The Georgetown Metropolitan

With Election Day tomorrow, GM wanted to re-print an article he published two years ago telling the story of the first black voters in DC, who were all Georgetowners:

Georgetown was founded by act of the Province of Maryland on May 15, 1751. It was carved out of Frederick County (which itself had only been carved out of Prince Georges County three years earlier). It should come as no surprise that the Corporation of George Town, as it was known, did not extend any voting rights to non-white men (or any women). This continued after 1801, when the city was incorporated into the newly formed District of Columbia.

Throughout the first half of the 19th century, there was little hope of this injustice coming to an end. However, with the rise of radical Republicanism following the Union’s victory in the Civil War, talk of extending the franchise to Black men reached the highest levels. Leaders such as Massachusetts senator Charles Sumner pushed for universal male suffrage as a condition for the Southern state’s readmission to the Union. This effort, sadly, was thwarted by the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at the hands of a man enraged at that possibility. Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson, left the question to the vote of the Southern states themselves, and you will not be surprised how that turned out.

Once the possibility of achieving universal male suffrage across the South was stopped, Sumner and others turned to the District. This was due to the unique amount of power Congress had (and still has) over DC. Congress has ultimate authority over DC’s laws and could extend the vote to Black men by legislation without regard to the will of the white male voting population here.

White leaders in DC were not too keen on that idea. GM will spare you some of the statements they made in reaction to the proposal, but suffice to say they were disgustingly racist. And in order to have a say in the matter, the cities of Washington and Georgetown held a referendum on December 21, 1865 on the question. The referendum’s result would not be binding, since Congress could simply ignore it. But it was thought by the White anti-Black suffrage leaders that the results would dissuade Congress from acting.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Large house at the corner of R and Wisconsin (with the giant paper cup fountain) sold for nearly $10 million.
• Great profile of Susan Calloway and her Book Hill gallery, Calloway Fine Art.

Montrose Park

Meet Mel! She is GM’s newest foster pup. She is five years old and an absolutely lovely lab/hound mix.

She arrived to DC from a shelter in North Carolina a couple weeks ago. Like most foster pets who go through a rough transfer like that, she took a little time to come out of her shell a bit. But with every day she is more and more eager to get out there and meet new faces on the sidewalk.

When she’s not out on her walks, Mel is a snoozy miss! No hyperactive dog bouncing off the walls here. She’ll be a nice furry heartbeat at your feet all day. She’s fully housebroken and is even good with cats!

So if you’re looking to adopt an low maintenance sweetheart: she’s your gal! Just click here and submit an application!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Hard to believe today, but originally the Citizens Association of Georgetown wasn’t open to women. (It’s a bit more believable, based on how old it is, that it was also not open to Black residents either.)
• Fascinating article on the historic rituals associated with Black cemeteries, featuring Georgetown’s Mt. Zion in particular.

Dumbarton Oaks Park

This Sunday, the historic armillary sphere has returned to Montrose Park. workers installed the marker this week. And the Friends of Montrose Park will mark the occasion this Sunday in the park’s Rose Garden from 3:00 to 5:00 pm.

The sphere was originally placed in the park to honor Sarah Louisa Rittenhouse by the Georgetown Garden Club in 1956. Rittenhouse was largely responsibly for convincing Congress to purchase the grounds of the former Montrose estate for a public park in 1911.

The sphere was ripped off its pedestal a couple years ago. Luckily it was found nearby and can be restored. This actually wasn’t the first time the sphere was vandalized. In 1969 it was stolen and eventually ended up in some azalea bushes outside the Washinton Star newspaper. Let’s hope there’s not a third time!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Blues Alley already reopened! Yay!
• Community meeting scheduled for November 7th at Hardy at 6:30 pm to discuss the future of Jelleff rec center renovations.

Montrose Park

The ANC meets for its November session tonight at 6:30 pm. The meeting is accessible here via Zoom. The agenda has some interesting nuggets, although they won’t actually get discussed during the meeting.

For instance, the agenda reveals that the hot new coffee shop, Blank Street Coffee, is coming to the Eastbanc development of the former Zara building at Wisconsin and Prospect. The chain has already opened two spots in DC, in Dupont and the Wharf. The Georgetown location will hardly be the last. It’s understandable to get all these new, hot coffee shops mixed up. There was the pour-over one (Blue Bottle) and the Australian one (Bluestone Lane). This one appears to try to distinguish itself by being high quality but cheap. You be the judge.

Additionally, the fashion brand Scotch and Soda will be making its return to Georgetown. The store was briefly located at 3209 M St. in the early part of last decade. This go around it will be located at 1214 Wisconsin Ave., which is the small space just south of El Centro. This had a hat store for a while until a fire gutted the building. Then it was the temporary space for Soulier Shoes, while that shop renovated its space further up Wisconsin Ave.

During the meeting itself, the most interesting discussion may come with regards to the Jelleff Rec Center proposed renovation. The city has dedicate money for the project but is dragging its feet in actually moving it forward. The ANC will consider a resolution pressuring the city to get the project back on track.