Logan Circle

Logan Circle is a traffic circle, historic district, and neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of D.C. Located to the north of Downtown and Mount Vernon Square, east of Dupont Circle, west of Shaw and south of U Street Corridor, the neighborhood benefits from its proximity to vibrant communities and is, itself, an incredibly dynamic neighborhood.

Logan Circle, originally called Iowa Circle until 1930, was part of L’Enfant’s plan for DC. During the Civil War, what was to become Logan Circle was home to a former barracks that was converted into a refugee camp for newly freed slaves called Camp Barker. In the 1870s, Washington Mayor Shepherd had streets, trees and other amenities added to encourage development of the area. Streetcar tracks were built into what was then a swamp, north of downtown Washington, resulting in development that brought blocks of Victorian row houses. Marketed to the upper middle class, many of the larger homes came with carriage houses and attached servant’s quarters.

The Circle today is a large park and green space, frequented by Logan residents and surrounded by stately late-19th century Victorians. The neighborhood is a blend of historic row houses and newly constructed condominiums. Its stretch of 14th street and the blocks immediately to the east and west serve up the neighborhood’s cultural, retail and commercial offerings such as Whole Foods, Studio Theatre, the French favorite Le Diplomate and an abundance of bars, shops and restaurants.