Lanier Heights

Last updated

D.C. Fire Department Engine Company 21, at 1763 Lanier Place Engine Company No. 21.jpg
D.C. Fire Department Engine Company 21, at 1763 Lanier Place

Lanier Heights is a small urban neighborhood located in the northwest section of Washington, D.C. It was one of the early planned subdivisions which were created inside the District of Columbia, but which lay outside of the original, officially planned City of Washington. Situated two miles north of the White House, Lanier Heights is within the larger and newer neighborhood of Adams Morgan, [1] and is usually considered to be a part of that more prominent locale.

The area of Lanier Heights, just about 50 acres (20.25 hectares) in size, is bounded by 16th Street on the east, Adams Mill Road and the National Zoo on the west; Columbia Road to the south, and Harvard Street on the north. Developed mostly between 1900 and 1940, Lanier Heights consists primarily of row houses, plus a number of low- and medium-rise apartment buildings. The architecture is generally typical of the early twentieth century, in a variety of styles, especially Classical Revival. Some of the apartment houses have distinctive, well-crafted Art Deco designs. The area also contains a commercial stretch of stores on its southern side along Columbia Road. Just to the north of Lanier Heights is the slightly older neighborhood of Mount Pleasant.

Lanier Heights is a part of the city's Ward One. And within D.C.'s Advisory Neighborhood Commission system, the area is a part of ANC 1-C.

History

Most of the land beneath Lanier Heights was part of a large, undeveloped piece of property granted in 1714 to John Bradford, who named the tract "Plain Dealing". In 1763, this "Plain Dealing" tract was purchased by Robert Peter of Georgetown. Another small portion of the neighborhood's land came from part of a large piece of property acquired by James Holmead in 1733. Little activity occurred on the land here until after 1800. One early structure in the area was a tavern that James Eslin built in 1826, on property that he had obtained for use as a small farm. The tavern, which quickly became a popular local gambling house, sat near the present-day intersection of 16th Street and Columbia Road. (The Eslin tract would eventually be developed in the 1920s, forming the eastern part of the neighborhood.) But in general, the land that became Lanier Heights was being only lightly used—mostly (if at all) for common farming—until shortly after the end of the Civil War, when Washington started to grow with more vigor. For a time after that war, there was a small quarry, for construction stone and gravel, located along Rock Creek at the northern edge of the area.

The formal development of the neighborhood began in 1883 with the creation of the “Lanier Heights Subdivision", a project planned and financed by Elizabeth Lanier Dunn and her husband, William M. Dunn, a retired U.S. Army general. [2] This plan’s somewhat casual street configuration was laid out just a few years before Congress decreed in 1888 that henceforth the rectangular grid system of the central city would be continued throughout the District for all new street construction.

At first the new subdivision grew slowly. Within several years, banker Archibald M. McLachlen and biologist George Brown Goode of the Smithsonian Institution had, in large part, gained control of the tract with the idea of having the neighborhood become a residential community for Smithsonian employees and other professionals in Washington. In 1897, the opening of an electric streetcar line on Columbia Road encouraged activity. Additionally, the 1902-06 construction of The Ontario, a noteworthy and attractive apartment house, brought further attention, and people, to the area. The subdivision then developed into a fairly affluent area of families and single people, including professionals, intellectuals, and city workers. Several of the city's first housing cooperatives sprang up in Lanier Heights, including the Stafford and the Lambert (at 1789 and 1791 Lanier Place), developed by William H. Sholes, and 1705 Lanier Place, the first apartment building constructed explicitly as a cooperative. [3]

