“Call it the Brooklynization of Brookland.” That’s what Robert Samuels wrote about this resurgent Northeast D.C. neighborhood.
Welcome to Brookland also known as Little Rome. It is also known as Little Vatican. This unique neighborhood is in the Northeast quadrant of Washington D.C. Brookland is best known for its many Catholic institutions. These include schools and religious communities. You can also find shrines and institutes here. They are all built around the Catholic University of America.
Brookland’s history is rich and diverse. Originally, this area was farmland. Prominent families like the Middletons and Queens owned it. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad changed everything. It connected Brookland to downtown.
Colonel Jehiel Brooks is a key figure in Brookland’s past. He married Ann Margaret Queen. She was the daughter of Nicholas Queen. They received a 150-acre estate. The family built a Roman Catholic Church in 1722. It later became St. Francis de Sales Parish in 1908.
After the American Civil War, Brookland transformed. Fort Slemmer and Fort Bunker Hill were built for defense. The Old Soldiers’ Home also went up. The Brooks family estate became a housing tract named “Brookland.”
Growth continued in the 1870s. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad opened its Western Branch Line. A middle-class streetcar suburb developed. Many Queen Anne style and Victorian homes still stand in Brookland.
Brookland became a residential development in 1887. It attracted middle-class families with its spacious lots. The area had a “small town atmosphere.”
Brookland integrated in the 20th century. This happened especially after white flight. It followed World War II. The US Supreme Court ruled restrictive covenants unenforceable in 1948. By the 1970s, Brookland became fairly integrated. This integration included economic classes and races.
Ralph Bunche and Sterling Allen Brown once lived in Brookland. Edward Brooke and Ellis O. Knox also resided here. Rayford W. Logan and Pearl Bailey were residents too. John P. Davis and Marvin Gaye called Brookland home. Paul Tsongas, Lucy Diggs Slowe, and Lois Mailou Jones lived here as well. Robert C. Weaver also lived here.
Brookland is still a relatively diverse area. African American architect Romulus C. Archer designed homes and churches here. Playwright Jean Kerr and her husband Walter Kerr lived in Brookland too. Walter Kerr taught at Catholic University of America. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings spent her childhood in Brookland.
Brookland has many Catholic institutions. These organizations and institutions cluster around Catholic University of America. That is why Brookland is sometimes called Little Rome or Little Vatican.
The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America is here. St. Francis Hall is part of the monastery. Holy Name College was in Brookland. The Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration Convent was here as well. Now, it is the Sisters of Life Convent. The Archdiocese for the Military Services is also in Brookland.
Monroe Street Market is a large mixed-use development. It includes artists’ studios on an “Arts Walk.” There are also commercial businesses and restaurants. Some community members believe the area is being overdeveloped.
Brookland offers a unique blend of history. It also has cultural richness and community spirit. It has evolved. It continues to be a vibrant neighborhood in Washington D.C.