Good Hope (Washington, D.C.)

Last updated
Good Hope
Neighborhood
Map good hope.jpg
Map of Washington, D.C., with the Good Hope neighborhood highlighted in red
Coordinates: 38°51′49.575″N076°57′53.55″W / 38.86377083°N 76.9648750°W / 38.86377083; -76.9648750
Country United States
District Washington, D.C.
WardWard 8
Constructed1820
Named for Good Hope Tavern
Government
 • Councilmember Trayon White
The intersection of 31st and W St., SE, in Good Hope, December 2017 31st and W St SE, Washington, DC in neighborhood of Good Hope.jpg
The intersection of 31st and W St., SE, in Good Hope, December 2017

Good Hope is a residential neighborhood in southeast Washington, D.C., near Anacostia. The neighborhood is generally middle class and is dominated by single-family detached and semi-detached homes. The year-round Fort Dupont Ice Arena skating rink and the Smithsonian Institution's Anacostia Museum are nearby. Good Hope is bounded by Fort Stanton Park to the north, Alabama Avenue SE to the south, Naylor Road SE to the west, and Branch Avenue SE to the east. The proposed Skyland Shopping Center redevelopment project is within the boundaries of the neighborhood. [1]

History

Good Hope was the first permanent modern settlement of size in Southeast Washington.

The Nacotchtank Native Americans were the first settlers to inhabit the area now known as Good Hope, living and fishing along the nearby Anacostia River. [2] Captain John Smith was the first European to visit the region in 1612 C.E., naming the river the "Nacotchtank". [3] [4] [5] War and disease decimated the Nacochtank, and during the last 25 years of the 17th century the tribe ceased to exist as a functional unit and its few remaining members merged with other local Piscataway Indian tribes. [4] [6] [7]

European settlement in Southeast Washington first occurred in 1662 at Blue Plains (now the site of the city's sewage treatment plant just to the west of the modern neighborhood of Bellevue), and at St. Elizabeth (now the site of St. Elizabeths Hospital psychiatric hospital) and Giesborough (now called Barry Farm) in 1663. [8] Lord Baltimore granted ownership of the Good Hope area and much of what is now Southeast D.C. (giving it the name "Chichester") to John Meeks in 1664. [7] [9] "Anacostia Fort" was built on the heights at the present-day neighborhood of Skyland some time in the 18th century. [4]

The area became part of the District of Columbia in 1791. Congress passed the Residence Act of 1790 to establish a federally owned district in which would be built the new national capital, and George Washington picked the current site in 1791 (a choice ratified by Congress later that year). [10] William Marbury, a wealthy Georgetown merchant who later was a party in the landmark Marbury v. Madison Supreme Court case, purchased much of the "Chichester tract" some time in the late 18th or early 19th century. [4]

The growth of the Washington Navy Yard created the need to provide housing for the many new employees working at the facility, but little land was available for new construction in the area and housing prices were high. Consequently, in 1818, the privately owned "Upper Navy Yard Bridge" was built over the Anacostia River at 11th Street SE. [4] [11] A toll bridge, this bridge was designed to permit easy access to Anacostia so that housing could be constructed on the eastern shore of the Anacostia River. [4] A road was built from the bridge to the town of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and named Upper Marlborough Road (called Good Hope Road SE today). [12]

In 1820, the town of Good Hope, D.C., was founded around a tavern located near the current intersection of Marion Barry Ave SE and Alabama Avenue SE. [4] [12] [13] [14] [15] Businesses began to construct buildings along Upper Marlborough Road toward the village of Good Hope, and a post office was established in the area and named Good Hope Station. [7] [14] In 1849, the post office's name was changed to Anacostia. [7]

Good Hope remained little more than a crossroads, however. Uniontown/Anacostia, Barry Farm, Congress Heights, and Randle Highlands were the focus of most housing and retail development until 1940. Even these communities remained isolated from one another, and most of the land between them was undeveloped until World War II. [16] The oppressive need for housing during the war, brought about by a massive influx of federal workers to the capital, led to extensive development of Southeast Washington and the linking of Good Hope with other parts of southeast D.C. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anacostia</span> Neighborhood in Washington, D.C.

Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. Its downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. It is located east of the Anacostia River, after which the neighborhood is named.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anacostia station</span> Washington Metro station

Anacostia station is a Washington Metro station in Washington, D.C., on the Green Line. The station is located in the Anacostia neighborhood of Southeast Washington, with entrances at Shannon Place and Howard Road near Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE. The station serves as a hub for Metrobus routes in Southeast, Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeast (Washington, D.C.)</span> Quadrant in the United States

Southeast is the southeastern quadrant of Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, and is located south of East Capitol Street and east of South Capitol Street. It includes the Capitol Hill and Anacostia neighborhoods, the Navy Yard, the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB), the U.S. Marine Barracks, the Anacostia River waterfront, Eastern Market, the remains of several Civil War-era forts, historic St. Elizabeths Hospital, RFK Stadium, Nationals Park, and the Congressional Cemetery. It also contains a landmark known as "The Big Chair," located on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. The quadrant is split by the Anacostia River, with the portion that is west of the river sometimes referred to as "Near Southeast". Geographically, it is the second-smallest quadrant of the city.

Benning Road is a major traveled street in Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congress Heights</span> Neighborhood in Washington, D.C., U.S.

Congress Heights is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C., in the United States. The irregularly shaped neighborhood is bounded by the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus, Lebaum Street SE, 4th Street SE, and Newcomb Street SE on the northeast; Shepard Parkway and South Capitol Street on the west; Atlantic Street SE and 1st Street SE on the south; Oxon Run Parkway on the southeast; and Wheeler Street SE and Alabama Avenue SE on the east. Commercial development is heavy along Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Malcolm X Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Capitol Street</span>

South Capitol Street is a major street dividing the southeast and southwest quadrants of Washington, D.C., in the United States. It runs south from the United States Capitol to the D.C.–Maryland line, intersecting with Southern Avenue. After it enters Maryland, the street becomes Indian Head Highway at the Eastover Shopping Center, a terminal or transfer point of many bus routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">11th Street Bridges</span> Complex of three bridges across the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C.

The 11th Street Bridges are a complex of three bridges across the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., United States. The bridges convey Interstate 695 across the Anacostia to its southern terminus at Interstate 295 and DC 295. The bridges also connect the neighborhood of Anacostia with the rest of the city of Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barney Circle</span> Neighborhood in the United States

Barney Circle is a small residential neighborhood located between the west bank of the Anacostia River and the eastern edge of Capitol Hill in southeast Washington, D.C., in the United States. The neighborhood is characterized by its sense of community, activism, walkability, and historic feel. The neighborhood's name derives from the eponymous former traffic circle Pennsylvania Avenue SE just before it crosses the John Philip Sousa Bridge over the Anacostia. The traffic circle is named for Commodore Joshua Barney, Commander of the Chesapeake Bay Flotilla in the War of 1812.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hillcrest (Washington, D.C.)</span> Neighborhood in Ward 7, United States

Hillcrest is a residential neighborhood in the southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C., United States. Hillcrest is located on the District-Maryland line in Ward 7, east of the Anacostia River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Farm</span> Neighborhood in Ward 8, United States

Barry Farm is a neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C., located east of the Anacostia River and bounded by the Southeast Freeway to the northwest, Suitland Parkway to the northeast and east, and St. Elizabeths Hospital to the south. The neighborhood was renowned as a significant post-Civil-War settlement of free Blacks and freed slaves established by the Freedmen's Bureau. The streets were named to commemorate the Union generals, Radical Republicans, and Freedmen's Bureau officials who advanced the rights of Black Americans during the Civil War and Reconstruction: Howard Road SE for General Oliver O. Howard; Sumner Road SE for Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner; Wade Road SE for Ohio Senator Benjamin Wade; Pomeroy Road SE for Kansas Senator Samuel C. Pomeroy; Stevens Road SE for Pennsylvania Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, and Nichols Avenue for Henry Nichols who was the first superintendent of Saint Elizabeth's Hospital. The neighborhood name is not a reference to the late former mayor of Washington, D.C., Marion Barry, but coincidentally has the same spelling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairlawn (Washington, D.C.)</span> Neighborhood in Ward 8, United States

Fairlawn is a working class and middle class residential neighborhood in southeast Washington, D.C., United States. It is bounded by Interstate 295, Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Minnesota Avenue SE, Naylor Road SE, and Good Hope Road SE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Highlands (Washington, D.C.)</span> Residential neighborhood, southeast Washington, D.C., United States

Washington Highlands is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C., in the United States. It lies within Ward 8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navy Yard (Washington, D.C.)</span> Place in the United States

Navy Yard is a neighborhood of Washington, D.C., located in Southeast D.C. Navy Yard, situated along the Anacostia Riverfront south of Capitol Hill, takes its name from Washington Navy Yard, the administrative seat of the U.S. Navy. Historically an industrial area, today Navy Yard is a popular entertainment district, home to Nationals Park, a notable nightlife scene, and numerous waterfront esplanades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenway (Washington, D.C.)</span> Neighborhood in Ward 7, United States

