People say we must see things in media seven times before it registers. While awaiting the report that this article announces, Google the 2022 6th edition of the official AIA Guide to Washington, DC. In stark contrast with the prior five editions going back to 60 years ago and depicting DC's neighborhoods, buildings, and architects as all-White, the 6th edition begins with a cover that features the now globally iconic Black architect-designed National Museum of African American History & Culture.
Inside, the 6th edition added a "new" DC neighborhood; the Shaw/U Street/Howard University community and its plethora of large Black architect-designed buildings.
Credit the 6th edition to architect-trained historian Marty Moeller, who had the good sense to add Howard architecture department head Brad Grant as an editorial advisor.
Thank you to Briana Thomas and Washingtonian Magazine for raising awareness about DCPL's role in the creation of a National Register Multiple Property Document (MPD) identifying Significant Sites Designed by Black Architects in Washington, DC.
Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/euhPHW8Z
This MPD will establish a #historic context and identify themes related to the professionalization of Blacks in design and their influence on DC's built environment through time. The project will also formally identify/document properties that are representative of the impact Black architects have had on the city of #WashingtonDC. The MPD will include one new nomination to the National Register and set the stage for nominating more properties to the DC Inventory and the National Register in the future.
The research team is led by Jay Cephas, an architectural historian with over 20 years of research experience, including more than a decade of dedicated research into the various roles played by Black's in shaping the built environment.
Additional team members include: Jeremy L., Melvin Mitchell, FAIA, NCARB, NOMA, and Michelle A. Jones.
Funding for this project comes from the National Park Services' Underrepresented Communities Grants Fund, from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The fund supports efforts to identify historic and cultural resources related to communities that have often been overlooked in traditional planning and preservation efforts. The program also encourages nominations to the National Register of Historic Places to increase representation for traditionally underrepresented communities of color.
Owner at Robert H. Clarkson Insurance Agency
4moVery nice 👍