Dupont Circle in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Strong Families and Eminent Citizens
City Within a City
— Greater U Street Heritage Trail —
The fine rowhouses in this part of the Shaw neighborhood, such as those on this street, were once home to many of the community’s old families and most distinguished citizens.
Charles Hamilton Houston, a national leader in civil rights, was born one block south of here in the 1400 block of Swann Street. A prominent African American lawyer and Howard University professor, he worked with his most famous student, the future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, to develop the arguments that would end legal segregation in America. Marshall, who used these arguments to win the famous 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case, credited Houston with laying the groundwork for the modern civil rights movement.
The red-brick corner house at 1461 S Street, two blocks south of here, was home to the African American poet Georgia Douglas Johnson, a writer associated with the flowering of African American literature and art in the 1920s known as the New Negro (or Harlem) Renaissance. Every Saturday night Johnson opened her home to artists and writers, making it the heart of the Renaissance in Washington. Among her guests were writer Jean Toomer (author of Cane), the poet Langston Hughes, and Howard University professor Alain Locke, who first named and defined the Renaissance in his 1925 book, The New Negro.
This was also a neighborhood of strong families, many of whom had been in Washington for generations. Some traced their ancestry back to the city’s large pre-Civil War free Black population. Noted African American photographer Addison Scurlock took their portraits and recorded their rites of passage on film – births, graduations, debutante parties, and weddings. His presence in the community was so strong that a local wag once said, “If he didn’t photograph your wedding, you weren’t married.”
Erected by Cultural Tourism DC. (Marker Number 10.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Notable Places. In addition, it is included in the Greater U Street Heritage Trail, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1400.
Location. 38° 54.937′ N, 77° 2.085′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Dupont Circle. Marker is on T Street Northwest west of 15th Street Northwest, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1900 15th Street Northwest, Washington DC 20009, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. This is part of the Shaw neighborhood (within shouting distance of this marker); John Wesley Cromwell Residence (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); This section of 15th St. (about 500 feet away); A Shared Neighborhood (about 500 feet away); Georgia Douglas Johnson Residence (about 600 feet away); Todd Duncan Residence (about 600 feet away); Paul Laurence Dunbar Apartments (about 700 feet away); Owen D Young Peace Tower (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
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.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 24, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 847 times since then and 33 times this year. Last updated on March 7, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1. submitted on April 24, 2011, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on July 29, 2016, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.