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 former reporter for The Washington Times and current contributor to Capital Community News. He earned his degree in Public Policy from GWU and is currently working on a book, Frederick Douglass' Washington: The Lion of Anacostia to be published in October by The History Press. John is a late night Metro rider.    |
Comments
- Successful speed cameras require fair speed limits
- VDOT ignores own data, pushes widening I-66
- Amid scandal, don't lose sight of Gray's policy achievements
- DC's divide need not be black and white
- Preservationists ask to shrink 3rd Church replacement
- Montgomery plans 160-mile, "gold standard" BRT system
- Planners are the new public health officials
Was that building a toll house?
Thanks.
by Jay on Jan 26, 2012 3:16 pm
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
by Ghosts of DC on Jan 27, 2012 10:14 pm
Add a Comment