A Neighborhood for Everyone ,
were built dur- ing a wave of private development that began after the United States won the Spanish-American War in ,becoming a world power for the first time. As America flexed its muscles, the world — and Eighth Street — felt the impact.In response the Marines began rebuilding the Barracks in , and the Navy Yard expanded in . The growing work force needed more housing and services too.New buildings soon filled in vacant lots or replaced old structures along Eighth Street. In the Washington and Mechanics Savings Bank went up on this corner as the row’s first bank,reflecting the area’s bright economic prospects. Eastern European and Asian immigrants, as well as American-born blacks and whites,joined the area’s already diverse pre-Civil War population. Diagonally across the street from this sign stands Eighth Street,built in by Irishman James O’Donnell as a combination store and apartment building.O’Donnell ran a drugstore on the first floor and rented the second- and third-floor “flats.”Ten years later,Louis Rosenberg built - Eighth Street,across Eighth from this sign,as four independent stores (one of which was his shoe store) topped with apartments.Rosenberg was one of many Eastern European Jews to choose the neighborhood.By the Southeast Hebrew Congregation (organized in ) was large enough to purchase a permanent meeting place at Ninth Street.In the purposely bi-racial Peoples Church,a Christian ministry of reconcilia- tion, took over the old Academy Theater.
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