In the segregated past, it was a white neighborhood, but by the 1960s and 1970s it had become a diverse mix of people and cultures, and, for a time, a local hub of anti-establishment politics where the Black Panthers, anti-Vietnam War organizers, and other activists groups resided. In the 21st century, rising home prices have made it somewhat more difficult for some less well-to-do residents to remain in the area.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adams Morgan</span> Neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Adams Morgan, commonly abbreviated as AdMo, is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. Adams Morgan is noted as a historic hub for counterculture and as an arts district. It is also known for its popular entertainment district and culinary scene, centered on both 18th Street and Columbia Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Pleasant (Washington, D.C.)</span> Neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Mount Pleasant is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. The neighborhood is primarily residential, with restaurants and stores centered along a commercial corridor on Mt. Pleasant Street. Mount Pleasant is known for its unique identity and multicultural landscape, home to diverse groups such as the punk rock, the Peace Corps and Hispanic Washingtonian communities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbia Heights (Washington, D.C.)</span> Neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Columbia Heights is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. The neighborhood is an important retail hub for the area, as home to DC USA mall and to numerous other restaurants and stores, primarily along the highly commercialized 14th Street. Columbia Heights is home to numerous historical landmarks, including Meridian Hill Park, National Baptist Memorial Church, All Souls Church, along with a number of embassy buildings.

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

Wesley Heights is a small affluent neighborhood of Washington, D.C. situated south of Spring Valley. Wesley Heights was founded in 1890 by a land speculation group led by John Waggaman and funded primarily by Charles C. Glover; Wesley Heights was further developed by the brothers William C. and Allison N. Miller during the 1920s. Modern-day Wesley Heights is bordered by Massachusetts Avenue, Nebraska Avenue, Battery-Kemble Park and Glover Parkway. Foxhall Road and New Mexico Avenue are the main roadway passing through Wesley Heights. To protect the character of the original historic housing design of Wesley Heights, the Wesley Heights Zoning Overlay was developed and approved by District of Columbia Zoning Commission on July 13, 1992, at the urging of the Wesley Heights Historical Society. Current homeowners and new housing development within the Wesley Heights overlay must meet specific building codes. The Wesley overlay covers areas west of New Mexico Avenue, Nebraska Avenue, Battery-Kemble Park and Glover Parkway. The overlay restriction does not cover development on housing located on the former Charles C. Glover country estate. Modern day Wesley Heights is located in Ward 3 Advisory Neighborhood Commission under 3D01.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U Street (Washington, D.C.)</span> Historic district in Washington D.C.

The U Street Corridor or Greater U Street, sometimes known as Cardozo/Shaw, is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. Centered along U Street, the neighborhood is one of Washington's most popular nightlife and entertainment districts, as well as one of the most significant African American heritage districts in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Park View (Washington, D.C.)</span> Neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Park View is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. The neighborhood is primarily residential with its main commercial corridor of shops and restauarants located along Georgia Avenue.

Reed-Cooke is a small urban neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., situated within the boundaries of the larger and more prominent neighborhood of Adams Morgan, just north of the city's original L'Enfant-planned area. Its residents, and its local civic organization, the Reed-Cooke Neighborhood Association, generally consider it to be a distinct local neighborhood, although it is not on the city's list of formally recognized neighborhoods. While Reed-Cooke is most popularly considered a section of Adams Morgan, the area is sometimes considered to be an extension of the Meridian Hill neighborhood.

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

Woodley Park is a neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in Northwest D.C. Primarily residential, Woodley Park hosts a notable commercial corridor of restaurants and shops located along Connecticut Avenue. The neighborhood is noted as the home of the National Zoological Park, part of the Smithsonian Institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellevue (Washington, D.C.)</span> Neighborhood in District of Columbia, Washington, United States

Bellevue is a residential neighborhood in far Southeast and Southwest in Washington, D.C., United States. It is bounded by South Capitol Street, one block of Atlantic Street SE, and 1st Streets SE and SW to the north and east; Joliet Street SW and Oxon Run Parkway to the south; Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, Shepherd Parkway, 2nd Street SW, and Xenia Street SW to the west. Bellevue was created from some of the earliest land patents in Maryland, and draws its name from a 1795 mansion built in the area. Subdivisions began in the 1870s, but extensive residential building did not occur until the early 1940s. Bellevue is adjacent to a number of federal and city agency buildings.

