Takoma (Washington, D.C.) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Takoma
|
|
|---|---|
|
Neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
|
|
Takoma Masonic Building
|
|
 Takoma
Location in the District of Columbia
|
|
| Country | United States |
| District | Washington, D.C. |
| Ward | Ward 4 |
Takoma, Washington, D.C. is a cool neighborhood in Washington, D.C.. It is found in the northwest part of the city, in an area called Ward 4. Takoma is right next to the city of Takoma Park, Maryland.
Contents
Discover Takoma: A Friendly Neighborhood
Takoma is known for being a very diverse neighborhood. It feels like a small town, even though it's part of a big city. People who live here are proud of how open-minded their community is.
Most families in Takoma are middle-class. The small downtown area has been updated recently. This has brought in new people and exciting new shops and businesses. Many houses in Takoma are historic, with some being over 100 years old.
Janeese Lewis George represents Takoma and the rest of Ward 4 in the Council of the District of Columbia. She helps make decisions for the area.
Takoma's Location and Borders
Takoma shares a border with Takoma Park, Maryland, along a road called Eastern Avenue. These two places have a shared history. The downtown area around the Takoma Metro station actually crosses the line between D.C. and Maryland.
Takoma is bordered by Georgia Avenue to the west. To the south, it goes to about Tuckerman and Van Buren Streets. Eastern Avenue forms its border to the northeast. The old Walter Reed Army Medical Center site separates Takoma from Rock Creek Park.
Takoma's Interesting History
|
Takoma Park Historic District
|
|
House on Cedar St. NW
|
|
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | Roughly bounded by DC/Maryland boundary, 7th Street, Piney Branch Road, Aspen Street, and Fern Street. |
|---|---|
| NRHP reference No. | 83001416 |
| Added to NRHP | June 30, 1983 |
Takoma was first called Takoma Park. It was created in 1883 by a developer named Benjamin Franklin Gilbert. He wanted to build a commuter suburb along the Baltimore and Ohio railroad line.
Gilbert invited the Seventh-day Adventist Church to set up their main office and publishing house in Takoma Park, D.C. They also built a hospital and college in nearby Takoma Park, Maryland. Gilbert promoted the area as a healthy place to live. Takoma, D.C., was once the main shopping area for the whole region. It had big shops and factories where the Metro station is now.
The name Takoma was chosen in 1883 by Ida Summy, a D.C. resident. She thought it meant "high up" or "near heaven."
The Seventh-day Adventist Church kept its world headquarters in D.C. until the early 1980s. After they moved, the old publishing house became art studios and practice spaces for the Washington Opera.
The Takoma Theater was built in 1924. A group called the Takoma Theatre Conservancy is working to save and fix up this historic theater.
The Takoma Masonic Center started construction on November 12, 1924. A special ceremony took place on November 29, 1924. Two groups, Hiram-Takoma Lodge No. 10 and Takoma Chapter No. 12, have met there since May 27, 1925.
Both Takoma Park, D.C., and Takoma Park, Maryland, are known for their progressive politics. This started in the 1960s when local residents worked to stop a large freeway from cutting through the community. They also pushed for the Metrorail system to be built near the old railroad station. A group called Neighbors Inc. worked in the 1960s to create diverse neighborhoods. Today, both sides of the D.C.-Maryland line are protected as U.S. Historic Districts.
Getting Around Takoma
The Takoma station is part of the Washington Metro system. It provides easy train access for people living in Takoma.
Learning in Takoma
The District of Columbia Public Schools manages the public schools in Takoma.
- Takoma Education Campus is a school for students from kindergarten to 8th grade.
- Coolidge High School is the public high school for the area.
The District of Columbia Public Library runs the Takoma Park Neighborhood Library. This was the first neighborhood library in Washington, D.C., and it is a Carnegie library.
Washington Adventist University is a university located in Takoma Park. It is the only graduate school in Montgomery County, Maryland.
EF International Languages Center Washington, D.C., is a private school in Takoma. It teaches English to students from other countries.
