Anacostia Historic District

The Anacostia Historic District is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington containing approximately 550 buildings built between the mid-1800s and early 1900s. Most are one-story frame or brick structures with spacious yards, reflecting the modest construction style of a working-class community.

The area was founded in 1854 as Uniontown to house workers of the Navy Yard across the river. In 1866, the neighborhood took its current name after the Anacostia River.

The name comes from the Anacostia River that borders the area and has shaped community identity for generations. Walking through the streets, you see how working families once lived side by side and built their neighborhood together.

The neighborhood extends across roughly 20 blocks along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE and is best explored on foot. Start your visit at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site to understand the area's history before wandering the surrounding residential streets.

The neighborhood contains the largest remaining collection of late 1800s working-class houses in Washington, showcasing styles like Italianate and Queen Anne on modest homes. These ornamental details, typically reserved for mansions, appear on ordinary dwellings and show how even everyday houses received thoughtful design.