Ivy City is a small neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C., in the United States. About half the neighborhood is industrial or formerly industrial, dominated by warehouses. The Ivy City Yard, a railroad coach yard and maintenance facility for the passenger railroad Amtrak, is situated northwest across New York Avenue NE.
Ivy City was laid out as a suburban development for African Americans in 1873. Development was slow. From 1879 to 1901, the neighborhood hosted the Ivy City Racetrack, a horse racing facility. Construction on the rail yard began in 1907 and was complete within a year; many of its facilities were demolished in 1953 and 1954 as railroads switched from coal-fired locomotives to diesel-fueled or electric engines. The Alexander Crummell School, a community focal point, opened in 1911. After some years of enrollment decline, it closed in 1972 but has not been demolished.
In the 21st century, the area has undergone some gentrification, although people living in the residential core of Ivy City remain very poor and unemployment is high.
Geography Ivy City is on a triangular strip of land in the central part of the Northeast quadrant, bounded by New York Avenue to the northwest, West Virginia Avenue to the east, and Mt. Olivet Road to the south. The neighborhood is surrounded by Gallaudet University (across Mt. Olivet Rd.), Mount Olivet Cemetery (across West Virginia Ave.), and Amtrak's Ivy City yard (across New York Avenue).
Ivy City is located in Ward 5. The neighborhood is outside the boundaries of the L'Enfant Plan for the city of Washington within the District of Columbia.
Founding In 1831, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) received approval for a plan to build its Washington Branch, and passenger train service between Baltimore and Washington began in 1835. The track was built from the District border with Maryland to Boundary Avenue (now Florida Avenue) along the route of the then-unbuilt West Virginia Avenue.
Much of the land surrounding the future Ivy City was owned by the Fenwick family. These were descendants of Thomas Notley, the 8th Proprietary governor of the Province of Maryland from 1676 through 1679. Mary Fenwick's father was Notley Young, one of the largest landowners in southern Maryland and who, along with David Burnes, Daniel Carroll, Samuel Davidson, and Robert Peter were later known as the "original patentees" (original landowners) of the District of Columbia. The land that became the District of Columbia was originally given to George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, by King Charles I in 1632 (ignoring claims to the land held by Native Americans). Beginning in 1664, Calvert's heir, Leonard Calvert, began subdividing this claim and issuing title to various sized parcels to buyers. On September 24, 1685, Andrew Clarke purchased from Calvert of land fronting on the Anacostia River. The southern boundary of this "patent" (as title to land was called) began about where East Capitol Street meets the river, and ran north-northwest to about Trinidad Avenue NE. Clarke called this patent Meurs. In 1734, Thomas Evans purchased of Meurs from Clarke, and renamed the patent Chance. Notley Young purchased of Chance in 1771, and then purchased of a 1717 patent known as The Gleaning in 1786. Young combined Chance, The Gleaning, and several other smaller purchases (parts of Allison's Forest Enlarged, Allison's Forest Enlarged Resurveyed, and The Inclosure) into a single new tract—which he called Youngsborough—in 1793. Over time, others purchased small portions of Youngsborough from the Notleys and Fenwicks.
On February 21, 1871, the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871 expanded the City of Washington so it encompassed the entire District of Columbia. This brought the Youngsborough tract under the jurisdiction of the city.
On April 3, 1871, landowners George Oyster and Edward Fenwick sold their property to Frederick W. Jones, a director of the Georgetown Savings Bank and a local real estate developer. Jones had the land platted, and the Ivy City Subdivision was recognized by the city on May 12, 1873.
History
Jones laid out 205 lots in Ivy City. He envisioned the subdivision as a bucolic, rural community catering exclusively to African Americans. Many streets in the area were named for adjacent landlords (Corcoran, Kendall, Fenwick, Gallaudet). Lots were priced at $100 each ($ in dollars), and the earliest publicly acknowledged land sale occurred in December 1873 when F.P. Blair purchased Lot 9 for $150. A major auction of lots occurred in May 1875, but while many lots sold there was little building. Nearly all the residents were African-American, and structures consisted primarily of wooden shacks with no heat, electricity, natural gas, or sewer. The city provided drinking water from public pipes. Lots, however, were quite large compared to many of those in the Federal City.
