Sacred Places
Columbia Heights Green, in partnership with Washington Parks & People
A blighted lot that took special legislation to free, now a collective farm.
WHERE
Washington, DC
SETTING
Neighborhood
PARTNER INSTITUTION
Washington Parks & People
Visit
Where it is
3321 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20010
What happens here
Volunteers farm the Green collectively rather than tending individual plots. Everything grown is weighed and then split among the volunteers or donated to food distribution organizations such as Martha's Table. Local artists perform on the covered stage. Workshops run in the pavilion and kitchen, and the Green hosts social gatherings, education and outreach, and public events.
HOW IT CAME TO BE
Twenty-five tax liens stood in the way.
Drag to see the transformation.
01
The Need
The lot was blighted and vacant, holding dilapidated garages and drawing illegal dumping. In 2006 frustrated neighbors in Columbia Heights reached out to Washington Parks & People.
02
The Vision
A coalition formed, led by neighborhood residents alongside Parks & People and many other partners including Ward 1 Council member Jim Graham. Determined and mobilized, they set a unified plan: an organic community farm with 16 raised-bed plots, a greenhouse, butterfly gardens, berry patches, native flowering and shade trees, green job training, and a place to learn and gather.
03
The Transformation
Getting there took more than design. More than 25 tax liens on the site made the effort look hopeless, and clearing them required special DC Council legislation plus massive donated legal work from a local law firm before the land could pass to community ownership. Even then came entrenched illegal dumping, complex stormwater engineering requirements, and permitting hurdles. The Green opened on September 11, 2010. In the decade since it has shifted from individually managed plots to collective farming. In 2019 came a new compost system, new berry beds, a pavilion and kitchen for workshops and cleaning produce, and a covered stage for local artists. In 2021 Nature Sacred re-engaged: the fire pit moved closer to the stage, the raised beds moved toward the perimeter to open the center for gathering, and the "Spice Lady" garden — named for a resident devoted to the Green — was enhanced. The site is more open now, visually and physically, and more welcoming for it.
WHO TENDS IT
Steve Coleman
Firesoul, Columbia Heights Green, in partnership with Washington Parks & People
Read more →
HEAR FROM THE VISITORS
From the Little Yellow Journal
Trying to get some sunshine to break up the long days indoors working from home. Coming here makes me feel less alone. Really looking forward to bringing my friends here for summer night firepits.
