History of Irish Americans in Washington, D.C.

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Ethnicity in Washington, D.C.
Maple School of Irish Dance at the 48th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade of Washington, DC (2018)

People of Irish descent form a distinct ethnic group in Washington, D.C.,[1] and have had a presence in the region since the pre-American Revolution period.[2]

History

18th century

By the mid to late 1700s, there were a number of first- and second-generation Irish Americans living in Georgetown, as listed in the early parish registers of Holy Trinity Catholic Church. The earliest Irish immigrants in the region were shopkeepers, merchants, craftsmen, and general laborers.[2]

During this period, the main working-class Irish neighborhood in Washington, D.C. was the waterfront area, below Bridge Street (today's M St.), which was considered to be Georgetown's poorer area at the time. Wealthier Irish American residents living north of the area became more accepted and assimilated into wider society in Georgetown, marrying into other middle class Catholic families of English and German descent.[2]

In 1792, Irish American James Hoban was selected as the architect of the White House in Washington, D.C.[3] Hoban was also one of the supervising architects of the U.S. Capitol, which had many Irish builders assisting in its completion. Hoban worked on other local public buildings and government projects in D.C., including roads and bridges.[4][5]

The Corcoran Family

The Corcoran family was a prominent early Irish American family in Washington, D.C. The patriarch of the family, Thomas Corcoran, was born in Ireland, settled in Georgetown in 1788, and established a leather business. He was an early Irish American businessman and politician in the D.C. area, serving as mayor of the town of Georgetown, District of Columbia and a total of 22 terms on the Georgetown Common Council.[6]

In 1836, Thomas' son, William Wilson Corcoran, opened a small brokerage house.[7] In 1840, Corcoran and George Washington Riggs, the son of Elisha Riggs, formed "Corcoran & Riggs", which offered checking and depositing services.[8] In 1844, the U.S. federal government allowed the firm to be the only federal depository in Washington.[8]

19th century

See also: Swampoodle (Washington, D.C.)

Washington, D.C.'s first major influx of Irish came in 1844 from rural areas, spurred by the Irish Famine. Some Irish laborers were recorded as builders of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal from the mid 1820s to the 1850s and as workers in the port of Georgetown. Records indicate that some of the Irish builders of the C&O canal were indentured laborers.[9][10]

The local Irish community was greatly impacted by a cholera epidemic in 1832 which swept through the construction camps of the C&O canal, killing many Irish workers.[11]

The Swampoodle neighborhood became a refuge for Irish emigrants arriving during the famine. Irish construction workers were early builders in the industrializing of the area. Many Irish households in the area kept a variety of livestock in their alleys, a practice that was permitted through the early 20th century.[12] The Swampoodle neighborhood gained a local reputation as a "shanty town" with prostitution, crime, gang activity, and public intoxication.[12][13][14]

In 1859, a Roman Catholic church, St. Aloysius Church was constructed and dedicated in the area.[15] The church largely catered to the Irish Catholic population in Swampoodle. Many Irish families in the neighborhood also sent their sons to school at Gonzaga College High School.

Another area largely inhabited by Irish Americans in the mid to late 1800s was the Foggy Bottom area, which was considered to have more affordable housing during the period.[2]

20th century

Row houses which were razed to make way for the Tiber Creek tunnel in 1904

In 1904, several row houses in the Swampoodle Irish neighborhood on 1st Street NE were demolished to make way for the Tiber Creek tunnel. In 1907, the construction of Washington Union Station had a significant impact on the Irish American community in Washington, D.C. and the 1,600 residents of the area, as it forced the demolition of over 10 blocks of the Swampoodle neighborhood and over 100 apartment buildings, row houses, and businesses owned by the Irish community.[16][17]

In 1949, The Embassy of Ireland in Washington was opened at 2234 Massachusetts Avenue at Sheridan Circle.[18] The embassy has hosted cultural events and provided resources and support to Irish Americans.[19]

