60 entries match your criteria.
Historical Markers and War Memorials in Southwest Waterfront
Southwest Waterfront and Vicinity
▶ Washington (1955) ▶ Montgomery County, Maryland (529) ▶ Prince George's County, Maryland (523) ▶ Alexandria, Virginia (297) ▶ Arlington County, Virginia (367) ▶ Fairfax County, Virginia (474)
Touch name on list to highlight map location.
Touch blue arrow, or on map, to go there.
GEOGRAPHIC SORT
| Near Maine Avenue Southwest at 9th Street Southwest, on the right when traveling east. |
| | "a magnificent waterfront entranceway..."
Pierre Charles L'Enfant
architect of the Nation's Capital City, describing the Southwest Waterfront to President George Washington
Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, . . . — — Map (db m109326) HM |
| On 6th Street Southwest at K Street Southwest when traveling south on 6th Street Southwest. |
| |
Justin Dart Jr. moved to Southwest Washington to work for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As an energetic neighbor rushing through the lobby in his wheelchair, his Southwest DC neighbors fondly remember Justin. Never . . . — — Map (db m142878) HM |
| On 4th Street Southwest south of G Street Southwest. |
| |
Al Jolson, star of the first "talking" movie, The Jazz Singer, grew up as Asa Yoelson at 713 4½ Street (once near this sign). The Yoelsons arrived from Lithuania in 1880. Asa's father Rabbi Moses Yoelson served as cantor and . . . — — Map (db m130905) HM |
| On 6th Street Southwest at K Street Southwest, on the right when traveling south on 6th Street Southwest. |
| |
“More than two decades ago many of us in the disability community concluded that Americans with disabilities would never achieve full, productive citizenship and this nation made a firm statement of law protecting their civil rights.
. . . — — Map (db m142877) HM |
| Near Wharf Street Southwest at District Square Southwest, on the left when traveling north. |
| | The Southwest Waterfronts history is closely tied to African-American history. Leading up to the Civil War many people of color—those still enslaved as well as some freed individuals—lived and worked here, and some helped build the . . . — — Map (db m109580) HM |
| On Water Street Southwest west of 6th Street Southwest, on the right when traveling south. Reported missing. |
| | Before bridges spanned the Potomac, ferry boats took people and goods across the river. You could ride to Alexandria from Greenleafs Point (now Fort McNair), or between the landings where todays 14th Street Bridge touches ground. Sailboats . . . — — Map (db m130910) HM |
| On District Square Southwest at Maine Avenue Southwest on District Square Southwest. |
| | One of a number of landmark businesses that imbued the Southwest Waterfront with Industrial character, bustling with commerce, and a frenzy of activity in the 19th century. — — Map (db m112423) HM |
| Near Wharf Street Southwest at District Square Southwest, on the left when traveling north. |
| | The Maine Avenue Fish Market is the oldest continuously operating open-air fish market in the United States. When it opened in 1805, Washington was the center of the local fish and oyster trade. In the 1900s, it was known for the “jolly fish . . . — — Map (db m109723) HM |
| Near Maine Avenue Southwest east of 12th Street Southwest. |
| | Watermen from Maryland and Virginia once raced to the Southwest Waterfront with their oyster hauls and celebrated victory near the Lunch Room (built circa 1916-1918) and Oyster Shucking Shed (built circa 1930). — — Map (db m130964) HM |
| On L'Enfant Plaza Southwest at Banneker Circle Southwest, in the median on L'Enfant Plaza Southwest. |
| |
This high ground serves as a monument to Benjamin Banneker, a free African American who charted the stars for the first survey of Washington, DC. Banneker was 60 years old when he hired on to assist surveyor Andrew Ellicott. A tobacco planter . . . — — Map (db m130909) HM |
| | This Property Has Been
Place on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Circa 1794 — — Map (db m100743) HM |
| Near L'Enfant Plaza Southwest west of 9th Street Southwest. |
| | “
it is the indispensable duty of those, who maintain for themselves the rights of human nature, ... to extend their power and influence to the relief of every part of the human race...”
Benjamin Banneker, . . . — — Map (db m130604) HM |
| On 4th Street Southwest at N Street Southwest, on the right when traveling north on 4th Street Southwest. |
| |
When urban renewal threatened to destroy three of Washington's oldest structures, dating from the late 1700's, history-minded citizens organized to stop the bulldozers. As a result, when architect Chloethiel Woodard Smith designed the . . . — — Map (db m130917) HM |
| On 7th Street Southwest south of G Street Southwest, on the right when traveling north. Reported unreadable. |
| |
Who are these famous Civil Rights leaders?
