Row houses are the essential form of housing in Washington, lining the city's broad avenues, grid-plan streets, and crowded alleys, helping to define the street plan as much as the monuments and parks for which the city is so famous. Through more than two centuries, they have housed the broad middle class of the nation's capital: government clerks, tradesmen, artisans, teachers, lawyers, laborers, and so forth. Bounded on their sides by their neighbors, row houses have economical floor plans, repetitive facades, and a low scale.

Why are row houses so successful as a building type? This presentation will examine what row houses are, how they work, where they are located, and why they are the way they are. Specific examples in DuPont Circle and Woodley Park will help us understand how row houses worked for a variety of occupants (families, servants, boarders, renters, homeowners), for a variety of uses (home, income-producer), and as an expression of ideas about health and comfort.

Alison K. Hoagland is an architectural historian whose latest book is The Row House in Washington, DC: A History (University of Virginia Press, 2023). She is a professor emerita at Michigan Technological University, where she taught for fifteen years; before that, she worked for the National Park Service in Washington for fifteen years. She has published on a variety of topics concerning American architecture and lives on Capitol Hill.

The Mound Bayou Museum of African American Culture and History in Mound Bayou, Mississippi is not a typical museum. It calls itself an "Exposeum," where history isn’t just displayed: it’s uncovered, it’s confronted, and it’s honored. Rooted in the legacy of Mound Bayou, a unique town founded by formerly enslaved people in 1887, this museum is an active space for revealing parts of Black history that have been hidden, distorted, or forgotten. The museum, and the town, are places where the stories are personal. From the radical economic insight of the town’s founders to the civil rights work of local leaders, each exhibit is designed to show that Black history is not a series of tragedies—it's legacy, it's resistance, it's joy, and it's still happening.

Hermon Johnson, Jr. epitomizes unwavering dedication and visionary leadership in his mission to breathe life back into his cherished hometown, Mound Bayou MS. With an unshakeable belief in the town's potential, he fervently envisions Mound Bayou as the epicenter of African American enterprise and culture in the United States. Co-founding the Mound Bayou Movement in 2006, Johnson orchestrated a global network of companies and partners, propelling the dream of revitalization into reality.

At the heart of his achievements stands the impressive Mound Bayou Museum, a testament to Johnson's tireless efforts in preserving the rich African American heritage and Mississippi's history. His entrepreneurial journey has been marked by significant ventures, including the establishment of Amnitech Investments and Omnicast Corporation for the purpose of acquiring development property in the Mound Bayou area. Johnson's influence extended to purchasing and managing WRDC Radio Station in Boyle, Mississippi, and pioneering transportation businesses in Los Angeles, California.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Johnson finds fulfillment as a devoted family man, embracing the roles of a loving father to five children and a proud grandfather to two grandsons. His story resonates as a beacon of hope and inspiration, showcasing the transformative power of passion, vision, and resilience.