True Reformer Building
True Reformer Building, Bank building in U Street Corridor, Washington DC.
The True Reformer Building at 1200 U Street Northwest features four stories of buff brick facades with storefronts on the ground level.
Built in 1903, this structure became the first building in the United States designed, financed, and constructed entirely by the African American community.
The edifice served multiple functions, including banking services, insurance operations, elderly housing, retail spaces, and a newspaper publication center.
The Public Welfare Foundation occupies this National Register of Historic Places building, continuing its legacy of community service through social justice programs.
Duke Ellington performed his first concert in this building, which later housed a dance hall, gymnasium, and police boys club under Knights of Pythias ownership.
Location: Washington, D.C.
GPS coordinates: 38.91670,-77.02860
Latest update: September 23, 2025 14:25
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