In the early 2000s, I wrote a booklet outlining the story of the Kenilworth neighborhood, located in the eastern corner of Washington DC. This publication covers the full span of known area history up until that time, from indigenous inhabitants to public housing complex led by the legendary Kimi Gray. The booklet is still the definitive outline of Kenilworth’s story for those who need to understand its complex past as they design successful development initiatives for the neighborhood and park.
Kenilworth is a story of river and highway, farmland and public housing, water lilies and urban grit, white flight and Black leadership, community and conflict. Click below to download and read a free pdf copy of my booklet, which was supported by the Humanities Council of Washington, DC and the DC Historic Preservation Office.
A similar essay also appeared in a beautiful, coffee-table hardback featuring the history of some of Washington DC’s neighborhoods.
Buy Washington At Home from Johns Hopkins University Press
Finally, here’s a 2023 update on how I view Kenilworth history and the area’s change from white to Black, in the form of a blog post kindly published by the Friends of the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.
Joe Lapp 