Shaw is one of Washington, D.C.’s most historically rich and culturally vibrant neighborhoods, emerging after the Civil War as a refuge for freed African Americans and evolving into a national center for Black intellectual and artistic life. Named after Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the area became home to figures like Carter G. Woodson and Duke Ellington and played a key role in shaping African American history. Shaw’s architectural fabric reflects its grassroots origins, with 19th-century Victorian rowhomes and independently built homes lining diverse, eclectic streets. Today, Shaw thrives as a hub for art, dining, and nightlife, while its enduring spirit of community activism and cultural pride continues to shape its evolving urban identity.