The DC Preservation League is pleased to announce that it has received a $50,000 grant from the African American Civil Rights Program, as administered by the National Park Service (NPS), Department of the Interior, to fund creation of a study entitled Black Power in 20th Century Washington, DC: A Context Study.
“This study is the first of its kind and by exploring the DC Black Power Movement, it will shed light on this critical time in the city’s history—beyond events like the Million Man March and already-identified leaders, like Malcom X and Marion Barry, who was the first black power activist elected as DC Mayor. DC’s Black Power Movement was incredibly well-organized and it involved a variety of local and national activists, alike,” DCPL’s Executive Director Rebecca Miller said.
The project will catalyze nominations to both the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places. DCPL will also devise an outreach plan to educate the community on the research findings and significant associated properties.
“The activists involved in the Black Power Movement built up the community by adding schools, centers for art and music, and even oversight boards for the local police departments; they sparked important discussions about the city’s ongoing redevelopment; and they were catalysts for establishing DC’s first democratically-elected local government in nearly a century. These details and stories are largely unknown,” Ms. Miller said. “It’s long past time to tell them.”
Any questions aboutthis grant should be addressed to DCPL Director of Development, Kelli Knox: kelli@dcpreservation.org.
“Take One Tour” brochures for the S2/S4 line and the G-2 line
During the mid 1970s, Don’t Tear it Down–the predecessor to today’s DC Preservation League–created the “Take One Tour,” a series of brochures distributed on buses as a guide to historically significant buildings along the routes. These brochures were intended for commuters and tourists alike and sought to raise awareness of Washington’s unique built environment. One of these routes was the G-2: a popular bus route which runs from LeDroit Park to Georgetown. Along the route, riders not only pass many beautiful examples of Federal and Victorian architecture, but also several unusual sites that the casual observer might not notice at first glance. Here is a look back at the G-2 Take One Tour and how the sites along it have both evolved and stayed the same in the near fifty years since it was first created.
Today’s G-2 route follows the same path as it did in the 1970s: it starts in LeDroit Park, passes through Logan Circle, then Dupont Circle, and ends in Georgetown.
The first stop on the G-2 is located at Howard University on 4th and Bryant Sts. Founded in 1866 by General Oliver O. Howard, the historically black university’s main campus features many Georgian Revival structures. The quality education provided by the university to people of all races has attracted students and academics from all over the country. In the 154 years since Howard University was first established, it has continued to have a great impact on the larger community. Many of the immediately surrounding neighborhoods were occupied by Howard professors. In the 1970s, individuals in those neighborhoods worried that the physical expansion of the university would come to harm the community it helped create.
Next on the G-2 bus route is LeDroit Park, a neighborhood founded in the 1870s, making it one of Washington’s first suburbs. Many of the original row houses were designed by architect James McGill. After the first African American family moved into the neighborhood in 1893, the previously all-white suburb became home to many locally and nationally prominent Black Americans, including educator Mary Church Terrell and poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar. LeDroit Park was made a historic district in 1974, just two years before the G-2 “Take One Tour” was distributed, and it retains much of its character today.
Just before reaching Logan Circle, the G-2 passes through the Shaw neighborhood. This area takes its name from Shaw Junior High School, which in turn is named for Robert Gould Shaw: a Union officer who led one of the first African American units during the American Civil War. As the brochure notes, this large, densely populated residential area was first developed between 1880 and 1910, and still contains some of Washington’s best examples of row house architecture. The neighborhood has not significantly changed since the bus tours began in the 1970s, and in 1999 much of the area was included in the then newly-formed Shaw Historic District.
The John F. Kennedy playground in 1976
Located within the Shaw neighborhood is one of the more unconventional sites listed on the G-2 Take One Tour brochure: the John F. Kennedy Playground. Dedicated in 1964 by Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the park is located on P St between 7th and Marion Sts NW. When it was first established, the unusual playground’s equipment was made up of old tanks and jets, a steam locomotive, and a huge slide. Although the playground was extremely popular for some time, it fell into disrepair by the late 1970s and became unsafe for children. Most of the tanks and planes were turned into scrap metal, but the locomotive was restored and put on display in the National Museum of American History. Today, the JFK Recreation Center and a more conventional playground occupy the lot, continuing the site’s legacy as a place for children to play.
