Ledroit Park A History Guide

Built as a gated, all-white community, in the 20th century LeDroit Park became the premier neighborhood of Washington, DC's Black elite. LeDroit Park's famed arch offers entry into a tree-lined neighborhood with unique architecture and a captivating history. Developed in 1873 by a Howard University trustee who refused to sell lots to Black Washingtonians, the neighborhood was designed to be both town and country, one of DC's earliest suburbs. Not long after the fences of this gated community were torn down, the demographics changed as members of the Black elite of Washington moved there. During the 20th century it was home to educators and activists, military men and artists, doctors and scientists - both white and Black, men and women. Local historian and guide Canden Schwantes leads you through this neighborhood, small in size but large in history, to discover the stories of the people who called LeDroit Park home.

Built as a gated, all-white community, in the 20th century LeDroit Park became the premier neighborhood of Washington, DC's Black elite. LeDroit Park's famed arch offers entry into a tree-lined neighborhood with unique architecture and a captivating history. Developed in 1873 by a Howard University trustee who refused to sell lots to Black Washingtonians, the neighborhood was designed to be both town and country, one of DC's earliest suburbs. Not long after the fences of this gated community were torn down, the demographics changed as members of the Black elite of Washington moved there. During the 20th century it was home to educators and activists, military men and artists, doctors and scientists - both white and Black, men and women. Local historian and guide Canden Schwantes leads you through this neighborhood, small in size but large in history, to discover the stories of the people who called LeDroit Park home.

Let residents tell you what it's been like to live in D.C.'s most gentrified neighborhood. When Gretchen Wharton came to Shaw in 1946, the houses were full of families that looked like hers: lower-income, African American, two parents with kids. The sidewalks were full of children playing. When Leroy Thorpe moved in in the 1980s, the same streets were dense with drug markets. When John Lucier found a deal on a house in Shaw in 2002, he found himself moving into one of four occupied homes on his block. Every morning, he waited by himself on the empty platform of the newly opened metro station. When Preetha Iyengar became pregnant with her first child in 2016, she jumped into a seller's market to buy a rowhouse in the area. Journalist and Shaw resident Shilpi Malinowski explores the complexities of the many stories of belonging in the District's most dynamic neighborhood.

Compiles information and interpretations on the past 500 years of African American history, containing essays on historical research aids, bibliographies, resources for womens' issues, and an accompanying CD-ROM providing bibliographical entries.

The Rough Guide to Washington DC is the definitive guide to this historic city, with clear maps and detailed coverage of all the city's best attractions. Discover Washington DC's highlights with stunning photography and information on everything from the city's memorials and museums along the Mall to showpieces like the International Spy Museum. Find detailed practical advice on what to see and do in Washington DC, relying on up-to-date descriptions of the best hotels, bars, clubs, shops and restaurants for all budgets; The Rough Guide to Washington DC also includes full-colour sections of the region's top sights, and there are plenty of maps to help you plan your trip to the lively and fascinating capital of the United States. Make the most of your holiday with The Rough Guide to Washington DC.

Avoid The Tourist Herds. What could be more uninspiring than seeing the identical attractions that everyone else has for decades? This Twister Tour Guide escorts you to the places locals don’t want to talk about anymore…the same places people once couldn’t stop talking about. Long after the screaming headlines and sensationalism has subsided, these bizarre, infamous and obscure historical sites remain hidden awaiting rediscovery. Each visitation site in this guide is accompanied by a story. Many of the narratives defy believability, yet they are true. The photography from each profile showcases the precise location where each event occurred. The scenes can seem ordinary, weird and/or sometimes very revealing towards clarifying the background behind events. If you’re seeking an alternative to conventional tourism, this Twisted Tour Guide is ideal. Each directory accommodates the restless traveler and even resident looking for something unique and different. Historic, Heroic and Flawed Personalities: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Ulysses S. Grant, John F. Kennedy, Pierre Charles L’Enfant, Controversial Supreme Court Justices, Dolley Madison, Daniel Sickles, John Wilkes Booth, Charles Guiteau, James Garfield, Mary Ann Hall, Frederick Douglass, Wild Rose O’Neal, Clara Barton, Anna Etheridge Hooks, Cleveland Abbe, Clover Adams, Buffalo Bill, Charles Lindbergh, Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover, General Douglas MacArthur, Richard Nixon, J. Edgar Hoover, Ezra Pound, Donald Trump, Malcolm X, George Lincoln Rockwell, Fanne Foxe, Robert Emmet, John and Rita Jenrette, Ronald Reagan, John Hinckley, Ted Kennedy, Oliver North, Gary Hart, Marion Barry, Vincent Foster, Aldrich Ames, Dick Morris, Elizabeth Ray, Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky, Warren Harding, Grover Cleveland, Newt Gingrich, Don Sherwood, Mark Foley, Anthony Weiner and Edward Snowden, Architecture and Locations With A Distinctive Past: White House, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Building, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Marine Commandant’s Residence, Tayloe House, Dolley Madison House, Original D.C. City Hall, National Postal Museum, Washington Monument, Willard Hotel, Ford’s Theatre, William Peterson House, Mary Surratt Boarding House, Terrace Houses, Ebenezer United Methodist Church, Thaddeus Stevens School, Supreme Court Building, Lafayette Square, Hay-Adams Hotel, Union Station, LeDroit Park, Congressional and Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pools, Swampoodle, National Mall, Meridian Hill Park, Spanish Steps, Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store, Knickerbocker Theatre, Potomac and Anacostia Flats, Mayflower Hotel, Watergate Steps, Holodomor Memorial, Martin’s Tavern, Congressional Cemetery, New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, Blair House, Uline Arena, Watergate Complex, Deep Throat Parking Garage, Washington Post, Tidal Basin, Sheridan Circle, Bassin’s, Washington Hilton, Vietnam War Memorial, Old Ebbitt Grill, La Brasserie, Rayburn House, Georgetown’s Old Stone House & Halcyon House, Floating Potomac Brothels, Exorcist Stairs, St. Elizabeth Hospital, Dupont Circle, 9/11 Pentagon Memorial and Senator Barrack Obama’s Apartment. Historical Scandals: Petticoat Scandal, General Fighting Joe Hooker’s Division, Credit Mobilier Scandal, Lincoln Park Monument, Ohio Gang, Teapot Dome, Bonus Act, Watergate, Abscam, Contras and Drug Cartel Bust. Infamous Killings and Deaths: Presidents Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield, Frances Scott Key, William Taulbee, Arthur Brown, Leslie Coffelt, Alma Preinkert, Mary Pinchot Meyer, Gail Cobb, Orlando Letelier, Michael Halberstam, Raymond Nelson, Tran Van Chuong and Than Thj Nam, Serial Killer James Swann, Joyce Chiang, Chandra Levy, Beltway Sniper, Wanda Alston, David Rosenbaum, Alan Senitt, Robert Wone, Stephen Johns, Viola Herms and Mohammad Anwar.

Washington is one of America's most visited cities, drawing millions of tourists each year. This new edition details all of the capital's best cultural and historical sights. Also includes a nightlife section and a gay and lesbian section. Photos. 23 maps.