One Solid House

I've always loved this house on V Street. All-brick construction - even the porch rails are brick!



Although I'm typically against window awnings, these ones have a bit of charm to them. I wonder, though, if they were removed if I'd love the house even more.

where the shotgun once stood

Shotgun houses are an endangered species. In Anacostia, there exists only one true shotgun that I can think of, and it's just outside the historic district (and if we're being technical, in the Fairlawn neighborhood) on 17th Street SE near Good Hope Road. Shotgun houses are deep one-story homes that are typically very humble structures and are scattered across much of the American South.


the shotgun on 17th Street SE

On the blog Victorian Secrets, the author gives one explanation for the origin of the style:

It is often said that these houses acquired their name because, if all the doors were open, a shotgun could be fired from front porch to backyard without hitting anything. But even this near-cliche is disputed for reasons beyond the tendency of shotgun pellets to scatter widely.

Since the early 1990s, a widely-accepted theory is that the shotgun house design originated among plantation slaves in the Carribean, and was carried to New Orleans and disseminated throughout the south by slaves and free African-Americans. It has been claimed that the "shotgun" name is a corruption of several Yoruba words related to the concept of "house".

An irony is that exterminating shotgun houses was once a progressive goal. Well into the 1970s, shotgun houses were viewed as inherently-substandard, a symbol of poverty like the unpaved streets and outdoor plumbing that characterized the neighborhoods where they stood. Urban renewal relentlessly demolished them by the block.

Regardless, they are a form that should not be forgotten. Sadly, Anacostia lost a shotgun house at 1314 V Street SE in 2002, when the owner demolished it without permission.


bad condition ≠ reason to demolish


the area is now used as a parking lot for the church across the street

Here's some more history of DC's shotguns:

Washington has been a southern-style city for most of its existence, so it might be expected to have a great many shotgun houses. However, this does not appear to be the case. Perhaps the most likely place to find shotguns would have been among the notorious alley dwellings that were demolished in the 1930s and '40s. However, in photos most of these appear to have been very plain two story brick and wooden structures which allowed more density than single story houses. Perhaps the best DC neighborhood for finding shotgun houses is Deanwood, where there is a sprinkling on the sidestreets between Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue and Sherriff Road NE.

Although shotgun houses are most often associated with poor African-American neighborhoods, each of the pictured houses appear to have had early inhabitants who were white. 1314 V Street SE is another tradesman's home in a formerly segregated white neighborhood. It has many signature shotgun house touches, including a tin gabled roof and full-width front porch, which in this case has a flat, steeply-sloping roof. Some catalogers claim that because shotgun houses are meant to be packed cheek-by-jowl on narrow urban lots, pure examples should lack side windows, as 314 V does.

Every time I learn of a demolition I am more encouraged to continue acting to protect what's still here. This isn't rich people history - but it's a history that's incredibly important and needs protection.

Restoration on 1600 Bl. U Street

There's a new restoration taking place on the 1600 block of U Street SE - and it looks like it's gonna be great. (How do I know? Because it looks nasty now, and because the same folks just did one a few houses down)


a very typical "Anacostia look" house - awesome potential


the fake brick asphalt shingle siding has been mostly removed


looks like the porch floor needs a complete rebuild, but glad to see original columns and decorative elements in place

This is the house on the same block that the same builder just completed and sold. Looks great from the outside, and original wood siding was restored!



It makes such a big difference in the neighborhood when people actually care what the end product looks like ... the city and its future are very thankful.

the governess of Valley Place

Anacostia is filled with two types of houses: gorgeous houses that have been lovingly restored, and gorgeous houses that haven't. Valley Place is no exception, and this houses is a complete standout.


I love the Americana vibe from the flag


flowers are everywhere ... landscaping has such a huge impact!



Kudos to the owners for really investing on the block. I know this corner has had an unfair share of break-ins recently, but I truly believe that the more we fix the broken windows (literal and otherwise) in this neighborhood, the less that will happen.

Saturday Morning

this freshly painted house looks fantastic:



love the green and red combo, and the changes really show the life-giving value of sprucing up the facade. porch tiles going on now...

classy Christmas porch

the candy cane columns are a nice touch. As is the exterior restoration, paid for by the DC Government. Grant Applications Due January 5.

the purple house

i'm a big fan of colorful houses, so am glad to add "the purple house" to the anacostia repertoire.

August:

kinda dumpy looking, but with a certain charm

October:

the porch re-build


off with the old imitation-brick shingle siding, in with the old(er) wooden clapboard

December:

new porch, new paint, new outlook on life

and i'm holding off on a full profile of the house to the right until it's totally done, but clearly it is looking mighty swell.

(yet another example of the power of the Historic Homeowners Grant Program. Deadline to apply is January 5 ~ and hey, knock on your neighbor's door and help them get it done, too!)

funky and fresh, curly numbers edition

yes, that is a wooden parrot hanging from the porch.

do-on't stop, belie-ieving

just a little clapboard restoration to get the morning started:



...It goes on and on and on and on...

photo by DG-rad

if this house were an old man...

...the giant awning would be his crazy mustache.

two houses, both alike in dignity

...in fair Anacostia where we lay our scene...

So I've posted about these houses before .. but the disparity is so ridiculous I have to show them again. The first house, which was the grant program press release star, it now almost done:



while it's next door neighbor, which is the exact same design, is still living the abandoned life:



one step at a time, I guess. Click Here for info on the grant program.

photos by DG-rad

Hello Yellow

step one: get historic homeowners grant.

note: those are just storm windows. the house had no real windows.

step two: start scraping.


step three: let the not-so-mellow transformation begin.


step five: new windows!


step six: stand back and enjoy.


photos by DG-rad

sweet house on V Street

I respect the picket fence with flowing grasses look - not sure how it flies with dc historic preservation, but hey: it looks good, it's unique, and it isn't vinyl.

true, the bars on these windows don't look half bad, but on the whole I think the season of the window bar is coming to a close.

copper window screens

so far I've seen two of the grant recipient houses restored with copper window screens. and although I am not a huge fan of window screens on the front of houses, these definitely look unique:





turns out copper was the first material used for exterior window screens, but is a little harder to find these days ...and a little bit more expensive.

- - -
Check it out: story picked up by Apartment Therapy

in pictures

end of august..


early september..




today..






nothing quite like a fresh coat o' paint!

1323 U Street = pretty sweet deal

Noticed this house went up for sale yesterday. I haven't seen the inside but it looks like a steal. And check out the character of the exterior - totally intact. It's on a great block, too.

The buildings across the street are two of my favorites. Very deep south.



Apparently it is a fixer-upper, but at $189,000: Snatch it up!

(phew)

for a while there I was worried that this was going to be an abominable renovation with no windows. But then the Grant Program sign popped up, the fence was repaired, and I am excited to see this great house progress!



the house below also bookends the same row of about four homes, and has a building permit out for exterior work - although not yet clear if it's grant work.



"Replace Roof asphalt shingle including turret. Replace 21 Windows on front and side. Wood." woohoo!

For those of you in Historic Anacostia that haven't yet taken advantage of this amazing grant program, Click Here for more info and to download the application.

photos by DG-rad

love it

not sure I will ever stop being ridiculously jazzed about the exterior reno's going on over here.



this house on V Street is a prime example. I mean, look how awesome it is to peel away all the layers and find that, yes, there really is legit wood plank underneath!

another blue sky ceiling

although the color on this one is a bit more restoration hardware-ish.



this is, by the way, turning into one of my favorite houses in anacostia (soon every house will be) courtesy of the Historic Homeowners Grant Program, which is literally transforming the neighborhood.



gotta love that column supporting air. and the wraparound porch is beyond belief fantastic.

PS - the latest grant program deadline has been extended to September 1.
Click Here for an application! (PDF)

front porch vogue

loving the southern style light-blue painted porch ceiling:



check out last week's Post article on blue-painted porch ceilings:
These Homeowners are Happy to Have the Blues