As the G-2 continues its route, it intersects with Logan Circle. In the 1970s and today, Logan Circle is the only original traffic circle in Washington to retain a residential character. The houses on the circle– ornamented with carvings, chimneys, turrets, and ironwork–serve as strong examples of Victorian architecture. Designated a historic district in 1972, many of the mansions and row houses were undergoing restoration when the brochures were being distributed. Although most of the houses and mansions have been converted into apartments or boarding houses, the exteriors of most buildings remain relatively unchanged.
The G-2 bus on its route in 1976
On the opposite end of the G2’s route from LeDroit Park is Georgetown, the popular, upscale neighborhood along the Potomac River waterfront. Georgetown is undoubtedly one of DC’s most well-known historic districts, and the G2’s path through Georgetown along P and O Streets is densely packed with historically significant sites. These sites range from the prominent Georgetown University to the oldest Black church in the District (Mt. Zion Methodist), and also include many smaller ones such as old streetcar tracks and a gun barrel fence. Of particular note are the many different styles of houses which coexist on Georgetown streets. As Georgetown began to decline economically during the late 19th century, it continued to grow, but within itself, by subdividing. The result: mansion and modest; brick and frame; Georgian and Modern may all be found in one city block. In combination, these places make Georgetown an urban setting unlike any other in the nation’s capital–and like few others in the world.
Early advocates sported these “Don’t Tear It Down” buttons
Throughout the brochure, the “Take One Tour” for the G-2 bus line emphasizes the importance of the physical environment in Washington. It encourages the public to learn more about the structures along public transportation routes by not only talking about specific sites, but also by discussing stylistic traits shared by several buildings and neighborhoods, such as fanciful red brick detailing, turrets, and mansard roofs. These characteristics are a part of what makes Washington special. Don’t Tear It Down used the G-2 and other “Take One Tour” brochures to emphasize the importance of protecting the physical environment and advocating for preservation as a way to strengthen a community. As its fiftieth anniversary approaches, the DC Preservation League continues its mission to make learning about DC’s history and preservation easy and accessible to all through several online resources–such as the DC Historic Sites App–and actively works towards the protection of the physical environment.
October is LGBTQ History Month! Rainbow History Project
(RHP) established the Community Pioneer Award in 2003 to honor people whose contributions to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community of the Metropolitan Washington, DC area merited special recognition. To celebrate the stories and contributions of DC’s LGBTQ+ community, we’re highlighting individuals recognized by RHP and the historic places that embody their legacies here and on Facebook.
Ric Mendoza-Gleason arrived in DC in 1965 after serving in the Korean War. He is recognized as an important leader in the Latinx LGBTQ community. His work helped develop organizations, improved relations between the police and community, and established health and cultural services.
He volunteered with the Gay Switchboard service at 1724 20th Street NW, a contributing site in the Dupont Circle Historic District. It served as a support hotline for the community. Mendoza was a founding member of Gays and Lesbians Opposed to Violence, GLOV, which improved relations between the LGBTQ community and the Metropolitan Police Department to improve safety for LGBTQ individuals at a time when police routinely entrapped queer residents and refused to meet with gay leaders. He was subsequently a member of the 3rd District Police advisory board.
Mendoza also served on the executive board of ENLACE, an LGBTQ Latinx organization established in 1987. ENLACE means “link” in Spanish – fittingly, it brought Latino lesbians and gays together from around the country and inspired new local, regional, and national organizations. ENLACE held meetings at the Gay Community Center (1228 17th Street NW) and El Dorado Restaurant (500 8th St SE). He participated in gay Latino contingents in the annual Hispanic Day parade, and joined the DC Latino Civil Rights Task Force as an individual, later helping ENLACE join as well. Learn more about Mendoza here.
Although DC has a rich LGBTQ history, there are only two related sites listed as landmarks in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites. The historic environment embodies a community’s history, and by protecting those spaces, we are also helping to preserve their identities, culture, and stories. The Historic Preservation Office was recently awarded a grant to identify and preserve LGBTQ sites across Washington, and is collaborating with DC Preservation League on the project.
Since 2003, the District of Columbia Awards for Excellence in Historic Preservation has honored more than 100 outstanding preservation projects and dozens of individuals and organizations for their exceptional contributions in support of historic preservation in Washington, DC.
Nominate a project or person who you believe exemplifies excellence in historic preservation!
Projects must have been completed after January 1, 2016.
The DC Preservation League (DCPL) is pleased to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the National Park Service’s (NPS) African American Civil Rights Grants Program* and a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Dorthea DeSchweinitz Preservation Fund for DC.** The grants will underwrite the production of a National Register Multiple Property Document (MPD)—an official document that provides context for and identifies resources related to a specific theme—focused on the African American Civil Rights Movement of the 20th Century in Washington, DC. This project will catalyze local nominations to both the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places.
To assist in the completion of this document, DCPL has contracted with Prologue DC—a Washington-based, woman-owned firm specializing in DC neighborhood history, which will work in consultation with preservation architect Nakita Reed, AIA; scholar Chris Myers Asch of Colby College and co-author of Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation’s Capital (2017); and architectural historian Amber Wiley, Ph.D, of Rutgers University—to document historic resources, identify themes, and develop a historic context narrative outlining criteria for their inclusion. As specified by NPS, Prologue will use the 2008 NPS report Civil Rights in America, A Framework for Identifying Significant Sites as a reference for identifying properties to be included.
Once the MPD is finalized, DCPL will submit it to the DC Historic Preservation Office for adoption by the DC Historic Preservation Review Board. It will then be forwarded to the National Register of Historic Places.
To receive email updates on the project and a special invitation to the Community Forum, please register here.
*Partially funded by the African American Civil Rights program of the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.
**This project has been funded in part by a grant from the Dorothea DeSchweinitz Fund for DC of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Photos:
1963 March on Washington, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Collection
12th Street YMCA, 1816 12th Street, NW, Thurgood Marshall Center
DCPL Trustee Donald Beekman Myer, FAIA, passed away unexpectedly on August 8th. Don called the City of Washington home since 1963, a time ripe with opportunities to blend his architectural expertise with the historic preservation movement. His early work for the National Park Service included historic preservation alongside HABS studies of Washington’s architecture, efforts which later informed his role as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. Here, he balanced preservation work with design review and played a part in discussions about evolving urban dynamics, including the impact of modern infrastructure, technology, and even digital trends like crypto casinos, which, despite their virtual nature, raise questions about preserving cultural and social landmarks in an increasingly digital age. Additionally, he contributed to teaching architectural history and urban conservation at Catholic University and served as the Clerk of the Works for the Washington National Cathedral. His leadership extended to the American Institute of Architects and the Adams Memorial Foundation, showcasing his commitment to both professional and community preservation.
Don’s trusteeship with the DC Preservation League focused on its Project Review Committee, Don served on the committee from 2008-2019, serving as the from 2010 -2014. His leadership and participation have fundamentally shaped the character of Washington, DC through review of major development projects affecting historic landmarks and within historic districts.
Don was also a recognized Botanical Artist. His work is in several collections, been shown in a number of galleries and exhibited at the Corcoran Gallery and the Delaware Art Museum.
DCPL’s Trustees and Staff will very much miss his wisdom and guidance.
“He was a unique and wonderful man and I am very glad I was able to get to know him and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of his company. He will be sorely missed.” – Rob McLennan, Chair, DCPL Project Review Committee
“Don was such a generous, kind man, and I so admired his ability to acknowledge the good work of our presenters, while also letting them know we had concerns about their work…he was a master at that. We both attended the University of Illinois, and I always enjoyed sharing that with him.” – Elizabeth Milnarik, Project Review Committee Member
“I am so grateful I was able to serve with Don and will miss his graciousness, enthusiasm, and depth of knowledge. He was truly a wonderful man.” – Dana Litowitz, Project Review Committee Member
“I’ve known Don for many years and always treasured his friendship. He was a consummate professional – thoughtful, constructive, and fair, and a talented watercolorist, as well as a wonderful, warm person with a mischievous sense of humor and a twinkle in his eye. He will be greatly missed…” – Darwina Neal, FASLA, Project Review Committee Member
“I knew Don for many years and had the greatest respect for him. I always learned so much from him. He was a big reason why I joined the DCPL board. Such a pleasure to always see him. He will be missed. ” – Amy Ballard, DCPL Board of Trustees
“Big loss for us and our community. His contribution and style will surely be missed by all.” – Gerard Heiber, DCPL Board of Trustees
A first draft of the site list will be completed and shared with the public this fall and an open-invitation community meeting will follow on Tuesday, November 5th at 6:30 pm at the Thurgood Marshall Center, 1816 12th Street, NW. Please save the date! 
DCPL Trustee Donald Beekman Myer, FAIA, passed away unexpectedly on August 8th. Don called the City of Washington home since 1963, a time ripe with opportunities to blend his architectural expertise with the historic preservation movement. His early work for the National Park Service included historic preservation alongside HABS studies of Washington’s architecture, efforts which later informed his role as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. Here, he balanced preservation work with design review and played a part in discussions about evolving urban dynamics, including the impact of modern infrastructure, technology, and even digital trends like 