Swampoodle was a neighborhood in Washington, D.C. on the border of Northwest and Northeast in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This neighborhood is no longer known as Swampoodle and has been replaced in large part by NoMa.
Geography
thumb|Map of Swampoodle in [[Washington, D.C. in 1893]]
A geographic approximation can only be evaluated as it was never clearly defined. Originally, the northeastern part of Washington, D.C. above Judiciary Square was known as "English Hill" from E Street NE/NW on the South and 4th Street NW on the west all the way to Boundary Road. It was a rural area with almost no buildings and gravel sidewalks. This original settlement contracted to the area bordered by 4th Street NW, 1st NW, E Street NE/NW, H Street NE/NW. "Swampoodle" was the name of a smaller settlement along H Street between North Capitol Street and 1st NE but extended to take a big part of "English Hill".
Later on, its borders contracted to K Street NE to the North, G Street NE to the South, 2nd Street NW to the West, and 2nd Street NE to the East. Through the center of it ran the principal branch of Tiber Creek running between North Capitol Street and 1st Street NE.
History
thumb|Sanborn Fire Insurance Map # 12 in 1888, showing the notorious Jackson Alley next to the Government Printing Office Building (square 624)
thumb|Detail showing the paved areas in Swampoodle around Tiber Creek,
Swampoodle developed during the second half of the 19th century, providing a place of refuge for emigrants following the Great Famine of Ireland that devastated Ireland between 1845 and 1849.
The area east of North Capitol Street remained undeveloped until the 1870s. The development of west of North Capitol started developing in the 1850s with two major construction projects. In 1856, the first Government Printing Office building was built on the southeastern corner of Square 624 and the following year, H Street was grated and graveled between New Jersey Avenue and North Capitol. At the core of the district was Jackson Alley located next to the Government Printing Office Building, between G and H Streets and crossing North Capitol Street. It was a considered a virtual no-go area for the police and new recruits were often sent there for their training. The problem was more with the younger generation than the older folks. Gangs of young men known as "poodles" were the main cause of concern.
Since 2007, the neighborhood has been included in the rebranded "NoMa" which stands for "North of Massachusetts Avenue." It is served by the NoMa – Gallaudet University Metro station and Union Station.
The Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) has begun walking tours of four square blocks of the neighborhood that remains today between F and H Streets NE and 2nd and 4th Streets NE. CHRS is proposing to expand the Capitol Hill Historic District to include these blocks as part of their Beyond the Boundaries initiative.
<span class="anchor" id="Swampoodle Park"></span>Swampoodle Park
The name "Swampoodle" has lost its negative connotation in the local community. As a result, a park at the intersection of 3rd Street NE and L Street NE, a block from the border of the old neighborhood, was named Swampoodle Park in 2018 in honor of the historic neighborhood. The announcement was made on December 13, 2017 after an online survey was conducted asking the community to vote for one of three possible names, the other two options being Old City Corner and 3rd and L Park. A bill codifying the name was introduced on April 9, 2018, and sponsored by Council Member Charles Allen (D) and Chairman Phil Mendelson (D). Resolution R22-0478 effective from April 10, 2018 passed on April 20, 2018 by 12 votes. Council Member Elissa Silverman (I) did not vote.
The park officially opened November 17, 2018.
References to Swampoodle
In an article published in the Washington Herald on April 13, 1919, Capt. J. Walter Mitchell talks about the 1860s and 1870s Humphrey and Juenemann's Pleasure Garden (also known as Mount Vernon Lager Beer Brewery and Pleasure Garden). It was a gathering place on Capitol Hill between 4th, 5th, E and F Street NE where various events took place including picnics with dances which could lead to both fights and frolics. These picnics were apparently known as Swampoodle Walks probably due to the rough nature of the events and the fights.
See also
- History of Irish Americans in Washington, D.C.
- NoMa
- Washington Brewery Company on Capitol Hill
- Swampoodle (disambiguation)