Tenleytown

“Tenleytown is one of the oldest communities in the District of Columbia, second only to Georgetown. Located far from the seat of the federal government, Tenleytown developed in the late 18th century as a rural village, at the intersection of River Road and what is now Wisconsin Avenue, in Washington County. The village centered on a tavern built by John Tennally to accommodate wagon traffic moving from outlying farms to the port of Georgetown. Originally known as “Tennallytown,” the commercial area consisted of a few stores, a blacksmith shop, and a church surrounded by farms, orchards, dairies, and forest. Notable remnants of old Tennallytown can be found at The Rest, a large house at 39 th and Warren, and Dunblane, now on the campus of the Washington College of Law.

During the Civil War, Tennallytown became home to Union forces charged with protecting the District. Construction of Fort Pennsylvania, later renamed Fort Reno in honor of Major General Jesse Lee Reno, began in 1861 on a former farm and orchard located at the highest point in the District. After the war, a racially-mixed, mostly African American community called Reno City evolved on the site of the former fort. Reno City had about 100 homes, plus stores, churches, and a fraternal lodge. The Jesse Reno School for African American children was constructed in 1903.”