2101 HISTORY

2101.1 Near Northwest includes the oldest inhabited areas of the District. Georgetown, established in 1751 by the Maryland Assembly, was a tobacco port and independent municipality incorporated into Washington, DC in 1800. At the time, the settlement was just outside the boundaries of the federal city. Construction of Georgetown University began in 1788, three years before Pierre L'Enfant's Plan was prepared.

2101.2 Prior to 1850, most of the area east of Georgetown was sparsely populated. Several businesses were located along the waterfront in Foggy Bottom at the mouth of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. In the area nearby, just west of the White House, some of the District's first grand homes were built. The Shaw and Mount Vernon Square neighborhoods also experienced modest residential development prior to the Civil War and were known as Northern Liberties.

2101.3 The increase in population resulting from the Civil War facilitated residential development in Foggy Bottom, Shaw, and Mount Vernon Square. By the mid- to late- 19th century, these areas were home to a mix of professional and moderate-income residents. A number of alley dwellings were built in these areas, often housing Washington, DC's low-income residents.

2101.4 The residential neighborhoods of Logan Circle, Dupont Circle, and Kalorama did not see significant development until the late 19th century. After the Civil War, Logan Circle became one of the most sought-after addresses in Washington, DC. The row houses in this area and along 14th Street NW were more substantial than those built before the Civil War. Small apartment buildings began to appear in the area as the population increased and building sites became more limited. The Dupont Circle area followed a similar trend, as Massachusetts Avenue NW and its intersections at Dupont and Sheridan Circles created sites ideal for large, stand-alone residences. Between 1870 and 1900, the avenue became the center of Washington, DC's most notable cultural gatherings. Kalorama, meanwhile, began to develop with townhomes and grand apartments, followed in the 1920s by large single-family homes.

2101.5 By the late 19th century, horse-powered vehicles were replaced with independent streetcar routes that quickly became lined with commercial businesses. One line reinforced Wisconsin Avenue and M Street in Georgetown as a center of commercial activity, but residential districts on Connecticut Avenue and 14th Street NW were transformed: the former into a high-end shopping district, and the latter as a center for automobile sales and maintenance. Streetcar lines on 7th and 11th Streets NW also attracted commercial businesses that served residents living in nearby areas, as well as those heading home to areas further north.

2101.6 The ethnicity of residents living in Near Northwest has always been diverse. Until the 1930s, about one-third of Georgetown's population was Black. An active, free Black population also lived in the Dupont Circle area prior to the Civil War and led to some of the District's earliest education initiatives. During the mid- 20th century, parts of Logan Circle and the Strivers Section of Dupont Circle were home to prominent Blacks, and the Shaw neighborhood became a vibrant center of Black culture.

2101.7 By the 1950s, the close-in residential neighborhoods of this Planning Area were considered to be less sought-after than the outlying suburbs, and many residents moved or redeveloped their properties. Some of the large homes in Dupont Circle were torn down to make way for commercial development or apartment buildings, and the Shaw School Urban Renewal Plan replaced many of the alley dwellings with modern housing projects. Working-class Georgetown evolved into one of the District's most notable residential and business addresses. By the 1990s, industrial uses along the waterfront had been replaced by offices, shops, and expensive residences. Similarly, the growth of GW in Foggy Bottom redefined much of that neighborhood.

2101.8 Today, 15 historic districts preserve the character of the area's residential neighborhoods and help guide the integration of new development. Campus plans steer further development of Georgetown University and GW. The commercial parts of Georgetown and Dupont Circle are home to boutiques, galleries, and local and national retailers, and 14th Street NW is one of the District's most vibrant areas for dining, arts, and shopping. Development along the street continues at a rapid pace, with hundreds of new housing units added in recent years. Housing production is expected to continue as the demand for living in the neighborhood remains strong. The Walter E. Washington Convention Center anchors the Shaw and Mount Vernon Square neighborhoods. Completion of the convention center has spurred significant reinvestment in the neighborhood's housing, retail, and office spaces.

SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999

(D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).