Chinatown in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Chinatown

Civil War to Civil Rights

— Downtown Heritage Trail —

Chinatown Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Richard E. Miller, September 20, 2008

1. Chinatown Marker

Inscription.

Chinatown. Civil War to Civil Rights.

dragons to bring rain, , prosperity , and friendship

, More than 280 dragons, crowned by 700 glazed tiles, look down from the Chinatown Friendship Archway before you. Symbols of the spirits that bring rain and prosperity in China, these painted and carved dragons are fitted together like a giant jigsaw puzzle in the ancient Chinese building tradition of "gong" balancing. Seven roofs of weighing nine tons each are cantilevered, with no nails almost 50 feet above the street., This is the largest single-span Chinese archway in the world, designed by Chinese-born Washington architect Alfred Liu and erected in 1986. A joint project of the governments of Washington, D.C., and and its sister city, Beijing, it marks the entrance to Washington's Chinatown in a statement of international friendship. Chinese and American craftsmen worked side by side to construct it., The Chinese community in Washington dates back to the 1880s, when the first immigrants settled along Pennsylvania Avenue between Third and Sixth Streets. Forced out by construction of the Federal Triangle in the 1930s, the community relocated here with the help of the On Leong Chinese Merchants Association into homes once occupied by an earlier German and Jewish immigrant population. Some of the city's oldest pre-Civil War buildings, with flat roofs and sloped roofs, can still be seen beneath the neighborhood's colorful Chinese facades., While many Chinese have left the area for newer homes in the city and suburbs, the community is dedicated to preserving a slice of Chinese culture downtown. Calvary Baptist Church on Eighth and H, the first to create a Chinese Sunday School here, is still involved with the community, and St. Mary's Catholic Church near Fifth and H, has regular Masses in Cantonese. Chineses symbols and signs preserve the spirit of this special place and the annual Chinese New Year is celebrated with a dragon parade and firecrackers to increasingly large crowds from the metropolitan area.

dragons to bring rain,
prosperity
and friendship

More than 280 dragons, crowned by 700 glazed tiles, look down from the Chinatown Friendship Archway before you. Symbols of the spirits that bring rain and prosperity in China, these painted and carved dragons are fitted together like a giant jigsaw puzzle in the ancient Chinese building tradition of "gong" balancing. Seven roofs of weighing nine tons each are cantilevered, with no nails almost 50 feet above the street.

This is the largest single-span Chinese archway in the world, designed by Chinese-born Washington architect Alfred Liu and erected in 1986. A joint project of the governments of Washington, D.C., and and its sister city, Beijing, it marks the entrance to Washington's Chinatown in a statement of international friendship. Chinese and American craftsmen worked side by side to construct it.

The Chinese community in Washington dates back to the 1880s, when the first immigrants settled along Pennsylvania Avenue between Third and Sixth Streets. Forced out by construction of the Federal Triangle in the 1930s, the community relocated here with the help of the On Leong Chinese Merchants Association into homes once occupied by an earlier German and Jewish immigrant population. Some of the city's oldest pre-Civil

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War buildings, with flat roofs and sloped roofs, can still be seen beneath the neighborhood's colorful Chinese facades.

While many Chinese have left the area for newer homes in the city and suburbs, the community is dedicated to preserving a slice of Chinese culture downtown. Calvary Baptist Church on Eighth and H, the first to create a Chinese Sunday School here, is still involved with the community, and St. Mary's Catholic Church near Fifth and H, has regular Masses in Cantonese. Chineses symbols and signs preserve the spirit of this special place and the annual Chinese New Year is celebrated with a dragon parade and firecrackers to increasingly large crowds from the metropolitan area.

Erected 2008 by Cultural Tourism DC. (Marker Number e.6.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Churches & Religion • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Downtown Heritage Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1986.

Location. Marker has been reported permanently removed. It was located near 38° 53.978′ N, 77° 1.321′ W. Marker was in Northwest Washington in Washington, District

Friendship Archway image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Richard E. Miller, July 14, 2008

2. Friendship Archway

H Street, NW, around the corner from marker.

of Columbia. It was in Chinatown. Marker was on 7th Street Northwest just south of H Street Northwest, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 700 H Street Northwest, Washington DC 20001, United States of America.

We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. A different marker also named Chinatown (here, next to this marker); Friendship Archway (within shouting distance of this marker); Discover DC / Gallery Place - Chinatown (within shouting distance of this marker); The Northern Baptist Convention (within shouting distance of this marker); Mary Surratt's Boarding House (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); "Surratt Boarding House" (about 500 feet away); Man with Briefcase (about 500 feet away); Lin Han, noodle master (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.

More about this marker. In the upper right of the marker, below the picture of Abraham Lincoln, is a picture of the On Leong Chinese Merchants Association building. It is captioned: "Because of restrictive U.S. immigration laws, Washington's original Chinese community was all

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male. The men formed strong organizations such as the On Leong Chinese Merchants Association, for mutual aid and companionship. The association was housed for many years in this building at 518 Eighth Street, now a Chinese restaurant."

The large picture in the center is identified as, "The community celebrates Chinese New Year."

In the lower left are two pictures of the Calvary Baptist Church. They share the following caption, "Calvary Baptist Church nearby at Eighth and H Streets, as photographed by Matthew Brady just after the Civil War, started the first Chinese Sunday School. Below right, its alter is decorated for a national celebration."

Drawings on the bottom right indicate that, "Behind the Chinese decorations in this neighborhood can be found the 19th-century building styles of an earlier residential community."
Federal Style-Early Nineteenth Century,
Italianate Style-Mid Nineteenth Century, and
Queen Anne Style-Late Nineteenth Century.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.

Also see . . . Chinatown, Washington, D.C. (Submitted on October 18, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)

Additional keywords. Chinese-Americans

Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,864 times since then and 13 times this year. Last updated on March 9, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 18, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.