The Historical Deanwood Neighborhood

           The First Baptist Church of Deanwood was first built in 1901 and has served the community ever since. The story of the Deanwood community begins with a man named Levi Sheriff who would split his land amongst his three daughters. Margaret Lowrie, Emmeline Sheriff, and Mary Cornelia Dean, the daughters would grant these sub-divisions, Whittingham, Lincoln Heights, and Burrville, to the city and the area became known as Deanwood. The area encompassing Deanwood has long served the African American residents of Washington DC. The area has a long and rich history that could be admired by Washingtonians and any lovers of history.

            The Church housed many community functions besides worship service. The Church offers Sunday school, vacation bible school, as well as an array of activities aimed towards the youth such as the Baptist Young People's Union. They also arrange trips to the beach and amusement parks to keep children engaged. My childhood home was only three blocks away so I spent some of my childhood going to easter egg hunts and cook outs at First Baptist. In an effort to reach all children of the neighborhood these events were open to all regardless of denomination. Having grown up in that area I can attest to the fact that the main goal was to keep kids off of the streets and give them a home away from home. 

My grandparents first moved to Deanwood in 1963 from Blackstock South Carolina. As such First Baptist would not have just been a place familiar to me but to my mother and her siblings who also grew up in the Deanwood community. Generations have come and gone and witnessed much. My mother told me of the 1968 King riots and she told me of what areas were burned or damaged and of the trolley that used to run along Sheriff Road into downtown going towards Union Station. She also told me of the renovation or invigoration loans given to many of the residents. Many Black owned businesses were established after the King riots. A few such businesses were ‘Parkers’ convenience store and ‘Travis’s’ Barbershop which is where I got my hair cut as a child.

 Much of the 1990’s and early 2000’s saw little progress in terms of development. Within the past decade there has been much improvement to the infrastructure and investment in local businesses. Deanwood metro station, running along the orange line has been renovated along with much of the metro transit. The Deanwood Community Center and Library were given a major renovation in 2012 including one of the largest indoor swimming pools in Washington DC. There is even talk of the city expanding the Tram that runs downtown and connecting it back to Sheriff Road as it was in the 1970’s. I am glad to see the improvements as they only enrich an area filled with proud people who make the best of life everyday and want people to see and share the history of Deanwood and its people.

There is a lot to see in Deanwood and as developments continue there will be much to do as well. First Baptist Church is listed as part of the National Register of Historic Places and is one of Washington DC’s preservation sites as of 2008. It is part of the ‘historic walk’ along with many other houses and buildings along Sheriff Road. The Church as it stands today comprises two sections, an older section done in the Gothic Revival style dating back to 1938 and the newer building built in 1961. So if the opportunity presents itself feel free to take a tour of historic Deanwood in Washington DC.