Oral History Interview with Della Lowery

Object Details

Names: Bethlehem Baptist Church (1872-) (Washington, D.C.); Saint Elizabeths Hospital (Washington, D.C.); Bradshaw, John; Green, Edith; Lowery, Della, 1924-2008; Pearis, Ella B. Howard; St. John's Episcopal Church
Collection Creator: Anacostia Community Museum

Place: Anacostia (Washington, D.C.); Barry Farms (Washington, D.C.); Anacostia Community Museum

Topic: African American women; African Americans; African American families; Community Organizations; Anacostia Neighborhood Museum; exhibit

See more items in: Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records; Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records / Series 2: Interviews

Sponsor: Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).

Collection Citation: Evolution of a Community: 1972 Exhibition Records, Anacostia Community Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Collection Rights: Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Scope and Contents: Della Lowery, an African American woman born in 1924, describes what Anacostia was like after moving to the neighborhood in July of 1950. She recalls how most people worked either for the government or as laborers and teachers; her involvement with the Parent Teacher Association; how friendly the community used to be to each other; and the changing demographics of the neighborhood after the construction of apartment complexes and Suitland Parkway. She speaks about the different communities of Congress Heights and Hillsdale-Barry Farms as well as their important landmarks, such as the Frederick Douglass Home, St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Moten Elementary School, and Eureka and Green Willow Parks. Lowery discusses racial tension and integration in Congress Heights. She talks about the police force at that time and the important congregational members of Bethlehem Baptist Church and St. John's Episcopal Church, such as Ella Pearis, Edith Greene, and Barbara Glover. She concludes the interview speaking about typical salaries for certain jobs in the 1950s. Della Lowery was interviewed by John Bradshaw in March of 1971. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts.

Restrictions: Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.