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| Ethnicity in Washington, D.C. |
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People of Irish descent form a distinct ethnic group in Washington, D.C., [1] and have had a presence in the region since the pre-American Revolution period. [2]
| Part of a series on |
| Ethnicity in Washington, D.C. |
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People of Irish descent form a distinct ethnic group in Washington, D.C., [1] and have had a presence in the region since the pre-American Revolution period. [2]
By the mid to late 1700s, there were a number of first- and second-generation Irish Americans living in Georgetown, as listed in the early parish registers of Holy Trinity Catholic Church. The earliest Irish immigrants in the region were shopkeepers, merchants, craftsmen, and general laborers. [2]
During this period, the main working-class Irish neighborhood in Washington, D.C. was the waterfront area, below Bridge Street (today's M St.), which was considered to be Georgetown's poorer area at the time. Wealthier Irish American residents living north of the area became more accepted and assimilated into wider society in Georgetown, marrying into other middle class Catholic families of English and German descent. [2]
In 1792, Irish American James Hoban was selected as the architect of the White House in Washington, D.C. [3] Hoban was also one of the supervising architects of the U.S. Capitol, which had many Irish builders assisting in its completion. Hoban worked on other local public buildings and government projects in D.C., including roads and bridges. [4] [5]
The Corcoran family was a prominent early Irish American family in Washington, D.C. The patriarch of the family, Thomas Corcoran, was born in Ireland, settled in Georgetown in 1788, and established a leather business. He was an early Irish American businessman and politician in the D.C. area, serving as mayor of the town of Georgetown, District of Columbia and a total of 22 terms on the Georgetown Common Council. [6]
In 1836, Thomas' son, William Wilson Corcoran, opened a small brokerage house. [7] In 1840, Corcoran and George Washington Riggs, the son of Elisha Riggs, formed "Corcoran & Riggs", which offered checking and depositing services. [8] In 1844, the U.S. federal government allowed the firm to be the only federal depository in Washington. [8]
Washington, D.C.'s first major influx of Irish came in 1844 from rural areas, spurred by the Irish Famine. Some Irish laborers were recorded as builders of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal from the mid 1820s to the 1850s and as workers in the port of Georgetown. Records indicate that some of the Irish builders of the C&O canal were indentured laborers. [9] [10]
The local Irish community was greatly impacted by a cholera epidemic in 1832 which swept through the construction camps of the C&O canal, killing many Irish workers. [11]
The Swampoodle neighborhood became a refuge for Irish emigrants arriving during the famine. Irish construction workers were early builders in the industrializing of the area. Many Irish households in the area kept a variety of livestock in their alleys, a practice that was permitted through the early 20th century. [12] The Swampoodle neighborhood gained a local reputation as a "shanty town" with prostitution, crime, gang activity, and public intoxication. [12] [13] [14]
In 1859, a Roman Catholic church, St. Aloysius Church was constructed and dedicated in the area. [15] The church largely catered to the Irish Catholic population in Swampoodle. Many Irish families in the neighborhood also sent their sons to school at Gonzaga College High School.