<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">Good Hope (Washington, D.C.)</span> Neighborhood in Ward 7, United States

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.

<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">Marshall Heights (Washington, D.C.)</span> Residential neighborhood in Washington, D

Marshall Heights is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is bounded by East Capitol Street, Central Avenue SE, Southern Avenue, Fitch Street SE, and Benning Road SE. It was an undeveloped rural area occupied by extensive African American shanty towns, but the neighborhood received nationwide attention after a visit by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in 1934, which led to extensive infrastructure improvements and development for the first time. In the 1950s, Marshall Heights residents defeated national legislation designed to raze and redevelop the neighborhood. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited the area in 1991, at a time when Marshall Heights was in the throes of a violent crack cocaine epidemic. Limited redevelopment has occurred in the neighborhood, which was the site of two notorious child murders in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sixteenth Street Heights</span>

Sixteenth Street Heights is a large neighborhood of rowhouses, duplexes, and American Craftsman and American Foursquare detached houses in Northwest Washington, D.C.

Fort Stevens Ridge is a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. built during the 1920s. The neighborhood comprises about 50 acres (0.20 km2) and is very roughly bounded by Peabody Street, Fifth Street, Underwood Street, and Ninth Street. As of the 2010 census, the neighborhood had 2,597 residents. It was named for nearby Fort Stevens, a Civil War-era fort used to defend the nation's capital from invasion by Confederate soldiers.

<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">Kalorama Triangle Historic District</span> Historic district in Washington, D.C., United States

The Kalorama Triangle Historic District is a mostly residential neighborhood and a historic district in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The entire Kalorama Triangle neighborhood was listed on the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites (DCIHS) and National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1987. In addition to individually listed landmarks in the neighborhood, the district is home to roughly 350 contributing properties. The neighborhood is roughly bounded by Connecticut Avenue to the west, Columbia Road to the east, and Calvert Street on the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunter & Bell</span>

Ernest C. Hunter (1881–1945) and George Neal Bell (1879–1956) were American architects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treaty Oak (Washington, D.C.)</span> 350-400 year old oak tree in Washington, D.C

The Treaty Oak was a 350–400-year-old oak tree that once stood on the Oak Lawn estate in Washington, D.C. The estate was previously called Widow's Mite and owned by the Holmead and Nourse families. It included a large four-story Second Empire house that owner Thomas P. Morgan had expanded. The estate was bounded by 19th Street, Columbia Road, Connecticut Avenue, and Florida Avenue, on the edge of today's Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan neighborhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oak Lawn (Washington, D.C.)</span> Former large estate replaced by modern buildings

Oak Lawn was a large house and wooded estate that once stood on the edge of today's Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. The estate was bounded by 19th Street, Columbia Road, Connecticut Avenue, and Florida Avenue. Previously called Widow's Mite, the estate was originally several hundred acres, but by the 19th century, had been reduced to around 10 acres. The house was built around 1820 and was greatly expanded in 1873 by Thomas P. Morgan, one half of the eponym of the Adams Morgan neighborhood. A large oak tree, nicknamed the Treaty Oak, was reportedly hundreds of years old and stood just a few yards from the house.

References

  1. "Washingtonpost.com: Adams-Morgan: a Multi-cultural Magnet". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  2. http://www.kaloramacitizens.org/Lanier%20Heights%20Final%20Survey%20Report%202.6.09.pdf Archived 2014-05-29 at the Wayback Machine Survey of Lanier Heights
  3. "The Good Life: 100 Years of Housing Cooperatives in Washington, DC 1920 – 2020," DC Cooperative Housing Coalition, 2020, https://coopsdc.org/ Archived August 1, 2021, at the Wayback Machine

38°55′35″N77°02′24″W / 38.9265°N 77.04°W / 38.9265; -77.04