Development of Washington Highlands Washington Highlands, Washington, D.C.

map of washington highlands area in 1865. note complete lack of roads , development, hash-marks indicating rising bluffs.

washington highlands bounded 13th street se on northeast, oxon run park on northwest , southwest, , southern avenue on southeast. neighborhood situated on series of high hills overlooking creek known oxon run. draws name city of washington, d.c., , hills on built.

at time of european colonization of north america, area known washington highlands occupied nacotchtank tribe of native americans, non-migratory band villages lined northern , southern banks of anacostia river. nacochtanks decimated disease brought new world european explorers, , disappeared 1700 ad. flat area below highlands became farms owned white settlers, large numbers of african american slaves working fields.

the development of washington highlands closely parallels of adjacent neighborhood of congress heights. in 1890, colonel arthur e. randle, successful newspaper publisher, decided found settlement east of river called congress heights. pennsylvania avenue bridge (now john philip sousa bridge) began construction in november 1887, , june 1890 nearing completion. randle understood new bridge bring rapid development east of anacostia river, , intended take advantage of it.

the development successful. ensure investment continued pay off, randle invested heavily in belt railway, local streetcar company founded in march 1875. on march 2, 1895, randle founded capital railway company construct streetcar lines on navy yard bridge , down nichols avenue congress heights.

developers began laying out washington highlands in 1904, , august 1905 of subdivision s roads , tracts had been laid out. hungerford s addition added neighborhood in 1906. fourth street se opened in 1910 after three-year effort, although growth slowed next few years. 1925, however, there enough residents in neighborhood form washington highlands citizen association.

the city denied 1927 request of citizens in area sewer lines built in neighborhood. there few residents in area justify expense. despite effects of great depression, development in washington highlands area continued. in 1936 , 1937, more 200 homes built in neighborhood, , in 1938 city connected area sewer system via large oxon run sewer main. sewer system brought more substantial growth. 250 homes built in neighborhood in 1938, , 100 more planned. so, large parts of washington highlands remained undeveloped: many streets existed on paper, , southern end of area still farmland.

world war ii brought significant changes washington highlands. war brought hundreds of thousands of defense workers city, creating severe housing shortage. congress created national capital housing authority (ncha) build extensive low-income housing throughout region alleviate shortage. in 1942, ncha built 256-unit highland dwellings. in fall of 1943, ncha approved plan build more 300 low-income homes in washington heights, , private developers agreed build 150. washington highland residents angry neighborhood being turned low-income area, ncha pushed plan through. low-income housing boom continued in area in post-war period, hundreds more homes being built. post-war baby boom led significant increase in children in area. after years of city inaction on recreational facilities in neighborhood, washington highlands citizens association petitioned city take on united states navy s bald eagle storage facility , turn recreational center.

washington highlands 1 of first areas of district of columbia housing desegregated. until 1950s, law housing covenants created developers excluded african americans many neighborhoods in city. in 1951, ncha announced not longer segregate housing complexes in washington highlands, , opened them black residents. began implementing policy in 1953. sparked strong backlash whites in washington highlands, @ time had no african american residents.

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