"Kim Prothro Williams explains the remarkable architectural and social history of Washington, DC's multifaceted alleyways. This richly illustrated book also provides an appealing visual record of the roles and evolution of alleyways in the city. Washington's alleys were never intended to be seen. They were deliberately hidden from public view to conceal the services and people behind the grand design envisioned by the capital's early planners. But more so than in most American cities, alleyways in DC have always been a fundamental part of the life and economy of the city. Many alleyways have contained a parallel world of neighborhoods, manufacturing, and bohemian spaces. DC alleys were created in the original Plan of the City to provide access to the rear of the large lots for stables, carriage houses, and other utility buildings. As the city grew and property values rose, land owners changed the purpose of some alleys by building and renting out alley dwellings. Other alleys began to serve commercial and industrial purposes. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, inhabited alleys were mainly home to the city's poorest people, especially Black residents and recent immigrants. Unsanitary conditions spurred Progressive Era campaigns to demolish alley dwellings, but this began a new and complex era in the history of DC's alleys as reform efforts threatened to displace communities without offering them a place to go. Today, there are far fewer alleyways, as office and apartment blocks were built over many. This century has seen a transformation of many remaining alleyways into vibrant commercial and residential spaces that display stunning nineteenth century architecture. But this latest wave of gentrification has raised questions about how spaces that were once utilitarian or attainable for the poorest residents now cater to the wealthy. Hidden Alleyways of Washington, DC is a fascinating portrait of these important and varied architectural and social spaces in the life of the capital city"--

Forgotten today, established Black communities once existed in the alleyways of Washington, D.C., even in neighborhoods as familiar as Capitol Hill and Foggy Bottom. James Borchert's study delves into the lives and folkways of the largely alley dwellers and how their communities changed from before the Civil War, to the late 1890s era when almost 20,000 people lived in alley houses, to the effects of reform and gentrification in the mid-twentieth century.