Old Adams Morgan

An Adams Morgan Tradition

2011-11-25T16:04:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving at the Potter's House. Potter's House opened in 1960. I'm not sure how long this tradition has been going on, but it is well-known in the neighborhood. Everyone's invited. A lot of people come. Many are alone on Thanksgiving, and some come with families. Some are even "in a family way".

A new show: CHRIST HOUSE B4 IT WAS CHRIST HOUSE

2011-11-24T00:13:00.000-08:00

The show is up in the Potter's House until Saturday, November 26th at noon. It is part of a book I'm working on about the history of the homeless in Adams Morgan.

The man with the baseball bat is Piloto, who played for the Negro Leagues in the 40s. He is from Cuba.

The Pigeon Lady of Unity Park

2011-10-16T06:04:00.000-07:00

She always wore the American flag safety-pinned to her chest. She had an elaborate system for feeding the pigeons, and once she got them to line up she talked to them. The pigeon lady is just one of many Adams Morgan residents who was a little different and added a lot of character to our diverse community.

Thanking Ed Jackson for his longtime community activism

2011-10-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

Old Adams Morgan Photo Show, Lookin' Good

2011-09-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

Monday, September 4, 2011 The show went up today. It needs a few finishing touches but will indeed be ready for Adams Morgan Day September 11th. The opening is 3 to 5pm. If you come to the opening, be sure to see the show in both locations, the Shawarma King at 1654 Columbia Road and the Potters House right next door at 1658 Columbia. They are different photos and different sizes.

There will be refreshments at the opening. The show will be up in both locations for the whole month. When you're at the Shawarma King, be sure to try their shawarma chicken or lamb, unmatched by any restaurant in the neighborhood. If you're at Potters House, the coffee is good, but the homemade soups at lunch are the best in the neighborhood.

We will have discussions and storytelling throughout the month of September, the first at the opening. Keep watch for times and dates published on neighborhood bulletin boards and listservs.

Old Adams Morgan Gets Its Own Show, Opening Adams Morgan Day

2011-08-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

Please come to the show, and if you were part of Old Adams Morgan, come with your stories to tell of fun and woe and how it was like living in the old neighborhood.

1976 Hot Time Summer in the City

2011-08-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

Attorney Joel Skirble with two of
his friends hanging out on Columbia Road in the summer of
1976.

1972-Lettuce Boycott reaches Adams Morgan DC

2011-07-23T11:21:00.001-07:00

1995 - Los Mariachis al frente del tiendo Payless

2011-07-09T22:43:00.000-07:00

On a Saturday afternoon in November, the Mariachis were out on Columbia Road playing and singing in the Mexican cultural style they represent. The handicap ramp into Payless served as a stage, where the three musicians parked themselves to belt out their music.

Parked in front of the mariachis are two street people. The man on the left was often seen on the sidewalks of Columbia Road. The one on the right doesn't look familiar.

Remember Community Park West?

2011-06-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

Long before it became Walter Pierce Park, it was Community Park West. Community Park West will be remembered for its dances during the Latino Festivals, a 2-day community-wide event in the middle of the summer. Looking out onto the field, there'd be a sea of dancers dancing to music played by Maria y sus Magnificos.

Walter Pierce lived in the building overlooking the park, and yelled and screamed tirelessly to prevent the park from becoming expensive condominiums.

Before Bancomercio and Crumbs and Coffee . . .

2011-06-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

The building at 1735 Columbia Road, NW was the Barney Senior Center for a long long time. There was a map of Central and South America drawn on the outside wall of the building. Neighborhood children would come and go to the center because it was affiliated with Barney Neighborhood House, a place on 16th Street that served the community's young people. Here, 4 Brownie Scouts use the outside wall with the map on it to facilitate in their acrobatics.

4 Barbies, an Hispanic man -- then there were three Barbies and a cop

2011-06-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

The space in front of the Old Ontario Theater is a popular place for people to sell second hand items. When I saw the 4 Barbies there on the sidewalk, that's what I thought was happening.

But I noticed there wasn't anyone selling or guarding the precious Barbies. So, I went back to take a photograph. As I began to focus on my subjects,

an Hispanic man approached and asked if the dolls were just there for the taking. I told him I didn't know, but please do not take any until I took a picture. He grumbled at me about a picture and reached down and took one. That left three. He took the only one that didn't have any clothes on.

