The intersection of Mount Pleasant and 16th sts., 1952.
Washingtoniana Division, D.C. Public Library
In 1903 the city extended and widened 16th Street toward the Maryland line, and the section east of 16th Street eventually became part of Columbia Heights. At the same time, electric streetcars began running on Mt. Pleasant Street. Businesses and apartment buildings sprouted where the line ended. Along the side streets, developers built spacious rowhouses to the tastes of well-to-do entrepreneurs and politicians and simpler versions for middle-class families. Elegant apartments, churches, and mansions rose along 16th Street. The Citizens Association lobbied successfully for a new school and library. It also promoted covenants on housing to keep the population white. Change came with the Great Depression and World War II. Washington’s population boomed as the U.S. Government staffed up to handle the emergencies. A housing shortage resulted, leading
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