LeDroit Park's famed arch offers entry into a tree-lined neighborhood with unique architecture and a captivating history. Developed in 1873, the neighborhood was designed to be both town and country, one of Washington, D.C.'s earliest suburbs. Despite its location and association with Howard University, Black Washingtonians were not welcome. Not long after the fences of this gated community were torn down, the demographics changed as members of the Black elite of Washington moved there. During the twentieth century, it was home to educators and activists, military men and artists, doctors and scientists of all races and genders. Local historian and guide Canden Schwantes leads you through this neighborhood, small in size but large in history, to discover the stories of the people who called LeDroit Park home--

Canden Schwantes (now Arciniega) has been a historian and tour guide in Washington, D.C., for more than a decade. She has published three other books about D.C. history, as well as numerous articles. She has been featured on the Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, BBC, NPR and local news discussing D.C. history and tourism. Her company, Free Tours by Foot, operates worldwide, but her home and heart is in D.C.