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John Smith Arrives in Anacostia
In his article, "A Brief History of Anacostia, Its Name, Origin and Progress" Charles Burr explains that in 1608, Captain John Smith first recorded sailing up the Anacostia River in search of the main branch of the Potomac river and meeting the Nacochtank people who lived there. The name Anacostia is the Anglicized version of the Native Nacochtank word Necostan, which translates to trading center. The Native Americans who originally lived there were soon forced to move further north. -
Tobias Henson Purchases Farm
In 1813, a slave in the Anacostia area named Tobias Henson purchased his freedom and began a finance plan to buy roughly twenty-four acres of land in the area. This farm land, which Henson called “The Ridge,” became home to Henson’s children after he saved up to purchase their freedom as well and they lived there until the 1940s. Henson’s model of resilience and endurance set a precedence for the character of the Anacostia neighborhood for years to come. -
Frederick Douglas Buys His Home, Cedar Hill
Frederick Douglass moved into the Anacostia in 1877, despite policies which forbid the selling, renting or purchasing of a house to those of African and Irish descent. Frederick Douglass bought his Cedar Hill home for $6,700 — over a million dollars in today’s currency — and encouraged other African Americans to move to the area. By 1880, roughly fifteen percent of Uniontown residents were black. -
Integration in Anacostia
Mandatory integration of schools in 1954 caused the demographics of the neighborhood to shift. After the Supreme Court ruled for racial integration in schools through their decision in Brown v. Board of Education, strong opposition continued to be voiced throughout the D.C. On October 4, 1954 almost 500 students of Anacostia High School protested the arrival of their new black classmates on the sidewalk outside of the school. -
1950's White Flight
Further, initiatives through the Home Owners Loan Corporation and Federal Housing Administration depreciated the values of homes in urban areas while also creating financial incentives for whites to move to pristine suburban areas. Most white residents ultimately left Anacostia, leaving mostly African Americans living in the area. -
1960s Building of Anacostia Freeway
The U.S. Park Service explains that Anacostia continued to change through the 1960s as areas of the neighborhood that now make up the foundation of Interstate-295 were torn down to accommodate for the highway and new public housing projects. While these projects aimed to provide urban renewal and renovation after the exodus of white residents, they demolished existing areas in order to build what would ultimately end up being too much public housing, leaving a large number of empty residences. -
We Love Anacostia Day
In 1979 residents hosted the first “We Love Anacostia Day,” which included festivities to show a counter narrative community support and love rather than the accounts of drugs and violence so often portrayed in the media. -
Anacostia Metro Station Opens
Although the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority began operating the metro transit system, which connects different parts of Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland in 1976, the green line metro stop in Anacostia did not open until December of 1991. Residents were frustrated by the continued delays in the construction of the metro, however, they were pleased when it finally opened. -
Sources of Information
Please note that all information was gathered from Smithsonian's "Black Washingtonians: The Anacostia Museum's Illustrated Chronology" unless otherwise stated.