Greenway is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C., in the United States. The neighborhood is bounded by East Capitol Street to the north, Pennsylvania Avenue SE to the south, Interstate 295 to the west, and Minnesota Avenue to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naylor Gardens</span> Neighborhood in Ward 7, United States

Naylor Gardens is a small neighborhood located in southeast Washington, D.C. It is bounded by Alabama Avenue SE, 30th Street SE, Erie Street SE, 32nd Street SE, Gainesville Street SE, 31st Street SE, and Naylor Road SE. The neighborhood is located in the area south and east of the Anacostia River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skyland (Washington, D.C.)</span> Place in the United States

Skyland is a neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is bounded by Good Hope Road to the northeast, Alabama Avenue to the southeast, and Fort Stanton Park to the south and west. It is part of Ward 8. Also see article on the Anacostia neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Washington, D.C.</span> Overview of and topical guide to District of Columbia

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to District of Columbia:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anacostia Historic District</span> Historic district in Washington, D.C., United States

The Anacostia Historic District is a historic district in the city of Washington, D.C., comprising approximately 20 squares and about 550 buildings built between 1854 and 1930. The Anacostia Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. "The architectural character of the Anacostia area is unique in Washington. Nowhere else in the District of Columbia does there exist such a collection of late-19th and early-20th century small-scale frame and brick working-class housing."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue</span> Street in District of Columbia, USA

Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue is a major street in the District of Columbia traversing through both the Southwest and Southeast quadrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge (1890)</span> Bridge in United States of America

The Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge was a crossing of the Anacostia River in Washington, DC at the site of the present John Philip Sousa Bridge. It was constructed in 1890 and demolished around 1939.

References

  1. ↑ Dyke, Lynne. "A Tough Sell: SE's Shabby Skyland Shopping Center Faces An Upscale Battle Against Development." Washington Post. September 10, 2006; Shin, Annys. "Wall Street Investment May Resurrect Skyland." Washington Post. June 10, 2006.
  2. ↑ Humphrey, Robert L. and Chambers, Mary Elizabeth. "Ancient Washington: American Indian Cultures of the Potomac Valley." G.W. Studies. 1977.
  3. ↑ Rountree, Helen C.; Clark, Wayne E.; and Mountford, Kent. John Smith's Chesapeake Voyages, 1607–1609. Charlotte, Va.: University of Virginia Press, 2007. ISBN   0-8139-2644-0
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Burr, Charles R. "A Brief History of Anacostia, Its Name, Origin, and Progress." Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 1920.
  5. ↑ There is some evidence that Smith was not the first European to visit the area. A Spanish vessel may have brought European explorers to the Anacostia River around 1550 C.E. See: Bryan, A History of the National Capital..., 1914, p. 47.
  6. ↑ Williams, Brett. "A River Runs Through Us." American Anthropologist. 103:2 (June 2001).
  7. 1 2 3 4 Cantwell, Thomas J. "Anacostia: Strength in Adversity." Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C. 1973/1974.
  8. ↑ Bryan, Wilhelmus Bogart. A History of the National Capital from Its Foundation Through the Period of the Adoption of the Organic Act. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1914.
  9. ↑ "Anacostia Historic District - National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form." National Park Service. United States Department of the Interior. October 10, 1978.
  10. ↑ Crew, Harvey W.; Webb, William Bensing; and Wooldridge, John. Centennial History of the City of Washington, D.C. Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing House, 1892.
  11. ↑ Croggon, James. "Old 'Burnt Bridge'". Evening Star. July 7, 1907.
  12. 1 2 Senkevitch, Anatole. Old Anacostia, Washington, D.C.: A Study of Community Preservation Resources. School of Architecture, University of Maryland. 1975.
  13. ↑ Anacostia Historic District. D.C. Historic Preservation Office. Office of Planning, District of Columbia. Washington, D.C.: March 2007. Archived 2010-01-08 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 2009-12-26.
  14. 1 2 Pippenger, Wesley E. District of Columbia Interments, January 1, 1855 to July 31, 1874. Westminster, Md.: Heritage Books, 2007. ISBN   1-58549-154-3
  15. ↑ Moody, Dominique, “DC unveils Marion Barry Avenue in honor of former mayor”, NBC Washington, November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  16. 1 2 Benedetto, Robert; Donovan, Jane; and Du Vall, Kathleen. Historical Dictionary of Washington. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003. ISBN   0-8108-4094-4
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.