Anacostia
Anacostia is an historic neighborhood in Washington, DC. It composes much of the Southeast quadrant of Washington south of the Anacostia River, which the area is named after. The name Anacostia derives from the area's early history as Nacochtank, a settlement of Necostan or Anacostan Native Americans on the banks of the Anacostia River. Captain John Smith recorded in his journals that he sailed up the "Eastern Branch" or Anacostia River in 1608 in his search for the main branch of the Potomac River and was well received by those people.
Uniontown, the core of the Anacostia historic district, was incorporated in 1854 and was one of the first suburbs in the District of Columbia. It was designed to be financially available to Washington's working class, most of whom were employed across the river at the Navy Yard. The initial subdivision of 1854 carried restrictive covenants prohibiting the sale, rental or lease of property to anyone of African or Irish descent. However, by 1880 approximately 15 percent of the residents were African-American and today that figure is probably 99 percent. The historic district retains much of its mid-to-late 19th-century low scale, working class character as is shown in its architecture. After decades of neglect, Anacostia's citizens are working to revitalize the neighborhood.
Abolitionist Frederick Douglass, often called "the sage of Anacostia," bought the home of the developer of Uniontown in 1877 and lived there until he died in 1895. The home is still maintained as an historical site in Anacostia.
Anacostia is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is serviced by a stop on the Washington Metro Green Line.
