Anacostia/ The first suburb of Washington

In early 1850's some of the men who worked at the navy yard wanted their on neighborhood . In their neighborhood if you were black, of Irish decent or if you boiled soap( it seems boiling soap smelled really bad) you were not allowed in their neighborhood. The neighborhood was called Uniontown. Three men John Fox, John Van Hook and John Dobler bought a 240 acre farm from a blacksmith name Enoch Tucker. Uniontown was laid in a 17 block grid. At first selling of the lots was going well . The recession of the 1870's put an end to the good fortune of three John. In the fall of 1878 Frederick Douglass bought a home in Uniontown. John Dobler needed money . For the sum $6,700 Mr. Douglass acquired from Dobler. The house had 14 rooms. The house was later enlarged to 21 rooms . Improvements to the house between the 1878 to 1888 were a two story addition in the rear of the house.
Next to Uniontown was the neighborhood of Barry Farms. General Oliver Otis Howard was in charge of finding housing for newly freed blacks. Howard obtain a farm near Uniontown. Blacks were allowed to purchase lots 24 feet wide 130 feet deep . The lots were purchased for $3 per month over 25 months. The neighborhood was self sufficent. The neighborhood of Barry farms had its own schools , churches, doctors, lawyers and printers. The neighborhood was bright at night because many people would work on their houses at night . Many people would work during the day and work at home at night