-
- Source: Washington, DC Economic Partnership
Fort Totten? Riggs Park? Lamond-Riggs? What do you call the neighborhood?
With all of the development taking off in the neighborhood, some residents have raised questions about how to make sure the neighborhood keeps its identity. Part of the impetus for the conversation comes from the fact that the major developments are branded as Fort Totten though they sit in Riggs Park. The retail node along South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road is identified as Fort Totten in a profile sheet by the Washington, DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP). The WDCEP describes Fort Totten as the area comprised of several different neighborhoods within a one-mile radius of the Fort Totten metro station, though some view the Fort Totten neighborhood more specifically as a separate, distinct neighborhood west of the tracks. The metro station itself is named after Fort Totten Park, which was a defense fort during the Civil War.
Many of us know the neighborhood as Riggs Park and that is the name I use for the blog. When people ask where I live, I say Riggs Park. If that response draws a blank stare, I say it is in Northeast DC by Fort Totten metro station. Many others know the neighborhood as Lamond-Riggs. The neighborhood library is called Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library. The civic association is called the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association.
So there is history in both names, Fort Totten and Riggs Park or Lamond-Riggs. Fort Totten was not made up out of thin air by developers. However, residents are of course wedded to the history of the neighborhood known as Lamond-Riggs.
There are a couple of ways to preserve the neighborhood identity. One would be a branding exercise for the neighborhood. This exercise would entail coming up with a logo or theme for the neighborhood that could be displayed in various points along the major thoroughfares of the neighborhood.
Another option that a neighbor brought up is to have a heritage trail developed by Cultural Tourism DC. Posts with pictures and narrative telling the history of the neighborhood could be placed along various points to get people to walk the neighborhood and learn its history.
What do you think? What do you call the neighborhood?
Next Stop...Riggs Park 
Your neighbor is smart and insightful
Hi:
Stay with Lamond Riggs. Both the area’s name and its citizens association are historic. When so many are rediscovering the history of their community, why should we not embrace ours. Also, I have attached a link to a 2010 article on Lamond Riggs.
link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/25/AR2010022506636.html?sid=ST2010022602858
Either would work well for me- although I do believe that a branding exercise would be very beneficial.
Thanks Mr. Oliver. And here’s the Post profile on the Fort Totten neighborhood, which as mentioned in the post is considered west of the tracks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/neighborhood-profile-fort-totten/2012/12/12/ed93a6f4-3f2e-11e2-a2d9-822f58ac9fd5_story.html
this area is also known as Terra Cotta
John Davis, thanks for that information
I think “launching” of a brand for the neighborhood to give it a cohesive identity is well worth some investment of time and community resources. As a developer (my firm built the two new houses on the hill at Riggs/So Dakota) when I told people where they were I had to reference the Metro station. It was the only way to orient people to the location. If you look at the major real estate blogs (DCist, PoP, DC Urban Turf, etc) they mostly all call it Ft. Totten. If you as a community want it to be known as something different now is the time because in some senses, you are already behind the social media curve…and that’s going to win unless you get in front on this issue. Perhaps there would be some dollars to be had for this with the DC Chamber of Commerce or Office of Planning or some other to have a professional firm guide you through a formal process. Alternatively, this would be a GREAT ask to have all the developers who are active in the area to fund…and you all are in this boat together, like it or not. Any branding/rebranding/launching effort would only help them as well. That’s my 2 cents.
I think that with the redevelopment going on in the neighborhood that the city will actually be coming in with some branding of the neighborhood in the next few years. From things I have read and been told from a friend in the mayors office that Ft Totten is a targeted are by the city and the city always brands neighborhoods they want to concentrate development in.
I personally think that Ft Totten will be the brand since the metro station and the new developments coming into the neighborhood are already incorporating this name into their buildings. Also Ft Totten is already more recognized outside of the neighborhood more than Lamond-Riggs, Riggs Park, etc.
When someone asks me what neighborhood do I live in I start with North Michigan Park but if they are not familiar I give in and say Ft Totten.
But I would love to see what other ideas would come from this post since this is probably something that will be happening in real life very soon.
I highly doubt it will happen but I wonder if there will be comments from here or when the city starts this process of a name for the neighborhood that’s a complete departure from we currently have with Lamond-Riggs, Riggs, Michigan, North Michigan Park, etc.
Tanya, that is in fact one of the items the LRCA requested of the developers in its proposed CBA last summer.
Uchenna, I’m glad the LRCA asked for this from the developers. That’s good…but just keep asking them. It’ll take more than once and it’s all about where they are in their development cycle. Meaning, if they are planning and under early construction they may not care as much about branding until they are coming closer to marketing. So just keep bringing it up to them. The projects they do are an enormous undertaking…they are real work with a crushing amount of details to be attended to. Just because the idea did not gain immediate traction doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea to pursue. It could mean many things, including that the timing just wasn’t right.
I generally tell people (even DC friends) that I live in Ft. Totten. Some might have heard of Riggs Park, but I would definitely receive blank stares if I said Lamond-Riggs. I have noticed that the Ward 5 historical documents refer to the neighborhood as Riggs Park – and metro buses say “Riggs Park” as well.
However the Lamond-Riggs area is branded, we must ensure the history of this area is not lost. For example, before Home Rule in 1973, the civic and citizens associations represented community aspirations before the DC Commissioners. These groups paved the way for many legislative and community advances prior to our ANCs, City Council or Mayor. Let’s ensure that the historic links to the work of our forebearers is not the first casualty of rebranding.
A quick search of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association shows the influence of this group. According to Erwin Knoll, a Washington Post and Times Herald Staff Reporter, this association, among others, opposed school funding cuts by the DC Commissioners on October 8, 1957. So, let’s ensure that rebranding highlights and not obscures our past.
This is the same thing that’s happening in the area around the Brookland metro station – Brookland Pint etc are in Edgewood, but the area is taking on the name of the metro station. Even if the area shouldn’t be called Ft. Totten, that’s the name of our metro station and that’s the easiest point of reference everyone in the rest of the city has for our area. The best hope for keeping the Lamond-Riggs/Riggs Park brand would probably be to get it attached to the metro station (Gallery Place – Chinatown), etc.
I never knew that area was considered Edgewood. Learn something new everyday. But that does make sense to attached the alternate names to the metro station if you don’t want them be forgotten about 10 years from now.
I live in North Michigan Park…which apparently conflicts with Michigan Park as well. Another topic for another day.
Brooklyn has gone through this same problem. When Williamsburg expanded, people called the eastern edge of that expansion “East Williamsburg”. Now, it’s gone back to being called “Bushwick”. I believe the metro stop is the best selling point for the neighborhood and therefore the name will take over until things calm down. So…maybe the names of the actual little neighborhoods will come back into vogue in 5 years or so.
Riggspark should be so. Dakota to the west, eastern ave to the east, Galloway st to so.,and riggs park to north. Across So. Dakota Fort Totten
Call it “Riggs Park.” That’s what the natives call it. Outsiders want to change the name…
When I moved into the area 15 years ago it was labeled “Riggs Park.” I never understood why “Lamond” was added, or what area is considered Lamond. When I tell most people I live in Riggs Park they know exactly where it is, using the KFC and McDonalds as land marks. However, there are times when I have to use the Fort Totten Metro as a land mark. I personally prefer Riggs Park and not Lamond-Riggs.
Wow, I want to bring back Terra Cotta 😉