Across the way, Officer Kurtz took note of what was going on near the Barbies and rode up on his bicycle to investigate. When he learned what happened to the naked Barbie, he took off on his bicycle to save the damsel in distress.

1978 Casilda Luna and Grandson Manuel Luna stroll Columbia Road.

2011-06-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

Casilda is one of the first Hispanic activists in Adams Morgan. She started Change Incorporated. Here, she stands down the street from the Imperial where she used to live. Manuel here is a year old. Later, he went to Adams Elementary School. Casilda is retired now and lives in the Plaza West Coop. Manuel visits regularly.

In the 70s and 80s people spoke up and out a lot more than today.

2011-05-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

The neighborhood was livable then. Everyone rented. The condo sweep had not started yet. Asylum seekers from all over the western hemisphere came to Adams Morgan, to put down roots and add to the diversity and unity. Malcolm X (Meridian Hill) Park was one neighborhood outdoor venue all groups gravitated to to spread the word. Here the Chileans and the Granadans joined forces to denounce the corrupt governments in their home countries.

This is 18th Street in 1976

2011-05-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

This is the 2400 block on the west side. Kudos to the first person who identifies the exact address. The old Cities or perhaps the old Oye's Bazaar is what I'm thinking. At this time in its history, it's a liquor store.

An Adams Morgan Resident from the 1970s

2011-05-19T05:11:00.000-07:00

Pictured above is a woman who used to live on Ontario Road in the 1970s. She would come out onto Columbia Road and meet and greet passers-by, often with language not meant for "polite company". Here she is standing in front of the Beverly Court at the corner of Columbia and Ontario Roads. This was one of her favorite perches.

Cinco de Mayo, 20 Years Ago - the Riots of Mt Pleasant/Adams Morgan

2011-05-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

It started in Mount Pleasant . The anger inside of the Latino community exploded against the police.

2010 Wintry Weather of Historical Proportions

2011-04-30T00:06:00.000-07:00

Who could forget this snow storm and the one immediately following it? The one two punch gave the kids a week's vacation from school. We had more snow than the famous Knickerbocker Theater snowstorm of 1921.

1974 Same graffiti -- 2 years earlier.

2011-04-29T23:38:00.000-07:00

Same graffiti.

1976 Unity Park Behind the Bushes

2011-04-28T22:43:00.000-07:00

Back in 1976, Unity Park was full of bushes. They lined the park on the west side and east side. Very often, Latino musicians played percussion, sang and danced inside the park.

1976 The People Who Lived Here

2011-04-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

18th Street from Florida Avenue all the way up to Columbia Road was an African American residential neighborhood. The storefronts on 18th Street which now house restaurants and bars were once occupied by regular Washingtonians, like these porch sitters. They were here for many years before gentrification started to move in.

1978 The First Adams Morgan Day

2011-04-21T22:20:00.000-07:00

The first Adams Morgan Day was the second Sunday in September, two days before the DC primary.

The timing was guaranteed to make it a political event from the very beginning. Here we see Arrington Dixon passing out "Arrington is the one" stickers. He was running for the Chairman of City Council. He won.

1976 Before It Was Christ House . . .

2011-04-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

. . . it was The Condor. 1717 Columbia Road, NW is located right next to the alley, which is next to El Nuevo Migueleno, next door to Chief Ike's. It was a rental building of longtime Adams Morgan residents.

May 1991 The Days After the Riots

2011-04-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

The news media came in full force in the days after the '91 riots. Here, Fox News does a stand-up outside the Ontario Theater, while a local neighborhood denizen steals the spotlight in the background.

The Vogue Cleaners on Columbia Road was hit hard during the riots. Rioters took the clothes inside, then set the store on fire. Here the owner of the business stands in front of her burnt out storefront.

Remember the Zodiac? Washington DC's 1st Latino Record Store

2011-04-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

It was on Columbia Road for a few decades. Zodiac was a record store, to begin with but soon became much more. It was a landmark for the Hispanic Community. Zodiac owner Daniel Bueno produced music and dance events throughout DC. They were in downtown halls and uptown hotels. There was no shortage of Latino musicians in the 1970s, and Daniel Bueno was responsible for giving many the opportunity to play and perform music