Neighborhood Walking Tour: Woodridge

Take a DC History Center walking tour in Woodridge with Jeremiah Montague Jr. to learn the history of this lesser-known neighborhood.  

SOLD OUT! Tell us you're interested in this popular tour by clicking Register and then "Join waitlist." A limited number of waitlist tickets will become available, and remaining waitlisted guests will be offered early access to next year's Woodridge tours.

If you’re a DC resident, chances are you’ve driven up Rhode Island Avenue towards the Maryland border without noticing you’re in Woodridge. If you pulled over, you might have been visiting local classics like The Museum, Manny and Olga's, Zeke’s Coffee, a salon, or maybe Rita’s Italian Ice. Most of this humble commercial strip dates to the 1920s. Back then, Black Washingtonians would have taken the streetcar to work in Woodridge because they couldn’t live in the neighborhood. Hostile white neighbors alongside racially restrictive covenants on homes’ deeds deterred Black neighbors from living in the bungalow-style homes on tree-lined streets. 

Changing demographics of this Washington, DC neighborhood accelerated after the 1968 uprisings. As white residents fled to nearby suburbs, Black residents moved into the neighborhood, carving out a Black, middle-class enclave.  

Join the DC History Center with neighborhood expert, resident, and historian Jeremiah Montague Jr. to learn about the history of Woodridge—adjacent to, but unique from Brookland, its well-known neighbor. From the original indigenous inhabitants of the land to its tobacco fields, you’ll hear how Civil War forts, Catholic land purchases, the Highway Act of 1893, and the streetcar shaped the streets we know today. Other noteworthy stops include: 

• Woodridge Neighborhood Library

• The first Woodridge Library  

• Saint Francis de Sales Church 

• Langdon Park 

• Woodridge Elementary School, originally built in 1926 for white students 

REGISTRATION 

This tour is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Our priority audience is Woodridge residents, both new and longtime neighbors, but we welcome all guests.  

TOUR DATES
June 7
September 13

TOUR DURATION & DIFFICULTY 

This tour is considered moderately difficult and is two hours long. We will cover two miles of commercial and residential streets. Woodridge is a hilly neighborhood with sometimes narrow or nonexistent sidewalks. Attendees are advised to be mindful of their own limits. Bathrooms are available at the start and end of the tour at Woodridge Neighborhood Library. 

CANCELLATIONS 

If you are no longer able to attend this tour, please cancel your ticket or email programs@dchistory.org to help us manage attendance numbers.  

TOUR GUIDE

Tours are led by Jeremiah Montague Jr., supported by Briana Thomas of Black Broadway in Washington, DC.

NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY PROJECT

The DC History Center introduces its Neighborhood History Project Series which aims to study and document the history of often overlooked DC neighborhoods. Our current focus is on Woodridge (Ward 5) and Hillcrest (Ward 7). This series includes archival research, supported by community engagement and dialogue to not only research this history, but encourage connection and programming for current residents.