The Southwest neighborhood takes its name from the original L’Enfant quadrant of the same designation, due to its proximity to the U.S. Capitol. The residential and commercial dwellings that made up the Southwest community stretched from the waterfront to the National Mall long before the federal buildings were built that line Independence Avenue today.
Simultaneously, Southwest is one of the oldest inhabited neighborhoods in D.C. despite much of the settlement being recently reconstructed. Southwest, the point where both the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers meet, was originally inhabited by Native Americans by the time John Smith, an Englishman, produced a map of the area in 1608. In comparison to all of the other quadrants, the southwest quadrant is today, by far, the smallest of the four.
Pierre L’Enfant, who originally designed the city in 1791, envisioned the southernmost point of Southwest to include a strategic military site. The neighborhood has since seen a canal, railroad tracks, and townhomes that once lined the street where many government offices—including the Smithsonian—stand today.
By the 1950s, the Supreme Court upheld the D.C. Redevelopment Act which allowed D.C. to use imminent domain to redevelop the area, sparking a systematic demolition of what the city determined “urban decay,” forsaking the vibrant community of nearly 30,000 African Americans, Germans, and Jewish citizens who populated the area.
Since the 1950s, Southwest has seen a mix of high-rise apartments, low-rise town homes, cooperative towers, and new homes along the Southwest Freeway. It is a model community, yet remains a paradox.
Topography of the federal city, 1791. Geography & Map Division, Library of Congress.
This topographic map shows the Southwest quadrant cut off by Tiber Creek in the north and James Creek on the east. These bodies of water became a barrier between Southwest and the area of higher ground that would become Downtown to the north. Since the National Mall and surrounding areas would not be more fully developed until the twentieth century, Southwest never became the commercial center that L'Enfant and James Greenleaf envisioned.
1822 Map of the City of Washington. Geography & Map Division, Library of Congress.
The Southwest quadrant includes parts of five wards. Ward 5 is marked in purple.
Southwest Washington, D.C. by Paul K. WIlliams F202.S7 W55 2005
This book recounts the history of the Southwest neighborhood located along one of the oldest waterfronts in the city. The book features many photos of Old Southwest and Southwest as it was transformed by urban renewal.
Smith's Washington at Home offers journalists, historians, politicians, residents, students, and more to further understand the social history of Washington, D.C. In her chapter on Southwest D.C., the author offers
Old Southwest: A History of a Vanished Neighborhood. Brian D. Kraft. 2006.
A historian commissioned to research the history of Old Southwest offers a summary of the overarching story of Southwest from its origins in the eighteenth century to just before Urban Renewal.
This doctoral dissertation primarily discusses the vibrant interracial community of Old Southwest and includes greater detail of the churches, businesses, and other topics.
A History of the Washington City Canal, 1791-1882 (dissertation) Cornelius Heine, 1951.
This Master's thesis highlights the opening and closing of the Washington Canal. Opening in 1815, this canal--which also cut through Old Southwest--was part of a wider effort to make Washington into a commercial city and gateway to the West. By 1855, however, the canal fell into disrepair and was eventually known as the "South Washington death trench" due to the amount of drunks, wayward cows, and sewage that fell into it.
In this monograph, the author identifies the contrasts between physical reconstruction and social welfare in Washington, D.C.'s urban policy since the city's origins. Most useful for a study of Southwest is the chapter on Renewal, Reconstruction, and Retrenchment, where Gilette discusses attempts to rehabilitate Washington's alley dwellings, provide low and modern-income housing, and its result: undesirable consequences for the area's poorest, least powerful residents.
River Farms to Urban Towers: Southwest Heritage Trail by Cultural Tourism DC
Follow along this self-guided walking tour which highlights various points of interest along this waterfront community.
Buzzard Point, DC History Center
Buzzard Point is the tip of the peninsula that houses Fort Lesley J. McNair and notably the PEPCO Buzzard Point Power Plant, which opened in 1932 and ceased operations in 2012.