Barbara Jordan (upper left)(some text missing due to illegibility)
Patsy Mink (wearing... (some text missing due to illegibility) ... supporter of civil rights . . . — — Map (db m130649) HM |
| On Sutton Square Southwest at Wharf Street Southwest, on the right when traveling north on Sutton Square Southwest. |
| | The Capital Yacht Club was formed in 1892 when nine yachtsmen hired a watchman to keep an eye on their vessels anchored in the newly formed Washington Channel. — — Map (db m112447) HM |
| On M Street Southwest at 4th Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west on M Street Southwest. |
| |
You are standing in the heart of one of Washington, DC's oldest—and newest—neighborhoods. For 150 years Southwest Washington was a working waterfront community. Then urban renewal changed the landscape forever. Today Southwest is . . . — — Map (db m130903) HM |
| On District Square Southwest at Wharf Street Southwest, on the right when traveling north on District Square Southwest. |
| | Private river commerce along the waterfront was disrupted during the Civil War when Washington became the headquarters and supply center of the Union Army. Wharves were appropriated for military purposes, and Water Street was opened and paved for . . . — — Map (db m109367) HM |
| On Wharf Street Southwest west of Wharf Street Southwest, on the left when traveling west. |
| | Before the 1800s, the Southwest Waterfront formed the eastern bank of the Potomac, but sediment accumulated as farming increased, making the river hard to navigate and prone to flooding. In 1882, plans to dredge the river were approved, with . . . — — Map (db m109748) HM |
| On Maine Avenue Southwest at 7th Street Southwest when traveling west on Maine Avenue Southwest. |
| |
Dale Adams, a service-connected disabled veteran of World War I, joined the DAV's professional staff in 1945 as a National Service Officer. In 1962, he was appointed National Adjutant, becoming the architect of the modern Disabled American . . . — — Map (db m87194) HM |
| On 7th Street Southwest at Water Street Southwest, in the median on 7th Street Southwest. |
| | Located at 7th and Water Streets SW, the District of Columbia morgue was built in 1904 and demolished in 1939 when the city morgue moved to a more modern facility. — — Map (db m120942) HM |
| On 7th Street Southwest south of G Street Southwest, on the left when traveling south. |
| |
Dr. Dorothy Height worked to advance women's, civil, and human rights with many of our nation's leaders. How many can you recognize?
Back
Dr. Dorothy Height
Has lived at 700 7th Street, SW since 1983. As President Emmerita . . . — — Map (db m112797) HM |
| On 7th Street Southwest at G Street Southwest on 7th Street Southwest. |
| |
Jefferson Junior High School was built in 1940 after area residents persuaded the city to abandon the original dilapidated building. They hoped the new structure, which included a branch library, would be the beginning of section-wide . . . — — Map (db m130908) HM |
| On 7th Street Southwest at Maine Avenue Southwest, in the median on 7th Street Southwest. Reported missing. |
| | Before the Civil War, Washington was a slave-holding city. But many of its citizens–especially free blacks and abolitionists–assisted freedom seekers at locations known as stops on the Underground Railroad.
The largest . . . — — Map (db m112455) HM |
| On 4th Street Southwest at O Street Southwest, on the right when traveling south on 4th Street Southwest. |
| | Harbour Square, completed 1966, contains seven historic dwellings. Development of the historic structures was initiated by James Greenleaf in the early 1790's. The financier sold individual lots to Thomas Law for the "Barney House" and the Lewis . . . — — Map (db m148959) HM |
| On Water Street Southwest at Pearl Street Southwest on Water Street Southwest. |
| | During the Civil War, Water Street was paved for military traffic leading from the gun and powder factory at the Arsenal on Greenleaf Point north along the waterfront to Long Bridge. — — Map (db m112448) HM |
| On Maine Avenue Southwest west of 7th Street Southwest. |
| | A local favorite, the signature roll was served before meals at Hogate's Seafood Restaurant, a dining landmark of Washington's Southwest Waterfront from 1938 until 2001. — — Map (db m112422) HM |
| On District Square Southwest west of Wharf Street Southwest, on the left when traveling west. |
| | Preparations for World War II ended plans of filling the Southwest yacht basins with pleasure crafts. Instead, a severe housing shortage during the war turned the waterfront into a home for houseboats, providing an obvious alternative for the many . . . — — Map (db m109983) HM |
| On P Street Southwest at 3rd Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west on P Street Southwest. |
| | In the 1890s, American cities had a common problem. The working poor lived in deteriorating housing, often no better than wooden shacks. In Washington much of this housing lined the city's hidden alleys. But people needed healthier and safer . . . — — Map (db m130914) HM |
| Near N Street Southwest west of 4th Street Southwest, on the left when traveling west. |
| | This structure has been
Recorded by the
Historic American
