Journey
This location stuck out to me after frolicking after work heading home on the Metro Green line I decided to take a walk through the Shaw Neighborhood and headed east. I quickly came to Florida Ave and not wanting to cross that crazy road during rush hour I changed course and headed northeast along the old boundary street. I quickly came upon these two beautiful homes which stood out due to their tall dark mansard roofs and deep red restored brick, but what also stood out was the mini-park that was located in their front yard. After grabbing a few pictures from a distance that would eventually become the inspiration for the final piece I decided after all to cross the busy road and investigate the park further, this is when I unlocked the knowledge of the original LeDroit Park community and its transformative history marked only now by the entrance gate at 601 Florida Ave, NW.
History
The LeDroit Park gate, often called the LeDroit Park Arch, was constructed in the early 1870s as the formal entrance to LeDroit Park, one of Washington’s first planned suburban-style enclaves. Designed as a Victorian-era ornamental gateway, it marked the boundary of what was then a privately controlled, gated community developed by Amzi Barber and architect James H. McGill. Originally, guards monitored the gate to restrict access, emphasizing the neighborhood’s exclusivity. Over time, particularly after the neighborhood was opened to the public in the 1880s, the gate shifted from a symbol of restriction to a landmark celebrating LeDroit Park’s historic character. Restored in the late 20th century, it now serves as an iconic architectural marker at the neighborhood’s entrance.
The neighborhood blended Victorian-era styles, including Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, and Gothic Revival, giving LeDroit Park a romantic, almost resort-like character. Its curving streets, landscaped yards, and ornamental details, bay windows, turrets, broad porches, and mansard roofs were an intentional contrast to the rectilinear grid of Washington.
By the early 20th century, LeDroit Park’s architectural identity shifted as rowhouses and more modest dwellings were built along its edges, integrating it more closely with the surrounding city. Despite these changes, the original Victorian houses remain some of the best-preserved examples of 19th-century suburban architecture in DC, and the neighborhood’s 1974 designation as a historic district helped ensure the preservation of its eclectic, richly detailed built environment.
Process
Working through this piece led me to learn several new techniques which involved a lot of trial and error. Creating trees and greenery has always been something that has intimidated me but after several tutorial videos and practice pieces I felt confident enough to dive into the actual design and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. This was also the first time that I tried to create a more realistic brick look. I purchased a new very fine 1/16 inch angled brush that was the perfect size for adding a simple repeating brick pattern. Even though the outcome looked exactly as I had hoped this is when I learned that I would forever have a love-hate relationship with this technique due to the monotonous redundancy, however the final result was worth the wait.
With this being the first time that I was creating a piece that was a full scene rather than a portrait of a facade of a singular building I had many more factors to consider than I originally realized. Things such as the tone of the walkways, adding the correct angle to the brick pathway to have the correct perspective, adding the potted plants in front of the staircases, and the list goes on.
But overall I am extremely happy with how this exciting new piece turned out, especially due to the tight deadline I was on due to my personal goal of having this be completed in time for my first art exhibit, leaving me only a week to pull it all together.
Shop the LeDroit Park Gate print here.