Brookland has been nicknamed “Little Rome” by some for the many Catholic institutions clustered around The Catholic University of America (CUA) which lives atop what was Fort Slemmer, constructed to protect the city during the Civil War.
In addition to the nearby President Lincoln and Soldiers’ Home National Monument, the Lincoln cottage resides in Brookland. The cottage was once the rural place where President Abraham Lincoln spent the summers of 1862-1864. It is here were he escapes the heat and political pressures of Washington.
The area was farmland for most of the 19th century and owned by the prominent Middleton and Queen families. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad later connected this portion of Washington County to downtown. Bellair, the 1840 brick Greek Revival mansion built by Colonel Jehiel Brooks who married Ann Margaret Queen, still stands and now referred to as Brooks Mansion. Today it is the site of offices and production facilities for the city’s Government-access television (GAVT) channel, DCTV.
Like many other neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., Brookland has seen significant revitalization in the past decade. The large-scale development known as Monroe Street Market has served as a catalyst for many other development projects and has attracted many new residents and businesses to the area.
Brookland Hardware has anchored the 12th Street business corridor for many years and other local businesses, art galleries, auto mechanics, salons, and florists flourish nearby. In 2010, Abdo Development broke ground on Monroe Street Market, a large mixed-use development spread over five blocks in the neighborhood. Many new businesses have opened or plan to open, including Meridian Pint, Filter Coffee House, the Bike Rack, and Busboys and Poets, along with a Barnes and Noble.