Another area largely inhabited by Irish Americans in the mid to late 1800s was the Foggy Bottom area, which was considered to have more affordable housing during the period. [2]
In 1904, several row houses in the Swampoodle Irish neighborhood on 1st Street NE were demolished to make way for the Tiber Creek tunnel. In 1907, the construction of Washington Union Station had a significant impact on the Irish American community in Washington, D.C. and the 1,600 residents of the area, as it forced the demolition of over 10 blocks of the Swampoodle neighborhood and over 100 apartment buildings, row houses, and businesses owned by the Irish community. [16] [17]
In 1949, The Embassy of Ireland in Washington was opened at 2234 Massachusetts Avenue at Sheridan Circle. [18] The embassy has hosted cultural events and provided resources and support to Irish Americans. [19]
As of the late 2000s, there has been an ongoing effort in the area to build "The Irish American Museum of Washington, D.C.," which currently hosts online exhibitions. The museum's objective is "to become a major cultural institution that will bring Irish-American history to life for visitors of all ages, from all ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds." [20] [21] [22] The museum was proposed in 2008, but active fundraising was deferred due to the Financial crisis of 2007–08, and in 2015 the Washington Post deemed the museum unlikely to ever open. [23] [24]
In 2010, the Irish Network of D.C. was established to create opportunities for Irish Americans in the D.C. area to connect with their heritage and take part in social and professional events. [25]
Saint Patrick's Day is widely celebrated in Washington, D.C. and the city has held an annual parade on the occasion since 1971. [26] National ShamrockFest is a one-day music festival held in the city, reaching audiences of over 40,000 attendees in previous years. It has been billed as "America's Largest St. Paddy's Day Festival." [27]
Founded in 2005, Solas Nua ("new light" in Irish) is a D.C.-based Irish arts organization that presents programming in areas including film, music, visual arts and literature. The organization works to promote Irish and Irish American artists. [28]
In 2011, a play titled "Swampoodle" by Tom Swift, debuted with support from Solas Nua and the Ireland-based Performance Corporation to help combat stereotypes about Irish Americans and share the Irish history of Washington, D.C. The play consists of "colorful, disparate stories about life in the predominantly Irish neighborhood." [29] [30] [31]
Robert Emmet Park is located on Embassy Row in D.C. In 1916, a bronze statue "Robert Emmet" was sculpted by Irish artist Jerome Connor in honor of Irish Republican Robert Emmet. [32] The statue was a gift to the Smithsonian Institution [33] on loan to the National Park Service. [34]
In 1924, a sculpture, "Nuns of the Battlefield," was erected in D.C. by Connor as a tribute to the more than 600 nuns who nursed soldiers of both armies during the American Civil War. [35] Connor was chosen to design the monument since he focused on Irish Catholic themes, being one himself. [36]
A public park at the intersection of 3rd Street NE and L Street NE, a block from the border of the old neighborhood, was named "Swampoodle Park" in 2018 in honor of the historic Irish neighborhood. [37] [38] The park officially opened November 17, 2018. [39]
Irish cuisine has long been a staple of D.C.'s bar and restaurant scene. D.C. has several Irish pubs and restaurants serving traditional Irish fare and drinks throughout the area. The Dubliner restaurant (opened 1974) is D.C.'s longest continuously opened/operated Irish pub in the area. Many of the pubs and restaurants host special events and celebrations during Saint Patrick's Day celebrations in Washington, D.C. [40]
The Washington, D.C. Gaels GAA is an amateur sports club that promotes Irish sports in the city. [41]
Founded in 1980, the Washington Irish Rugby Football Club is a Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) rugby union team based in the city. The Washington Irish currently field two competitive men's club rugby sides, one in Division I and one in Division III. The Washington Irish compete within the Capital Geographic Union of USA Rugby. [42]
As of 2020, Irish Americans represent 7.05% (49,498 people) of the total population of Washington, D.C. [43]
Georgetown is a historic neighborhood and commercial district in Northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751 as part of the colonial-era Province of Maryland, Georgetown predated the establishment of Washington, D.C. by 40 years. Georgetown was an independent municipality until 1871 when the United States Congress created a new consolidated government for the entire District of Columbia. A separate act, passed in 1895, repealed Georgetown's remaining local ordinances and renamed Georgetown's streets to conform with those in Washington, D.C..
James Hoban was an Irish-American architect, best known for designing the White House.
The Palisades, or simply Palisades, is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., along the Potomac River, running roughly from the edge of the Georgetown University campus to the D.C.-Maryland boundary.
Gonzaga College High School is a private Catholic college-preparatory high school for boys in Washington, D.C. Founded by the Jesuits in 1821 as the Washington Seminary, Gonzaga is named in honor of Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16th century. Gonzaga is the oldest boys' high school in the District of Columbia.
