Cleveland Park

Cleveland Park, a residential neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of D.C., received its name after 1886 when President Cleveland purchased a stone farmhouse opposite Rosedale and remodeled it into a summer estate called Oak View. The subdivision of Oak View was platted about the same time as the subdivisions of Cleveland Heights and Cleveland Park. Early development was spurred by the elevated topography that provided a breezy escape from the hot, muggy air of the then built-up area of Washington, D.C. Because of this, the architect-designed houses built during this period feature niceties of New England summer houses such as spacious porches, overhanging eaves and large windows.

The first settler of what is now the neighborhood was George Washington’s aide-de-camp, General Uriah Forrest, when he built the Rosedale estate in 1793. Now part of a public conservancy, the grounds and farmhouse are considered to be the oldest home in Washington.

Development continued in bursts, based upon events such as the bankruptcy of the Cleveland park Co. in 1905 and the Great Depression of the 1930s. This resulted in houses of very different sizes, styles and nature being built alongside one another. The success of the neighborhood even during difficult times is attributed to its being connected to the vitality of downtown Washington via the Rock Creek Railway.

What draws people to Cleveland Park today are features such as the National Zoo and the Art Deco styled Uptown Theatre as well as its particular restaurants and green, gently rolling hills. Cleveland Park is filled with parks, playgrounds and well-lit streets, making for a cooperative feel and family-friendly environment.