighborhood in the
Southeast quadrant of Washington, located east of the
Anacostia River, which the area is named after. The local news media in recent years has come to use the term "Anacostia" to include the entire portion of Washington, D.C. south and east of the Anacostia River as far as the city limits - not just the original central core.
The name "Anacostia" derives from the area's early history as
Nacochtank, a settlement of Necostan or Anacostan
Native Americans on the banks of the Anacostia River. Captain
John Smith recorded in his journals that he sailed up the "Eastern Branch" or Anacostia River in 1608 in his search for the main branch of the
Potomac River and was well received by the Anacostans.
Uniontown, the core of the Anacostia historic district, was incorporated in 1854 and was one of the first suburbs in the District of Columbia. It was designed to be financially available to Washington's working class, most of whom were employed across the river at the
Navy Yard. 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, often called "the sage of Anacostia," bought the home of the developer of Uniontown in 1877 and lived there until he died in 1895. The home is still maintained as an historical site in Anacostia.
Anacostia's population remained predominantly
White up until the 1950s, with Whites comprising 87% of the population. During the 1950s, the
Anacostia Freeway (I-295) was constructed. The highway imposed a barrier between the Anacostia neighborhood and the
Anacostia River waterfront. Numerous
public housing apartment complexes were also built in the neighborhood. With flight of much of the middle class out of the neighborhood during the 1950s, Anacostia's demographics changed dramatically as the neighborhood became predominantly
African-American. Shopping, dining, and entertainment facilities throughout greater Anacostia are minimal and scanty, so that residents often must travel to either the suburbs or downtown Washington for these services. Greater Anacostia with a population of 150,000 or more (all of the City south and east of the River) has only one full-service seated restaurant (according to the Washington Post). Anacostia, however, has a year-round ice skating rink at Fort Dupont Park, the city police boys' club, and an excellent new "tennis and learning center" combining sports with academic tutoring in Congress Heights.
As of the
2000 Census, Anacostia's population is 92% Black, 5% Non-hispanic White, and 3% other. After decades of neglect, crime has been a major problem in this area of the city. In 2005, 62 of Washington, D.C.'s 195
homicides occurred in the 7th District of the
Metropolitan Police Department, which also includes the neighborhoods of
Barry Farm,
Naylor Gardens, and
Washington Highlands. This figure is down from the 7th District's peak of 133 homicides in 1993 .
Anacostia is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. The historic district retains much of its mid-to-late 19th-century low scale, working class character, as is evident in its architecture.
In 1959, an Anacostia landmark, the World's Largest Chair, was established at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and V Street, SE. The chair was built by
Bassett Furniture for
Curtis Brothers Furniture Store, formerly located at this site. In the summer of 2005, the
Big Chair – as it's known – was removed for repairs then returned in April 2006. Other important facilities in the Anacostia area include Bolling Air Force Base, Anacostia Naval Air Station, Saint Elizabeth's psychiatric hospital (over 100 years old), and Greater Southeast Community Hospital. The Washington Navy Yard and the future site of a Washington Nationals professional baseball stadium are both located not quite in Anacostia but rather on the North side of the Anacostia River.
Central Anacostia is served by Anacostia Senior High School; a general academic high school part of the District of Columbia public school system. Ballou High School is in southern Anacostia. Famous people who grew up or have lived in Greater Anacostia at various times, include Marion Barry, former Mayor of Washington; Marvin Gaye, late recording artist/songwriter; Frederick Douglass, noted abolitionist and government official (see note above); Denyse Graves, New York metropolitan opera singer; Roy Clark, country singer/guitarist/songwriter and TV personality; Dr. and Mrs. Calvin Rolark, founders of the United Black Fund; Ezra Pound, noted poet; and Stacey Lattislaw, and Peaches and Herb, recording artists.
*The
Anacostia Museum, a branch of the
Smithsonian Institution, was established in 1967 by
S. Dillon Ripley, then-Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
The neighborhood, served by the
Anacostia Metro station, is a ten minute ride on
Washington Metro's Green Line from downtown Washington; other metro stations on the Green and Orange lines serve other parts of Greater Anacostia.
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Metropolitan Police Department - Crime Statistics
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Anacostia Historic District*
Anacostia Online, calendar, shops, ect