Swampoodle was a neighborhood in Washington, D.C. on the border of Northwest and Northeast in the second half of 19th and early 20th century. This neighborhood is no longer known as Swampoodle and has been replaced in large part by NoMa.
William Wilson Corcoran was an American banker, philanthropist, and art collector. He founded the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
Neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., United States are distinguished by their history, culture, architecture, demographics, and geography. The names of 131 neighborhoods are unofficially defined by the D.C. Office of Planning. Neighborhoods can be defined by the boundaries of wards, historic districts, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, civic associations, and business improvement districts (BIDs); these boundaries will overlap. The eight wards each elect a member to the Council of the District of Columbia and are redistricted every ten years.
Mount Olivet Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located at 1300 Bladensburg Road, NE in Washington, D.C. It is maintained by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. The largest Catholic burial ground in the District of Columbia, it was one of the first in the city to be racially integrated.
Healy Hall is a National Historic Landmark and the flagship building of the main campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., United States. Constructed between 1877 and 1879, the hall was designed by Paul J. Pelz and John L. Smithmeyer, both of whom also designed the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. The structure is named after Patrick Francis Healy, who was the President of Georgetown University at the time.
Queens Chapel is a mostly residential neighborhood with commercial elements located in Ward 5 of Northeast Washington, D.C.
Riggs Park, also known as Lamond Riggs, is a residential neighborhood in Ward 4 of Northeast Washington, D.C. Riggs Park is contained between Eastern Avenue N.E. to the east, Riggs Road N.E. to the south, North Capitol Street N.W. to the north and west, and the Blair Road Community Garden to the north. Riggs Park is adjacent to the neighborhoods of Queens Chapel, North Michigan Park, and Fort Totten, located in Ward 5 of Northeast Washington D.C. In addition to these neighborhoods, Riggs Park also borders the city/neighborhood Chillum, which is located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The WMATA Red Line train tracks pass through the Riggs Park neighborhood when traveling between the Takoma and Fort Totten Metro Stations. In addition to the WMATA Red Line, the CSX, MARC, and Amtrak train tracks, pass through the Riggs Park neighborhood as well.
St. Aloysius Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish church at 19 I Street in the Near Northeast neighborhood of Washington, D. C. It is administered by the Jesuits since its founding and is named for St. Aloysius Gonzaga. It is often associated with Gonzaga College High School, to which it is physically connected. The church building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2012 the parish was closed and merged with Holy Redeemer church.
The Campuses of Georgetown University, the Law School Campus, the Main Campus, and the Medical Campus, are located within Washington, D.C. Georgetown's Main and Medical Campuses are located in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. between Canal Road, Prospect Street, and Reservoir Road. The Law Campus is located in downtown DC on New Jersey Avenue, near Union Station. Other parts of Georgetown are located in the D.C. Area, including the Center for Continuing and Professional Education at Clarendon in Arlington, Virginia. Georgetown also has an overseas campus in Education City, Qatar, and villas in Alanya, Turkey and Fiesole, Italy.
Swampoodle is an older neighborhood in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Swampoodle was defined as the vicinity of the junction of three railroad lines near Lehigh Avenue and 22nd Streets.
Washington, D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. Below is a list of Washington, D.C.-related articles.
Swampoodle can refer to:
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to District of Columbia:
Solas Nua is a Washington, D.C.-based Irish contemporary arts organization. Founded in 2005, its first event was a production of the play Disco Pigs by Enda Walsh. While it is best known for its theatre offerings, Solas Nua also presents programming in areas including film, music, visual arts and literature. The organization puts special emphasis on promoting recent work by up-and-coming Irish artists.
St Patrick's Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America. Established in 1794, it is the oldest Catholic parish in the city of Washington.
The Corcoran School is a historic building located at 1219 28th Street NW in the Georgetown neighborhood in Washington, D.C. The original school was named for Thomas Corcoran, former mayor of Georgetown, and was developed to accommodate the Caucasian population in the area. The school comprises approximately 24,000 square feet total and sits on a lot that extends down to M Street.
George Washington Ward.p.63