The DC Preservation League (DCPL) is pleased to announce it will partner with the DC Office of Planning's Historic Preservation Office(DC HPO) to implement a $50,000 grant from the National Park Service to develop The History of Latino Communities in Washington, DC: A Context Study.

The project will include the research and documentation necessary to produce a historic context study that identifies important historical themes related to the Latino communities in Washington, DC. The context will be citywide, and the period of significance will cover 1943-1991—representing the initial surge of immigrants during World War II through the Mount Pleasant Riots.  

This project will produce two new nominations to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites and the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, the study will augment existing documentation for the Mount Pleasant Historic District with important Latino history. DCPL will implement an outreach plan to educate the community on the research findings and significant associated properties.

“There are endless American stories yet to be recognized on the national stage, like the National Register of Historic Places. The Underrepresented Community Grant program provides our state, Tribal, and Certified Local Government partners the means to identify and nominate their most significant places and stories for the benefit of all,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams.

Funding for this project comes from the National Park Services’ Underrepresented Community Grants Fund. The fund supports efforts to identify historic and cultural resources related to communities that have often been overlooked in traditional planning and preservation efforts. The program also encourages nominations to the National Register of Historic Places to increase representation for traditionally underrepresented communities of color.

This will be the third Underrepresented Communities Grant that DCPL and the DC HPO partner on. Other studies in progress focus on Women’s History and Suffrage and Asian and Pacific Communities. 

A request for proposals will be published in July 2023.

If you have any questions about the grant, please contact kelli@dcpreservation.org.