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DC Had Its Own Harlem: The Neighborhood West of Georgetown

Discover the history of the neighborhood of Harlem in Washington, DC, located west of Georgetown. Learn how this area was developed in the early 1880s and why it was named after the town in the Netherlands.
Who is the man in the middle?
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That’s right. At one point, D.C. had it’s own Harlem.

Harlem, DC
Harlem, DC

The plot of land between Conduit Road (now MacArthur Boulevard)  and Foxhall Road was developed in the early 1880s and named Harlem, after the town in the Netherlands (i.e., Haarlem). The neighborhood is west of Georgetown and was on the Great Falls Electric Railroad.

Most of today’s Foxhall was developed in the 1920s, but for a while, it maintained its original name.

March 5th, 1928
March 5th, 1928 – Washington Post

Take a look at the full map below.

1903 Baist real estate atlas
1903 Baist real estate atlas
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