On this walking tour of the U Street neighborhood, historical markers lead you to prominent buildings as well as little-known sites that witnessed the rich African American history of this “City within a City.” This illustrated guide will tell you about: • The childhood homes and entertainment venues of Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington. • The homes of poet Georgia Douglas Johnson and opera singer Madame Evanti. • The first African American YMCA. • A stunning park with a dramatic water cascade. • Victorian-era domestic architecture. • The African American Civil War Memorial. • Nightclubs where
Louis Armstrong, Sarah Vaughn, and other name entertainers played. • The restored Lincoln Theatre.
CityWithin a City
1 GREATER U STREET HERITAGE TRAIL
you are standing on Washington’s historic Blac k Broa dw ay — the heart of African American life in Washington, D.C. from about 1900 to the 1950 s.Du k e Ellington,its most famous native son,gre w up, w as inspire d , traine d , an d playe d his first music here.He is but one example of the lea d ers in la w ,me d icine,the military,science,an d the arts w ho w ere shape d by a community that value d e d ucation an d supporte d achievement against great o dd s in a segregate d society.Nearby Ho w ar d University w as its gui d ing star. The Lincoln Theater at mi d -bloc k across U Street,no w restore d to its 1922 gran d eur, w as one of three first-run movie theaters clustere d on U Street.The Lincoln Colonna d e behin d the theater,since d emolishe d , w as a popular setting for balls,parties an d performances.All the great entertainers playe d clubs on or near this boulevar d — Cab Callo w ay, Pearl Bailey, Sarah Vaughn, Louis Armstrong, Billy Ec k stine, an d Jelly Roll Morton,to name a fe w . Blac k -o w ne d businesses; the offices of blac k la w yers, d octors, an d d entists; an d the hea d quarters of blac k social institutions clustere d along U Street. Many of them occupie d buil d ings that w ere finance d , d esigne d , an d built by an d for African Americans — unusual at the time. At night an d on w ee k en d s,U Street w as a para d e groun d — a place to meet frien d s an d share w hat many d escribe as a close,small-to w n atmos- phere.An d at its core w as an elegance epitomize d by Du k e Ellington himself.The ol d -timers say that U Street w as so gran d that to come here you ha d to w ear a tie. You Had toWear aTie
Ushers welcome patrons,above,to the Lincoln Theater about 1940.Duke Ellington,left, frequently returned home from New York to play the Howard Theatre at 7th and T.
The Republic Theatre in the 1300 block of U Street,demolished in the 1980s,was one of three first-run movie houses on the street.Noted photographer Robert H.McNeill captured this lively night-time scene about 1940.
Capital Classic parade heading for U Street in the 1950s.
Louis Armstrong playing the Lincoln Colonnade, a popular dance hall that once operated behind the Lincoln Theater.
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