Public Meeting: Housing Black Washington Multiple Property Document
Please join the DC Historic Preservation Office, the DC Preservation League, and Architectural Historian Heather McMahon for this public presentation about the Housing Black Washington Multiple Property Document. This project is funded by an Underrepresented Communities Grant from the National Park Service.
This study looks closely at the places Black Washingtonians have called home over time. It especially explores housing considered “affordable,” meaning it was intended for working-class residents, since African Americans have always made up a significant portion of the District of Columbia’s working class since racial restrictions kept many in lower-wage, blue-collar or service-sector jobs. Since the District of Columbia’s founding, housing for African Americans had often been relegated to rear yards, back alleys, isolated neighborhoods, and undesirable locations. Their homes were hidden although their work was salient: Black Washingtonians helped build the White House, the U.S. Capitol, Washington’s grand avenues, and national monuments.
This meeting is free to attend!