The Ivy City horse-racing track In 1878, the National Fair Grounds Association was incorporated with the purpose of hosting a "national fair" and building a horse racing track in the District of Columbia. On August 30, 1879, the NFGA bought parcels of land next to Ivy City from Charles Stewart and Mrs. Louis Fethervitch. Two days later, President Rutherford B. Hayes broke ground for a horse racing track on the site. About September 14, NFGA purchased Lots 1, 2, and 3 in Square 1 and Lots 1 through 10 in Square 9 in Ivy City from the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company. This allowed the track to extend southwest into Ivy City proper. On September 15, NFGA cut Gallaudet Street and Patterson Avenue (the latter no longer exists) to provide access to the track. The firm also sought permission from Gallaudet University to cut Mount Olivet Road NE from Brentwood Road to the tracks of the B&O Railroad, which built a siding, a platform, and a small telegraph office on the property.
The facility opened with a National Fair on October 28, 1879. Hayes declared a city holiday so workers could attend, and he spoke at the opening to a crowd estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000. Buildings on the ground housed hundreds of exhibits featuring local products, services, and foods, and artworks. Sporting events were held every day. The fair closed on November 8.
In the spring of 1880, the NFGA operated the horse racing track. The B&O removed its passenger platform in 1886, reducing public access until a platform was built the following year. Heavy debts and competition from racetracks in Maryland forced the company into bankruptcy. It sold the property at public auction to James Lansburgh, one of its directors, in July 1890 for $133,500 ($ in dollars). On January 7, 1891, Lansburgh sold of the parcel to Howard P. Marshall for $180,000 ($ in dollars), who sold it for the same sum on September 10 to the Ivy City Brick Company.;
On March 2, 1891, Congress enacted legislation prohibiting lotteries and bookmaking within of the original limits of the Federal City.
Ivy City Brick did not immediately tear down the track and grandstand. In February 1893, a syndicate of New York City investors, led by Representative Timothy J. Campbell, (D–New York), attempted to revive racing at Ivy City.; The clubhouse was destroyed by fire on February 23, and the B&O refused to run special trains to accommodate racegoers, hindering attendance. After just three weeks, the racing effort collapsed on March 17. Racing at Ivy City resumed on May 14, 1893, under the auspices of the Chevy Chase Hunt Club.; New Jersey racetrack owners George Engeman and Albert Gleason leased the Ivy City track in August 1893 with the aim of having a 25-day "winter season" of racing in November. Engeman was initially opposed by the Washington Jockey Club, which was in the process of opening a racetrack in the Benning neighborhood east of the Anacostia River. Racing began on November 22 at both tracks,
Both city and federal officials declared the resumption of horse racing at Ivy City in violation of the 1891 law. At issue was whether the Ivy City track was within the one-mile limit. The city argued that distance to the track should be measured in a straight line, while track officials said it should be measured by the shortest route possible (which put it just outside the prohibited area).; The Ivy City track obtained a one-month racing license while the issue was decided, but betting was prohibited during this period. Eager to provide betting, track officials set up a tent outside the one-mile limit, and accepted bets there.; This was not a success, and bookmaking resumed at Ivy City. Federal officials threatened a police raid, and Engeman halted racing until a court could rule on the issue. U.S. District Attorney Arthur A. Birney refused to allow a "test case", and demanded that racing end. Racing and betting resumed on December 26. But police arrested bookmakers after the first race, and no further betting occurred.; The December 26 races were the last for the season.
Although jockeys continued to race for their own enjoyment over the next several weeks,; ; ; a grand jury indicted Engeman and several bookmakers on December 29, 1893.; Trial began before Judge Cole of the D.C. Criminal Court on January 4, and on January 16 the court convicted all the defendants.; ; The sentences were appealed, but the appellate court declined to overturn them in 1895.
The Ivy City stables and track continued to be used for stabling, training, and training races for horses running at the Benning racecourse for the next several years.; ; ; ; In 1899, Lansburgh sold the rest of his land to developers. The Ivy City track continued to be used for stables and racing at least into the spring 1901 season.; Their last known use was for the winter 1901 racing season, when they were ready for use but not needed due to the few number of horses running at Benning.
Rail yard By 1903, only a single small brick building and the path of the racetrack still existed. It is not known when the grandstands or track were actually demolished. However, by 1903 the city was already planning to extend S, U, V, and 15th Streets NE and New York Avenue NE through the former racetrack site.
Federal legislation granting the B&O access to its right of way was not due to expire until 1910. But with development rapidly expanding in the area and the need for streets pressing, Congress enacted legislation on December 3, 1900, requiring the railroad to give up the right of way by 1905. The act allowed the B&O to purchase land in the Eckington neighborhood for a large rail yard, and for construction of a new passenger terminal in downtown Washington. The 1900 act drew strenuous objection from citizens of Eckington.; ; The railroad subsequently won passage of an amendment on February 12, 1901, extending the time for relocation of its track to February 1906, and allowing it to move its rail yard to Ivy City.