Spring 2000

Heritage Tourism Update
by Barbara Wolfson, Deputy Director of the DC Heritage Tourism Coalition

The League is a major stakeholder in the DC Heritage Tourism Coalition, a consortium of more than 75 off-the-Mall heritage and cultural sites and organizations in neighborhoods from Anacostia to Georgetown. The Coalitionâs mission is to strengthen the image and economy of Washington, DC, by engaging visitors in the diverse heritage of the city beyond the monuments. Members include historic houses, neighborhood historical societies, libraries, museums, ethnic organizations, architectural treasures, parks and gardens, houses of worship, and community development organizations. They include well-known sites such as Tudor Place House Museum and Gardens, the Octagon, and the National Building Museum; historic African American venues such as the Anacostia Museum, the Lincoln Theatre, the Sumner School Museum, and Mt. Zion United Methodist Church (the oldest black congregation in Washington); lesser-known attractions such as the Jewish Historical Society (located in an historic downtown synagogue), and the Arts Club of Washington (home of President James Monroe); and community organizations who see tourism as a lever to revitalize their neighborhoods, such at Barracks Row Main Street on Capitol Hill and Manna, Inc., in Shaw. Federal entities that are also members include the National Capital Region of the National Park Service; off-the-Mall Smithsonian museums such as the Renwick, the National Museum of American Art, and the National Portrait Gallery; and the General Services Administration, National Capital Region, which is responsible for the office of Clara Barton, recently discovered in a building on 7th Street that had been scheduled for demolition.

The Coalition was established in 1996 by the Historical Society of Washington, DC, and the Humanities Council of Washington, DC, to give these institutions a voice in shaping a heritage tourism initiative for the city and to encourage more of our 22 million annual visitors to venture beyond Washingtonâs monumental core. Since then, the League has played an important role in the Coalitionâs activities. In 1998, Rick Busch, then the Leagueâs Issues Director, and then board member Judith Lanius were leaders in organizing the Coalition-sponsored conference ãCulture and Commerce.ä This conference brought together more than 150 civic, governmental, cultural, and tourism-industry leaders to draft the outline of a heritage tourism program for the city. In March 1999, when the Coalition became an independent, nonprofit corporation and moved out from the fiscal and administrative umbrella of the Humanities Council, Ms. Lanius was elected Board Chair. Mr. Busch served as treasurer until September 1999 and remains on the Coalition board. Their extensive knowledge of preservation issues brings an important perspective to the Coalitionâs work.

From the beginning, the Coalitionâs efforts have reflected its conviction that an investment in historic preservation is key to a successful heritage tourism initiative. The Coalition is a member of the Coalition for Greater Preservation Enforcement spearheaded by DCPL, and has been active in making the case that our neglected and endangered architectural assets, such as the Howard Theatre, have the potential to be significant tourist attractions. The Howard is featured in the Coalition major publication Capital Assets: A Report on the Tourist Potential of Off-the-Mall Heritage and Cultural Sites in Washington, DC. Published in June 1999, the report is the first comprehensive inventory of the heritage and cultural resources in Washington, D.C., neighborhoods. Based on a database of more than 1,300 entries, the report documents the museums, parks and gardens, architecture, outdoor art, sacred places, homes of prominent figures, cemeteries, and historic sites of local and national significance. The report also analyzes the heritage and cultural attractions of the city according to their state of visitor readiness and provides the raw material for telling a new, positive, and exciting story about Washington. It is a workbook outlining what needs to be done to develop a viable heritage tourism program in our city. For example, almost none of our more than 650 designated historic buildings, sites, and parks and 37 designated historic districts are marked with plaques or historic markers. Some sites included in guide books and heritage trails are not ready for visitors; some are inaccessible; and some are even derelict and boarded up.

In partnership with the Historical Society and with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Coalition recently prepared a neighborhood heritage map based on Capital Assets and linked to Metro stops. The Coalition has also developed a walking-tour brochure of Civil War Washington in collaboration with the D.C. Chamber of Commerce and the Civil War Trust. Featuring a map and concise descriptions of 20 sites, most of them downtown, the brochure helps visitors explore the city and discover its fascinating nineteenth-century history and architecture.

A major project is now under way to create a downtown heritage trail under the auspices of the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID). The trail will consist of 20 freestanding signs with maps and information about the neighborhoodâs history, again focusing on the Civil War theme. This heritage trail will be a model for other neighborhoods and the prototype for a citywide program that will be managed by the Coalition in the future.

The burgeoning ShawöU Street neighborhood is another focus of Coalition activity. In collaboration with the Historical Society, it is creating an historic marker and heritage trail program along U Street. The project is being funded by a HUD Community Development Block Grant passed through the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development. A commercial bus tour, ãDuke Ellingtonâs Washington,ä produced by the Coalition in partnership with Manna, a local community development corporation, is up and running. On the drawing board are additional neighborhood walking tours.

Our city has historic sites, buildings, and neighborhoods unmatched in the nation. A great deal of work remains to be done before the city can fully realize its potential as a major cultural tourism destination. Partnerships with organizations such as the League and the Coalition will make it happen.

Copies of Capital Assetsare available for $22, including shipping and handling. Please make checks payable to DC Heritage Tourism Coalition, and mail to 1250 H Street, NW, Suite 850, Washington, DC 20005.