For the Working People .
across Ninth Street from Sign opened in as the headquarters of the American Federation of Labor.When the . million-member organization moved in,it was the nation’s largest and most powerful labor union. The building’s design by Milburn,Heister & Co. symbolized the union’s maturity and strength. The AF of L’s first president was London-born Samuel Gompers ( - ).Gompers immi- grated to New York in ,became a cigar maker and, in ,president of Cigar Makers Union Local .When a number of unions formed the American Federation of Labor in ,they elected Gompers president.He remained president until his death.A memorial to Gompers is nearby at Tenth Street and Massachusetts Avenue. The AFL- CIO relocated to th Street in ,and the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitters Industry took its place here. The current Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church was completed in for a congregation dating from . In ,as the population of near- by Chinatown was peaking,the church invited the Chinese Community Church to share its space.A year later, the church developed the Mount Vernon Players.This drama group presented secular plays and welcomed racially integrated audiences when most Washington theaters did not. Under Managing Director Edward Mangum and Assistant Managing Director Zelda Fichandler,the group evolved into Arena Stage.In Arena’s first production opened in the former Hippodrome movie theater at K Street (since demolished).
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