Building Survey
of the United States Department
of Interior for its archives
at the Library of Congress — — Map (db m100778) HM |
| On Water Street Southwest north of 7th Street Southwest when traveling north. |
| | Lewis Jefferson, the District's first African American millionaire, owned the Independent Steamboat and Barge Company, which transported passengers to Washington Park, his Amusement park for African Americans. — — Map (db m109339) HM |
| On 4th Street Southwest at O Street Southwest, on the right when traveling north on 4th Street Southwest. |
| | A massive, Romanesque style Metropolitan Street Railway car barn once commanded the corner behind you across O Street, with repair shops across Fourth Street. They dated from the 1880s, and were part of Washington's first street railway system. . . . — — Map (db m130915) HM |
| On District Square Southwest at Wharf Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west on District Square Southwest. |
| | Originally constructed in 1809 as a mile-long wooden toll bridge connecting the District with Virginia, Long Bridge has seen many transformations and additions. In 1861, five days after the fall of Fort Sumpter, Robert E. Lee rode south on Long . . . — — Map (db m109421) HM |
| On Maine Avenue Southwest at Market Square Southwest, on the right when traveling east on Maine Avenue Southwest. |
| | Opened in 1805, the Maine Avenue Fish Market is the oldest continuously operating fish market in the United States, 17 years older than New York City's Fulton Fish Market. — — Map (db m130605) HM |
| On Half Street Southwest north of V Street Southwest. |
| |
This mural honors explorer Matthew Alexander Henson, a D.C. native who reached the North Pole in 1909 with Robert Peary. Designed and created by a group of students in the Corcoran Gallery's ArtReach program, it was installed in the summer of . . . — — Map (db m131221) HM |
| On P Street Southwest east of 4th Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west. |
| | Fort Leslie J. McNair, to your right, honors the commander, Army Ground Forces during World War II who died in battle. It is the U.S. Armys third oldest installation (after West Point and Carlisle Barracks).
The fort dates back to 1791. . . . — — Map (db m130912) HM |
| Near District Square Southwest west of Wharf Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west. |
| | Beginning in 1815, steamboats ferried passengers and goods across the river and connected the waterfront to Richmond and other points via Aquia Creek. Today's riverside activities continue to include boat day trips, excursions, and pleasure cruises . . . — — Map (db m112444) HM |
| On 6th Street Southwest north of M Street Southwest, on the right when traveling north. |
| |
All that surrounds this sign resulted from the nation's first urban renewal project. To your left is Arena Stage, a leader in the resident company theater movement. Founded as an innovative theater-in-the-round in an old downtown movie . . . — — Map (db m133833) HM |
| On Wharf Street Southwest north of Blair Alley Southwest, on the left when traveling north. |
| | The two-mile-long harbor known as the Washington Channel was established during a massive reclamation effort in the 1880s, creating Potomac Park and the adjacent Tidal Basin. — — Map (db m109730) HM |
| Near I Street Southwest just west of South Capitol Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west. |
| |
The Randall Recreation Center is located in Southwest Washington, D.C. along JAmes Creek. With the construction of both the Washington City Canal and the James Creek Canal in 1815, Southwest was cut-off from the rest of the city and became known . . . — — Map (db m150951) HM |
| On N Street Southwest east of 4th Street Southwest. |
| | Washington's schools and playgrounds were legally segregated from 1862 until 1954. But that didn't stop kids of all backgrounds from playing together. "We didn't understand racial disharmony," said Southwester Gene Cherrico of his childhood on . . . — — Map (db m130916) HM |
| On 4th Street Southwest at G Street Southwest, on the right when traveling south on 4th Street Southwest. |
| | Directly across Fourth Street from this sign is the Capitol Park complex of high-rise and townhouse residences. Designed by Chloethiel Woodard Smith of Satterlee and Smith, the high-rise (now Potomac Place) opened in 1959 as the first new . . . — — Map (db m130906) HM |
| On 6th Street Southwest east of Water Street Southwest, on the right when traveling east. |
| |
More than 50 years after it opened in 1964, Tiber Island stands as a tribute to the idealism that marked the new Southwest. Planners hoped the neighborhood's mid-20th-century modern architecture, mix of high- and low-rise structures, balance . . . — — Map (db m130607) HM |
| On 7th Street Southwest north of Maine Avenue Southwest, on the right when traveling north. |
| | Stone from First Baptist Church in America, Providence R.I. — — Map (db m138112) HM |
| On I Street Southwest at 4th Street Southwest on I Street Southwest. |
| |
This quiet street was once Washington's answer to New York's Lower East Side. Fourth Street, known until 1934 as a 4½ Street, and nearly Seventh Street were Southwest's shopping centers.
