Waterfront/Southwest DC, African American Heritage Trail
The waterfront neighborhood of Southwest was especially important to freedom-seekers before Emancipation. Although one of the city’s oldest areas, today Southwest looks like one of the newest, with an array of 1960s Modernist apartments and townhouses. After World War II, the neighborhood was the nation’s first to experience the U.S. Government’s “urban renewal” program, which resulted in the demolition of most of its older structures. In the process, most of Southwest’s primarily poor and working-class community was removed. Thus there are few physical remains associated with the people and events noted below. However, the river bears witness, and the 17 signs of River Farms to Urban Towers: Southwest Heritage Trail display maps and images illustrating these important stories along the waterfront and throughout the community.
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Testimonials
This tour delivers the goods. Being raised just outside of washington d.c. (Bethesda), I've gone on innumerable DC sightseeing tours in my lifetime. Every time a family friend or relative visited from out of town meant another trip down to the Mall, another sightseeing tour. Monument tours, ghost tours, "Duck" tours, you name it I've done it. But out of all the DC tours I've been on this was one of the best. I went last weekend with my nieces and nephews on the Capitol Hill tour, which lasted a little over two hours. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable of the historic sites and presented the information in a fun and lively manner. His enthusiam for the subject was infectious. He had my nieces and nephews in rapt atttention from start to finish. Highly recommend.