Oral History Interview with George A. Patterson and Elsie Patterson

Object Details

Names: Anacostia National Bank; Campbell African Methodist Episcopal Church (Washington, D.C.); Macedonia Baptist Church (Washington, D.C.); Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church (Washington, D.C.); Howard family; Smoot family; Koontz, Wilbur Ledru, 1902-1982; Patterson, Elsie M., 1904-1999; Patterson, George A., 20th century (active); Qualls, Charles E., 1932-1984; Shipley, Rezin, Dr., 1865-1924; Young, Carrie, 20th century (active)
Collection Creator: Anacostia Community Museum

Topic: African American women; African American men; African Americans; 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).

Extent: 2 Sound cassettes ((2 sound cassettes)); 1 Sound disk CD-R ((1 sound disk CD-R (01:05:41). digital, 16-bit 44.1 KhZ)); 1 Digital file ((1 data disk DVD-R digital, 24-bit 96kHz WAV.)))

Container: Box 2, Folder 12; Box 4, Cassette 22A; Box 4, Cassette 22B; Box 5, Disk 22

Type: Archival materials; Audio; Sound cassettes; Sound disk cd-r; Digital files; Oral histories (document genres)

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 note: George A. Patterson, an African American man, and his stepmother, Elsie Patterson, an African American woman born in 1904, discuss important topics about Anacostia, such as education, segregation, recreation, and church. George talks about local businesses he remembers when he was growing up, including Dr. Shipley's Pharmacy and the Anacostia Bank (now the Anacostia National Bank), and Elsie speaks about typical family structures and what types of jobs people had. They both recall how close knit the community was at that time, even with businesses owned by white people, and how little crime there was. Throughout the interview, George and Elsie recall prominent community members, such as Ledru Koontz, Charlie Howard, Ella Foster, Carrie Young, and Roland Dale. They end the interview discussing important landmarks in the neighborhood, such as Smoot Funeral Services, Dr. Charles Quall's Drug Store, Robert and G. Mason's Funeral Home as well as local churches: Bethlehem Baptist Church, Campbell AME Church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and Macedonia Baptist Church. George A. Patterson and Elsie Patterson were interviewed on December 17, 1970, by an unnamed volunteer or staff member at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum (now the Anacostia Community Museum). 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 to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.