Rose's Row consists of three one-family and three two-family houses built in 1890 by local saloon-keeper William H. Rose. His son Daniel designed them in the Italianate style, including a cornice wrapping the corner house that became the Rose family home. Rehabilitated in the late 1980s, the row remains a fine example of Uniontown style. This block also features work by two locally prominent architects: Lewis W. Giles, Sr. designed the apartment buildings at 1222 U in 1933 and 1218 in 1940, and across the street George T. Santmyers designed the Georgian style row at 1233-1255 U Street in 1925 and 1926. Like many aging DC neighborhoods, Anacostia declined in the 1960s. In response to zoning changes, between 1950 and 1970 it shifted from mostly single-family houses to hastily built apartments and public housing projects. Urban renewal elsewhere pushed people with few resources into Anacostia, schools became overcrowded, city services were strained, and crime afflicted many blocks. In 1971 neighborhood leaders filed a lawsuit alleging discriminatory DC government policies and neglect, and although it was dismissed, they continued pressing for improvements. The city then improved public services and funded rehabilitation of historic properties, and in 1978 residents secured designation of the Anacostia Historic District, bringing attention to the area's distinctive architecture and landscape. Zoning laws changed again in the 1990s to encourage rowhouses and other smaller-scale dwellings.