Aerial view north from the Washington Channel showing most of SW DC in 1958. Whetzel Aerial Photograph Collection, DC History Center
James Greenleaf, a land speculator, invested heavily in lots in Southwest in 1793. After his purchase of several lots southwest of the Capitol in 1794, Southwest became known as Greenleaf's Point. Portraits of Greenleaf and his wife, his leases to Washingtonians, and more are available within DC History Center's collections.
Jospeh Owen Curtis Photo Collection, DC Public Library Digital Resources
The Joseph Owen Curtis Photograph Collection at the DC Public Library features photographs taken by Curtis that document the culture, social life, and architecture of Southwest DC from the 1920s through the 1980s. D.C. History Center has many of these photos available.
Wheat Row consists of four attached, three-story brick houses built as a unit in the late 18th century. They were built circa 1794 by the Greenleaf Syndicate and their design is attributed to architect William Lovering. Between 1964 and 1966, Wheat Row was rehabilitated as part of Harbour Square, an urban renewal housing project designed by Chloethiel Woodard Smith. DC History Center's collections include many photographs of these homes.
Harbour Square. DC History Center.
Built between 1963 and 1966, the Harbour Square complex of apartments and townhouses was the fourth superblock completed in the Southwest Renewal area and was designed by Chloethiel Woodard Smith. They incorporate Wheat Row, the Duncanson-Cranch House, and the Edward Simon Lewis House. DC History Center's collections include several photographs of this development.
Capitol Park Apartments. DC History Center.
This apartment complex, completed in 1959, was the first building completed under the Southwest Urban Renewal Plan. Designed by Chloethiel Woodard Smith, this project led to further work for the architect in Washington, D.C. and launched her into stardom as one of the few successful woman architects of the 20th century. DC History Center hosts several photographs of the apartment complex's unique courtyard, pavilion, and attractive view.
Arena Stage. DC History Center.
A major D.C. theater and cultural institution, Arena Stage represented a key addition to the urban renewal program when it opened in 1960. It was renovated in 2006. DC History Center's collections have photos of old Arena Stage and photos that showcase its modern renovation.
Thomas Law House. DC History Center.
One of the few buildings to be spared during the urban renewal of the Southwest waterfront, the Thomas Law House, built between 1794 and 1796, has served as a hotel, a hospital, and even a medical clinic.
Elizabeth G. Randall Junior High. DC History Center.
The building at 65 I Street SW opened in 1906 as the Francis L. Cardozo Elementary School in 1906, serving African American elementary students. It became Randall Junior High School in 1927 and served as a community hub throughout the 20th century. The public school closed its doors in 1978. DC Historic Sites provides more background information on the building, including its 2008 designation as a National Historic Landmark. While the neighborhood surrounding it changed dramatically due to urban renewal, the building can be seen today.
Fort Lesley J. McNair. DC History Center.
Originally established as the Washington Arsenal as part of L'Enfant's Plan for defense of the capital in 1791, Fort Lesley J. McNair now houses the National Defense University and the Military District of Washington; Simultaneously it is the residence of the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. It is also listed under Army War College in the DC History Center's collections.
Washington Channel Waterfront, Inc., collection, 1880-1963. DC History Center.
Includes the correspondence of David S. Orem when he was executive director of Washington Channel Waterfront, Inc. Content relates to the history and development of the waterfront in Southwest DC. Includes photographic reproductions of prints and photographs of the DC waterfront from about 1880 to mid-twentieth century. Includes research notes and correspondence related to Orem's waterfront history, "A continuing history of the Washington Channel Waterfront : part one: the Algonquins to the Civil War, part two: the Civil War to urban renewal," a copy of which is also included.
The penitentiary, a four-story structure, operated from 1831-1862 at Greenleaf's Point, when it was eventually taken over by the U.S. Arsenal during the Civil War. Notably, at the end of the war, John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's assassin, was confined, tried, and executed at this site. The penitentiary was destroyed shortly after the Civil War. Today, Fort McNair occupies this site. Additionally, a 2003 monograph detailing the history and inmates of the penitentiary is available within the DC History Center's collections.
After the forced displacement, many residents of Southwest DC were relocated to the Southeast while many others were forced Northeast. Notably in a very transient city, the majority of residents had been living in the area for at least a decade before being forced out.
