History
Then and Now: The 11th Street Bridge
At the doorstep of Historic Anacostia, the junction of Good Hope Road (formerly Harrison Street) and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue (formerly Piscataway Road, Monroe Street, and later Nichols Avenue) is an old corner with a unique place in the lore of DC and American history.
Eastern Branch Bridge, circa 1862. Photo from the Library of Congress.
In August 1814, with British troops descending on Washington's federal core, local citizens burned the Eastern Branch Bridge (the Anacostia River was then known as the Eastern Branch of the Potomac) to imperil their advance.
On the night of Good Friday, April 14, 1865 John Wilkes Booth made his escape over the Navy Yard Bridge, through Uniontown (now Historic Anacostia), to southern Maryland after shooting President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre.
Today, as part of a massive public works project, a new 11th Street Bridge is on the cusp of reopening.
Anacostia today. Photo by the author.
 | John Muller is a local journalist and historian. His first book, Frederick Douglass in Washington, DC: The Lion of Anacostia, was published by The History Press last year. John is now at work on Mark Twain in Washington, DC.    |
Comments
- Latest Metro map drafts add Anacostia parks and other tweaks
- Bikeshare is a gateway to private biking, not competition
- Short-term Washingtonians deserve a voice, too
- DC Council makes major policy changes overnight
- Public land deals have both benefits and pitfalls
- Parklets give every block a little park
- Judge denies injunction against closing schools
Was that building a toll house?
Thanks.
by Jay on Jan 26, 2012 3:16 pm • link • report
On pg. 74 of The Anacostia Story it says the home belongs to "Maria Frederick, an Anacostia landholder."
by John M on Jan 26, 2012 4:49 pm • link • report
by Ghosts of DC on Jan 27, 2012 10:14 pm • link • report
Add a Comment