21st century

As of the late 2000s, there has been an ongoing effort in the area to build "The Irish American Museum of Washington, D.C.," which currently hosts online exhibitions. The museum's objective is "to become a major cultural institution that will bring Irish-American history to life for visitors of all ages, from all ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds."[20][21][22] The museum was proposed in 2008, but active fundraising was deferred due to the Financial crisis of 2007–08, and in 2015 the Washington Post deemed the museum unlikely to ever open.[23][24]

In 2010, the Irish Network of D.C. was established to create opportunities for Irish Americans in the D.C. area to connect with their heritage and take part in social and professional events.[25]

Culture

Arts and Entertainment

Saint Patrick's Day is widely celebrated in Washington, D.C. and the city has held an annual parade on the occasion since 1971.[26] National ShamrockFest is a one-day music festival held in the city, reaching audiences of over 40,000 attendees in previous years. It has been billed as "America's Largest St. Paddy's Day Festival."[27]

Founded in 2005, Solas Nua ("new light" in Irish) is a D.C.-based Irish arts organization that presents programming in areas including film, music, visual arts and literature. The organization works to promote Irish and Irish American artists.[28]

In 2011, a play titled "Swampoodle" by Tom Swift, debuted with support from Solas Nua and the Ireland-based Performance Corporation to help combat stereotypes about Irish Americans and share the Irish history of Washington, D.C. The play consists of "colorful, disparate stories about life in the predominantly Irish neighborhood."[29][30][31]

Parks

D.C.-area statue of Robert Emmet, Irish Republican

Robert Emmet Park is located on Embassy Row in D.C. In 1916, a bronze statue "Robert Emmet" was sculpted by Irish artist Jerome Connor in honor of Irish Republican Robert Emmet.[32] The statue was a gift to the Smithsonian Institution[33] on loan to the National Park Service.[34]

In 1924, a sculpture, "Nuns of the Battlefield," was erected in D.C. by Connor as a tribute to the more than 600 nuns who nursed soldiers of both armies during the American Civil War.[35] Connor was chosen to design the monument since he focused on Irish Catholic themes, being one himself.[36]

A public 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 Irish neighborhood.[37][38] The park officially opened November 17, 2018.[39]

Cuisine

Irish cuisine has long been a staple of D.C.'s bar and restaurant scene. D.C. has several Irish pubs and restaurants serving traditional Irish fare and drinks throughout the area. The Dubliner restaurant (opened 1974) is D.C.'s longest continuously opened/operated Irish pub in the area. Many of the pubs and restaurants host special events and celebrations during Saint Patrick's Day celebrations in Washington, D.C.[40]

Sports

The Washington, D.C. Gaels GAA is an amateur sports club that promotes Irish sports in the city.[41]

Founded in 1980, the Washington Irish Rugby Football Club is a Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) rugby union team based in the city. The Washington Irish currently field two competitive men's club rugby sides, one in Division I and one in Division III. The Washington Irish compete within the Capital Geographic Union of USA Rugby.[42]

