Civic group to launch first-ever LeDroit Park house tour this fall

Just in time to see some Halloween decorations, the LeDroit Park Civic Association will host the inaugural LeDroit Park House and Garden Tour in the historic neighborhood on Oct. 28.

The tour will highlight the neighborhood’s past and architecture, and include visits inside eight homes, its organizers say in a release. These visits will feature “two homes by James McGill, the noted 19th Century architect who planned each house with an original design,” according to the release. Booklets will be available, and before 0ct. 1 tickets are $30 each.

The proceeds will support the civic association and neighborhood activities like clean-ups, landscaping, and other streetscape improvements. LeDroit Park received historic status in 1974, in part due to its stately Victorian houses and salient role in African American history.

The neighborhood “was originally designed as one of the first suburbs of DC and retains a tranquil character while remaining close to the bustle of the U Street corridor,” the release says. The tour has been in the works for several months and will be part of DC Design Week.

Earlier this summer, neighboring Bloomingdale was also designated as historic. The designation will go into effect on Sept. 9 and require additional reviews for construction.

• LeDroit Park’s first house tour needs volunteers [Curbed DC]
• D.C.’s newest historic district: Bloomingdale [Curbed DC]