You probably think you know all about Columbia Heights, but this DC neighborhood has more than a few surprises up its sleeve.
How it began
Once considered mostly farmland, the Columbia Heights of generations ago looked very different than it does today. Around the late 1800s, the neighborhood was named after nearby Columbian College. It’s since moved to Foggy Bottom and we now know the college as George Washington University.
History of activism
The neighborhood has a long history of activism. During the Civil Rights Movement, Dr Martin Luther King Jr was said to have commonly visited the area. Following his assassination, rioting erupted along 14th and U Streets.
Columbia Heights once served as home to DC’s first African American
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