Queen City

As its name suggests, Pentagon City is a neighborhood that is easily commutable to the Pentagon. But before the Pentagon, there was Queen City, a home for southern African-Americans displaced by the closure of Freedman’s Village. For many black families, this community was their first opportunity to own homes and establish a community of their own. However, they were vastly underserved by the county, which failed to provide them with running water, a nearby school, or a fire station. When building the Pentagon, the government needed a space to accommodate the vast number of commuters, and decided Queen City would be a perfect location. So, in 1942 the community was razed, and its citizens — many of whom had supported the war effort — were forced to relocate.