Ward 5 was developed as a commuter rail village in the late 19th century. Diverse in both character and history, it is home to residential neighborhoods, shopping streets, high-rise developments and industrial buildings.

SMD5B02 sits squarely in the heart of Brookland. It is home to the Franciscan Monastery and Gardens, The Howard Divinity School, the Ronald McDonald House of Charities, the Robert C. Weaver House, Fort Bunker Hill, to name a few. The art deco building, now home to CVS, used to be the Newton Theater. The SMD is also home to several schools like the Elsie Whitlow Stokes, Perry Street Prep, Bunker Hill, and others.

Along 12th Street is the business district of Brookland. The Dwight Mosley Playground and Taft Field is the largest playground and recreational park.

I have been digging through the history of our neighborhood here and here.

Ward? ANC? SMD? - a guide to the Lexicon

This section is directly copied, with permission, from the FAQs compiled by Commissioner Costello, ANC5B05

ANC: First established in 1976, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions are non-partisan, neighborhood bodies made up of locally-elected representatives called Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners. ANCs were established to bring government closer to the people, and to bring the people closer to government. Commissioners serve two-year terms without pay.

A Commissioner’s main job is to be their neighborhood’s official voice in advising the District government on issues affecting their community. Although District agencies are not required to follow an ANC’s advice, they are required by law to give an ANC’s recommendations “great weight.” Moreover, District law says that agencies cannot take any action that will significantly affect a neighborhood—including zoning, streets, recreation, education, social services, sanitation, planning, safety, budget, and health services—unless they give the affected ANC 30 days’ advance notice.

Commissioners may also initiate recommendations for improving city services, conduct neighborhood improvement programs, and monitor resident complaints.

SMD: Each ANC is divided into a number of smaller areas called Single Member Districts (SMDs), which consist of about 2,000 people per district. One Commissioner is elected to represent each SMD.