Black History in Georgetown

In honor of Black History Month, here are some of the lesser-known stories from the rich history of the Black presence in Georgetown. Many of the old buildings in Georgetown were built with enslaved labor, and the population of Georgetown was about 30% Black from the period after the Civil War until the 1950’s. These are only a small fraction of their stories.

Rose Park

Rose Park was established in 1922 by the Ancient Order of the Sons and Daughters of Moses, as a play space for African-American children in Georgetown. It became integrated in the early 1940’s, although the D.C. recreation department briefly tried to keep it Blacks-only (read more from the Friends of Rose Park). The Peters sisters, major Black tennis stars, played and trained at this park, around the corner from where they grew up.

Healy Hall

Healy Hall is the flagship building on the Georgetown University campus. It was completed in 1879 under the direction of Father Healy, who was called the “second founder” of Georgetown because he transformed the college into a major university during his ten years as president.

Father Healy passed as white during his lifetime, although he was known to be mixed race by some of his Jesuit colleagues. Healy’s father was white and he had enslaved Healy’s mother as one of the 49 people he enslaved; she was 1/8 Haitian. Under the laws of the time, Healy’s parents could only have a common-law marriage and his mother remained enslaved by his father throughout their long marriage, and therefore Father Healy was born enslaved.

Father Healy is now considered Black by Georgetown University (as he would have been during his life if the facts had been widely known), and is therefore the first Black man to have earned a PhD, and the first to become President of a major university. (more about his heritage from the Georgetown library).

Holy Rood Cemetery

Holy Rood Cemetery, on Wisconsin Avenue toward the north side of Georgetown, was created in 1832 and contains graves of whites, free Blacks, and enslaved Blacks. The cemetery had become completely neglected by the later part of the 1900’s. The burial ground was part of Holy Trinity church, but since Georgetown University had founded Holy Trinity, the title remained with Georgetown University. The university did not want to spend the money to maintain it, and at one point wanted to move the bodies to another location and develop the site. But under public pressure (including the university’s role in slavery, and a court case), Georgetown agreed to maintain and improve the cemetery.

First Black teacher in the D.C. public school

Emma Brown’s mother was a dressmaker in Georgetown and lived at 3044 P St. Emma went to Oberlin and returned to D.C. to establish a private school for Black children in this house. When the D.C. government began funding for the education of Black children in 1864, Emma Brown was the first teacher hired. She later became the principal of Sumner School.

First Baptist Church

Reverend Sandy Alexander was enslaved up until he was in his 30’s. After he was freed, he came to Georgetown to found the First Baptist Church in 1862 and was a pastor for almost 40 years. There were only a couple of Baptists in Georgetown when he founded the church, but it grew large with converts. He supervised the construction of the present church on Dumbarton Street; construction on it started in 1882 but took many years due to lack of funds.

Pope residence

Alfred and Hannah Pope were enslaved by Congressman John Carter, and were freed when they were in their 20’s upon Carter’s death.

For the next 50 years, the couple were activists, real estate investors, and philanthropists. They lived at this house at 2900 O Street, and they owned 10 Georgetown properties and coal and lumber yards by the time of their deaths.

Yarrow Mamout

Yarrow Mamout was enslaved from when he was kidnapped in West Guinea in 1752 until he was freed at age 60 in 1796. He was Muslim, and likely came from a wealthy family and could read and write in Arabic. After his freedom, he became an investor in Georgetown property and a stock owner in the Columbia Bank. He lived in a log house he built at this address at 3324 Dent Street, and was buried in the backyard in the location where he prayed to Mecca, although his remains have not been found.

Mount Zion Church

Mount Zion congregation was founded in 1816, by a combination of free and enslaved Blacks; it is the oldest Black congregation in D.C. Its present building was constructed in 1884. Before the Civil War, the Mount Zion congregation were major anti-slavery activists, and sponsored a stop on the Underground Railroad.

The Mount Zion cemetery was used to hide people seeking their freedom from slavery, sometimes for months.

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