LeDroit Park was developed in 1873 as an early, all-white suburb located outside the original boundaries of Washington City. Leading African American families began moving here in the 1890s. By the early 20th century it was a haven for Howard University scholars, literary figures such as Paul Laurence Dunbar, and civil rights leaders such as Mary Church Terrell. Many of the original picturesque cottages and grand houses still exist on its narrow village-like streets, part of the LeDroit Park Historic District.
