Alleyways in Washington\, DC\, have always been a fundamental part of the city's life and economy. Deliberately hidd en from public view by the capital's early planners\, DC's alleys were cre ated to provide access to stables\, carriage houses\, and other utility bu ildings. But as the city grew and property values rose\, the nature of som e alleys and their buildings changed\, resulting in a parallel world of re sidential\, manufacturing\, and artistic spaces. Kim Prothro Williams reve als this world in a fascinating and richly illustrated history.
\nIn the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries\, the city's inhabited alley s were often unsanitary spaces that were home to its poorest residents. Th ese conditions spurred Progressive Era campaigns to demolish alley dwellin gs\, which in turn led to the displacement of minority and disadvantaged c ommunities. Today\, many remaining alleyways\, with their intimately scale d buildings\, have been transformed into vibrant commercial and residentia l spaces. Yet this new wave of development raises questions about how spac es that were once reserved for the city's poorest residents now cater to t he wealthy.
\nKim Prothro Williams is an architectural historian wit h expertise in our region&rsquo\;s historic places. \; She is the Nati onal Register Coordinator at the WDC Historic Preservation office and has written numerous articles and 3 books on this topic. Join us to hear Willi ams colorfully explain why she is passionate about what we can learn from our history via an exploration of historic landmarks. \; \;
\n< p>Co-sponsored by Bethesda Metro Area Village. BMAV is a volunteer-driven neighborhood nonprofit \;that works to build community connections amo ng neighbors through social engagement and recruiting volunteers to help o ne another. \;Check out \;www. bmavillage.org \;for more information.\nQuestions a bout this program? \;Call the branch at 240-777-0970.
\nAccommodation Requests
\nPeople who are Deaf or Ha rd of Hearing should request \;English-language captioning or si gn-language interpretation \;at least five days before the library -sponsored program they plan to attend. Contact the Assistant Facilities a nd Accessibility Program Manager at 240-777-0002 with all other accommodat ion requests.
\nhttps://mcpl.libnet.info/event/11493072 URL;VALUE=URI:https://mcpl.libnet.info/event/11493072 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/mcpl/0meet-the-author.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR