Section 10-A2401. CONTEXT HISTORY

 

2401.1Upper Northeast began as a series of land grants made by British King Charles I to George Calvert, the first Lord Baltimore. During the 1700s and early 1800s, early settlers enjoyed meadows, woodlands, farms, and open countryside. Tracks for the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) railroad were laid out in the 1830s, but the area remained sparsely populated until the turn of the 20th Century. In the 1840s, Colonel Brooks, a veteran of the War of 1812, built the Greek Revival mansion that still stands today at 901 Newton Street. Several Civil War strongholds were developed in the area during the 1860s, including Fort Bunker Hill, Fort Slemmer, Fort Totten, and Fort Lincoln. 2401.1

 

2401.2One of the first settlements in the area was Ivy City, developed around 1872 along the B & O Railroad tracks. Ivy City later became a brick manufacturing center and was home to the National Fair Grounds in the late 1800s. In 1879, the B & O Railroad developed additional rail lines through Upper Northeast, connecting Washington to Pittsburgh, Chicago, and points west. Industrial uses followed the railroads, locating along the sidings. Trolley lines were extended out Rhode Island Avenue in 1897, beginning the area’s residential growth as well as the growth of nearby communities in Maryland. 2401.2

 

2401.3Beginning in the late 1880s, the Brooks estate was subdivided and the Brookland neighborhood was born. The deep lots and spacious porches created the ambiance of small town living just a few miles from central D.C. The houses went for as little as $300 and were affordable for teachers, tradesmen, and government workers. By 1900, the neighborhood boasted plank sidewalks and a streetcar line. Much of the neighborhood’s architectural heritage, including Victorians, bungalows, and colonial homes remains intact today and is part of the neighborhood’s charm. 2401.3

 

2401.4Catholic University was established in the area in 1887. Several other religious organizations settled nearby. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur founded Trinity University in 1901, and the Dominicans built their House of Studies the same year. The Paulists, the Marists, and Holy Cross Fathers soon followed. By the 1920s, the area had gained the nickname “Little Rome.” By this time, Gallaudet University had already been flourishing for half a century on a campus near Ivy City, growing from humble beginnings in the 1860s to become the nation’s premier college for the deaf and hearing impaired. 2401.4

 

2401.5Much of the Upper Northeast was developed between 1920 and 1950. Major industrial and commercial development occurred during this period, and the rail corridors became a well-established regional distribution center. New York Avenue became the major route into Washington from the northeast, attracting hotels, motels, and tourist services. Large-scale housing construction took place during the 1920s in Ivy City and Trinidad, and the 1930s saw construction of Langston Dwellings, the nation’s second public housing complex and now a National Historic Landmark. Housing developments like Brentwood Village and Riggs Park were constructed during the 1930s and 40s, and smaller-scale development took place during the 1950s in the Lamond-Riggs and Fort Totten areas. 2401.5

 

2401.6By the 1960s, most of the area was fully developed. Fort Lincoln, the last remaining large tract of vacant land, was conceived as a “New Town” as part of the Johnson Administration’s Great Society program. The 360-acre site was intended to be an innovative experiment in participatory democracy, and racial and economic integration, with residents involved in the community’s development and profits. A private company was selected to build the project, which initially included 550 condominiums, 666 senior citizen apartments and 157 garden apartments. During the 1970s, the National Park Service built a playground and park area, and the city built an elementary school and indoor swimming pool. Only about half of the original plan was actually carried out, however. Most of the remaining acreage at Fort Lincoln is slated for development in the next 10 years, however, so the promise of the initial plans for the community may yet be fulfilled. 2401.6

 

notation

The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.