Around 1900 this street was the dividing . . . — — Map (db m130904) HM |
| On Water Street Southwest south of 6th Street Southwest. |
| |
To your left across Water Street is the Thomas Law House, now a community center for the Tiber Island cooperative. The Federal style house was designed by William Lovering in 1794 for businessman Thomas Law and his bride Eliza Parke Custis, . . . — — Map (db m130911) HM |
| On Wharf Street Southwest at 7th Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west on Wharf Street Southwest. |
| | In 1848, in the largest recorded escape attempt by slaves in US history, 77 men, women, and children attempted to flee on the 65-foot schooner Pearl, but were recaptured due to opposing winds. — — Map (db m112420) HM |
| On Wharf Street Southwest west of District Square Southwest, on the left when traveling north. |
| | Gen. Ulysses S. Grant used this side-wheel steamer as his private dispatch boat, and it hosted the Hampton Roads Conference, President Lincoln's unsuccessful attempt to negotiate an end to the Civil War. — — Map (db m112443) HM |
| Near 6th Street Southwest south of M Street Southwest, on the left when traveling south. |
| | Thomas Law
and his wife
Elizabeth Parke Custis
Granddaughter of Martha Washington
Resided here in 1796
Later the home of
Richard Bland Lee
Who was influential in bringing the
Capital to the Potomac
National Capital . . . — — Map (db m80492) HM |
| On Wharf Street Southwest west of Pearl Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west. |
| | During his United States Supreme Court tenure, Thurgood Marshall resided in Southwest near the waterfront. He was the court's first African American justice and the 96th person to hold this title. — — Map (db m112419) HM |
| On G Street Southwest 0.1 miles east of 2nd Street Southwest, on the left when traveling east. |
| |
"The legal-system can force open doors, and sometimes even knock down walls, but it cannot build bridges. That job belongs to you and me. The country can't do it. Afro and white, rich and poor, educated and illiterate, our fates are bound . . . — — Map (db m147019) HM |
| Near P Street Southwest 0.1 miles west of 4th Street Southwest, on the left when traveling west. |
| | [front (north) face of statue base:]To the brave men
who perished
in the wreck
of the Titanic
April 15, 1912.
They gave their
lives that women
and children
might be saved.
[reverse (south) face of statue . . . — — Map (db m100951) HM |
| Near District Square Southwest west of Wharf Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west. |
| | In April 1848, the largest slave escape attempt on record in the Unites States took place at the Southwest Waterfront. Seventy-seven men, women, and children boarded the schooner Pearl to sail to freedom, but were ultimately recaptured. The . . . — — Map (db m110136) HM |
| On District Square Southwest west of Wharf Street Southwest, on the left when traveling west. |
| | At the beginning of the 20th century, Southwest was considered a decaying neighborhood suffering from poor housing and urban blight. In 1945, the Redevelopment Land Agency was created and its urban renewal efforts saw the displacement of . . . — — Map (db m109664) HM |
| Near 1st Avenue north of B Street, on the left when traveling north. |
| | Walter Reed
who gave man control over
Yellow Fever
died in a hospital
on this site
November 23, 1902 — — Map (db m80491) HM |
| On B Street west of 3rd Avenue, on the right when traveling west. |
| | Major Reed died in this building on November 3, 1902. In 1900 Walter Reed led the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Board that documented the mosquito transmission of Yellow Fever, proved the existence of the first viral disease in man, and was the first . . . — — Map (db m80493) HM |
| On District Square Southwest south of Maine Avenue Southwest when traveling south. |
| |
[Left plaque]
Founded by tennis legend Billie Jean King in 1974, World Team Tennis has featured many of the world's greatest tennis players. In 2011 and 2012, the Washington Kastles thrilled DC crowd completing the only two perfect . . . — — Map (db m130606) HM |
| On District Square Southwest at Maine Avenue Southwest, on the right when traveling south on District Square Southwest. |
| | By the 1820's, the Southwest Waterfront had become the principal commercial waterfront of the city, home to municipal piers, ice and coal docks, and fish and coastal steamship wharves. — — Map (db m112418) HM |
| On District Square Southwest west of Wharf Street Southwest, on the right when traveling west. |
| | In the 1840s, the Southwest Waterfront was developing into a major commercial seaport and took on an industrial character. Buildings and warehouses were constructed to accommodate coal, ice, and lumber trades, as well as slaughterhouses, bars, and . . . — — Map (db m112446) HM |
| On 4th Street Southwest south of N Street Southwest, on the right when traveling south. |
| | This Property Has Been
placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of Agriculture — — Map (db m100935) HM |
| On Half Street Southwest north of O Street Southwest, on the right when traveling north. Reported damaged. |
| | William Syphax Public School, built in 1902 to serve African American children under the city's then-segregated school system, honored the first president of the Board of Trustees of the DC Colored Schools.
The original building was designed . . . — — Map (db m136836) HM |
RSS Feed