Demographics

As of 2020, Irish Americans represent 7.05% (49,498 people) of the total population of Washington, D.C.[43]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Home". irishnetwork-dc.com.
  2. ^ a b c d "Irish Neighborhoods in Old Washington: Washington DCGenWeb". theusgenweb.org. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  3. ^ James Hoban, Architect of the White House: Civic Contributions and Family Archived 2017-08-11 at the Wayback Machine, White House Historical Association
  4. ^ "Death". The National Intelligencer. December 9, 1831.
  5. ^ "Current Biography Yearbook 1989". 1990. p. 120. Archived from the original on 2021-09-25. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  6. ^ Benedetto, Robert; Donovan, Jane; Du Vall, Kathleen (2003). Historical Dictionary of Washington, D.C.. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0810840944.
  7. ^ Ryscavage, Paul (August 25, 2017). The Riggs War, 1913 to 1916: Reform and Revenge. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781683930778.
  8. ^ a b "INVENTORY OF THE PNC-RIGGS BANK RECORDS, 1809–2004 COLLECTION NUMBER MS2213". George Washington University.
  9. ^ Ward, George W. (1899). Early Development of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Project. [Johns Hopkins Press]. Retrieved 2013-12-20. George Washington Ward. p.63
  10. ^ Kytle p. 33-34
  11. ^ Unrau, Canal Prism, p. 42
  12. ^ a b The Sunday Star, July 4, 1909, Part 4, page 3 - When Old "Swampoodle" was in the height of its "Glory"
  13. ^ The Washington Herald, November 24, 1918, page 3
  14. ^ ghostsofdc (2012-01-12). "Two Plumbers and a Plasterer Go Looking for Trouble and Find It (1895) | Ghosts of DC". Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  15. ^ "Swampoodle - DC's Funniest Sounding (and most Irish) Neighborhood". Historic America. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  16. ^ Department of Transportation Headquarters: Environmental Impact Statement, GSA June 2000
  17. ^ "Did your Irish ancestors settle in Washington DC?". IrishCentral.com. 2014-12-05. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  18. ^ "Department of Foreign Affairs". Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2011-05-23.
  19. ^ "News & Events - Department of Foreign Affairs". www.dfa.ie. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  20. ^ Parker, Loanne (28 March 2014). "Which Museums Show Real Promise?". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  21. ^ The Irish American Museum of Washington, D.C. Retrieved 17 January 2012
  22. ^ Monogan, David (24 March 2013). "From Coffin Ships To Triumph Abroad, Museums Tell Of Ireland's Haunting Diaspora". Forbes. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  23. ^ Holan, Mark (12 March 2014). "No pot of gold for D.C. Irish American Museum". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  24. ^ Parker, Loanne (28 March 2014). "Which Museums Show Real Promise?". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  25. ^ "Irish Network D.C." Irish Network D.C. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  26. ^ "D.C. St. Patrick's Day Parade". St. Patrick's Parade of Washington, D.C. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  27. ^ "Festival | United States | ShamrockFest | March 12, 2022". shamrockfest. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  28. ^ "Solas Nua - About". solasnua.org.
  29. ^ Wallace, Arminta (3 June 2011). "If we can make it there.". Irish Times. p. 12.
  30. ^ DCist review Archived 2013-04-15 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ "Swampoodle: The neighborhood behind the play | TBD.com". Archived from the original on 2013-06-06. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  32. ^ "EMMET, Robert: Statue near Sheridan Circle in the Kalorama District of in Washington, D.C. by Jerome Connor located in James M. Goode's Massachusetts Avenue area". Dcmemorials.com. 1917-06-28. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  33. ^ "Another Irish Hero". Robertemmet.org. 1998-03-13. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  34. ^ "Monuments, Statues and Memorials – Rock Creek Park (U.S. National Park Service)". Nps.gov. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  35. ^ Save Outdoor Sculpture! (1993). "Nuns of the Battlefield, (sculpture)". SOS!. Smithsonian. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
  36. ^ Jacob, Kathryn Allmong. Testament to Union: Civil War monuments in Washington, Part 3. JHU Press, 1998, p. 125-126.
  37. ^ Washington D.C. Council Resolution 220826 - http://lims.dccouncil.us/Legislation/PR22-0826 It was published in the DC Register Vol 65 on page 4314.
  38. ^ Russell, Edward (December 13, 2017). "Meet NoMa's first new park: Swampoodle Park". Greater Greater Washington. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  39. ^ Sadon, Rachel (November 16, 2018). "NoMa Is Getting Its First Public Park. There Will Be A Puppy Parade To Celebrate". dcist. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  40. ^ "Experience the Luck of the Irish at DC's Best Irish Pubs". The DC Post. 2021-08-26. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  41. ^ "Washington DC Gaels | Home". DC Gaels. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  42. ^ "Learning Rugby the Hard Way", Washington Post, Angus Phillips, February 22, 1980.
  43. ^ "Table B04006 - People Reporting Ancestry - 2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.

Further reading