Historic Southwest. WETA, 2006.
"Years ago, the neighborhood of Southwest was known as 'the island' because the Washington Canal cut it off from the rest of the city. This 'island' has seen enormous change and development over the years. Join us on a walking tour that will take us to the oldest row houses in Washington and to a waterfront area on the brink of redevelopment."
Among those responsible for the re-making of Southwest D.C. was Chloethiel Woodward Smith (1910-1992), a highly successful mid-century architect and urban planner who was asked to implement her ideas into the large-scale urban renewal project in Southwest. She is considered one of the most successful architects of her time, though her implementation of modernism in Southwest is controversial. Her papers are held in the Library of Congress.
This audio and augmented reality journey explores the history of the redevelopment of the Southwest neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Using GPS, this Walking Cinema app guides you from site to site through D.C.’s Southwest Neighborhood, telling the story of the country’s first large-scale urban renewal project by using Joseph Owens Curtis's photographs and Chloethiel Woodard Smith's architectural designs.
The Development of a Black Residential Community in Southwest Washington: 1860-1897 Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington, D.C., vol. 49, 1973, pp. 260–75.
The author documents the 14,000 African Americans who moved to Southwest from the beginning of the Civil War to the near-end of the nineteenth century by examining residential records from 1860, 1880, and 1897, ultimately discovering how a Black enclave and vibrant community was formed in Southwest--complete with Black schools, churches, and businesses.
A judge, a self-proclaimed "wharf rat," reminisces about his time on "The Island"--as Southwest was referred as for a short period. The judge's family had already been residents of Old Southwest for 130 years, prompting him to remark that "The Island has undergone little change since [his] youth."
This article discusses the historical development of D.C., the national public housing and slum clearance policies that created the framework for widespread urban renewal, and the civil rights reforms that eventually addressed urban renewal's inequities. Notably, this article addresses the ways that a Supreme Court case, Berman v. Parker, directly impacted the redevelopment of "blighted" areas across D.C. and the ultimate re-development of Southwest.
Southwest Remembered: A Story of Urban Renewal, DC Public Library People's Archive
"Between 1983 and 1985, Dolores Smith conducted 33 oral history interviews as a part of her film project Southwest Remembered: A Story of Urban Renewal. Interviewees were residents, business owners, and others with longstanding connections to the Southwest neighborhood. Topics include the Southwest neighborhood before urban renewal, the effects of urban renewal on the neighborhood and community, childhood and life experiences, and work and social life."
Southwest Remembered: A Story of Urban Renewal Documentary Film
Originally released in 1991, this documentary offers primary insight into the lives of those most affected by urban renewal policies in the neighborhood.
Southwest DC: "A Right to the City" Exhibition, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, 2018.
Excerpts from oral history interviews about the Southwest neighborhood of Washington, DC that appeared in the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum’s exhibition, “A Right to the City” (2018-2020).
Southwest Redevelopment, DC History Center
Hundreds of photographs from the DC History Center show the redevelopment and urban renewal process of Southwest D.C.
Southwest DC: A Cycle of Urban Renewal and Revitilization, Story Maps, 2020.
This StoryMap is examination of the long-term impacts of Urban Renewal in Southwest DC, and its current implications in the area's current revitalization, including changing the region's name to "The Wharf."
Southwest Views Oral History Collection. 2006.
A collection of video oral history interviews by the Westminster Presbyterian Church, conducted with 48 residents of the Southwest neighborhood in 2006.
DC Preservation League has created a walking tour that covers 2 miles that showcases the mid-century modernist architectural era.
Historic capital : preservation, race, and real estate in Washington, D.C., DC History Center
Preserving Southwest DC has proven difficult. Due to urban renewal, some citizens have taken to preserving certain structures that mark the era, those of modernist architectural design. While urban renewal has had defects, many Southwest citizens are hoping to memorialize and preserve this difficult history.
Between Justice and Beauty: Race, Planning, and the Failure of Urban Policy in Washington, D.C. Howard Gilette, Jr. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995.
Wheat Row. DC History Center.