The History of Black Georgetown
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- Private Tour
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*Tour is offered the last Sunday of the month at 2pm. Someone visiting Georgetown today may see it as another wealthy enclave in a continuously gentrifying Washington, DC. However, this charming area has a diverse history. Originally a busy port for the export of tobacco, it was also the site of an active slave trade, and at one point African Americans counted as 30% of the Georgetown population. Descendants of those enslaved peoples and black free folk have lived in Georgetown for generations, but their contributions to its history do not often receive the same recognition. This tour will reveal the stories of the black citizens who made their mark on one of DC’s oldest neighborhoods. The tour starts at 3206 O Street NW DC and ends at the Mt. Zion Cemetery, at 2501 Mill Rd. NW. There is a half-way stop at Thomas Sweet Shop for a bathroom break and refreshment.
Itinerary Details
Operated by: Off the Mall Tours
Stop At: Georgetown University
The gothic-style Healy Hall was built at the direction of, and named for, Georgetown University's only black President, Patrick Healy.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At:
Pomander Walk used to be Bell's Court, owned by Alexander Graham Bell. Bell's Court was characteristic of alleyway communities throughout DC, where you had a close-knit black community.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At:
This address was the former property of prominent black Georgetown resident Yarrow Mamout, in the early 19th century.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At:
The tour takes a half-way stop at Thomas Sweet for refreshment and a bathroom break.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At:
The row houses at this address used to serve as holding pens for the enslaved. The pens were torn down by an Irish entrepreneur who had themselves spent their childhood as an indentured servant in the West Indies.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By:
The house of Emma Brown, who was one of the first black teachers in DC to reach the level of Principal.
Stop At:
The Mount Zion United Methodist Church is one of the oldest black congregations in Georgetown.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At:
This historic park was the site of numerous political rallies and community gatherings for the black community in Georgetown.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At:
This is the oldest cemetery in Georgetown, which contains the remains of enslaved and free black citizens.
Duration: 10 minutes
