Anacostia Park in Southeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
An Upstream Battle
Anacostia Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Across the river, the oldest operating Black boating club in the U.S., the Seafarers Yacht Club, was founded in 1945 by D.C. public school teacher and boatbuilder Lewis Thomas Green. Excluded by White-only boat clubs, Green applied to lease property for a new dock on the Anacostia River. When the Department of the Interior refused to process his application, Green enlisted the help of civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune. With her influence, Green received his permit, naming his boating community, "Green's Boat Yard."
Since that foundinga victory for equal access and fair treatmentthe Seafarers have played a major role in Anacostia boating. In 1972, the club helped create the Anacostia Boating Association. The Seafarers were also one of the first organized groups to take action on river cleanuphosting the first Anacostia River Cleanup Day in 1985. The Seafarers Yacht Club remains proud and active today, providing access to the river and a community connection for D.C. boaters.
"This has been my river I love this river. This river has always done right by me."
Charles "Bob" Martin, Seafarers Yacht Club
"Holdyour head up high. Look every man straight in the eye and make no apology to anyone because of race or color."
Click or scan to see
this page online
Mary McLeod Bethune
[Captions:]
In May 2022, the Seafarers clubhouse, wheelhouse, and 1947 boat ramp were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Born in 1875, Mary McLeod Bethune grew up in the turbulence of the Reconstruction-era South. A powerhouse of the early Civil Rights Movement, she founded Bethune-Cookman College (now university), the Natioanl Council of Negro Women (NCNW), and served as advisor to four U.S. presidents. The first headquarters for the NCNW is now a National Park Service site: The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is May 2022.
Location. 38° 52.639′ N, 76° 58.371′ W. Marker is in Southeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Anacostia Park. It is on Anacostia
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Unity in the Community (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Seafarers Yacht Club (approx. 0.2 miles away); Anacostia Skating Pavilion (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Anacostia Skating Pavilion (approx. 0.2 miles away); The First People of Anacostia (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Life of a River (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Anacostia River Floodplain (approx. 0.2 miles away); Summer in the Parks (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Southeast Washington.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 20, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 20, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
