National Register of Historic Places

Strivers' Section Historic District

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
February 6, 1985
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
85000239

About this property

The Strivers' Section Historic District is a historic district located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Strivers' Section was historically an enclave of upper-middle-class African Americans, often community leaders, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It takes its name from a turn-of-the-20th-century writer who described the district as "the Striver's section, a community of Negro aristocracy." The name echoes that of Strivers' Row in Harlem, a New York City historic neighborhood of black professionals. The district is roughly bounded by Swann Street and the Dupont Circle Historic District on the south, Florida Avenue and the Washington Heights Historic District on the north and west, and the Sixteenth Street Historic District on the east. The historic district is mostly composed of apartment buildings and rowhouses. Notable inhabitants have included Frederick Douglass, Lewis Henry Douglass, and Calvin Brent. Architectural styles represented in Strivers' Section include Italianate, Queen Anne, Romanesque Revival, and Second Empire. Architects and real estate developers whose works are in the district include George S. Cooper, Thomas Franklin Schneider, B. Stanley Simmons, Harry Wardman, and Frank Russell White. The historic district, which includes around 430 contributing properties, was added to the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites in 1983 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Location

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.91723, -77.04102

Categories

BLACKARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Strivers' Section Historic District

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Questions about this property

When was Strivers' Section Historic District listed on the National Register?

Strivers' Section Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 6, 1985.

What type of historic resource is Strivers' Section Historic District?

Strivers' Section Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Strivers' Section Historic District?

The period of significance for Strivers' Section Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Strivers' Section Historic District?

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