History
Johnston’s Market
Johnston’s Market
Johnston’s Market
Johnston's Market was a neighborhood grocery store that operated from 1915 to 1944 on the first floor of 252 10th Street NE in Washington, D.C.'s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The market was established and run by Charles Johnston and his wife Virgie, who resided in the non-public spaces with their children. The original glass transom above the front door still bears the gold-lettered inscription "Johnston's Market," serving as a historical reminder of the building's past. Inside, remnants of the market's operation remain, including the original meat locker in the living room, which was converted into a wet bar during renovations in the 1970s.
During its operation, Johnston's Market served the local community, providing essential goods to residents of Capitol Hill. The presence of such markets was common in early 20th-century Washington, D.C., reflecting a time when small, family-run businesses were integral to neighborhood life. While specific details about the daily operations of Johnston's Market are limited, its legacy contributes to the rich tapestry of Capitol Hill's history. (Sited: Curbed DC; Washington Post)
Outlaw Way
Johnston’s Market
Johnston’s Market
While reading the D.C. Register live-tweeting as done by Helder Gil every Saturday, I came across the intriguing information that a part of 10th Street NE was to be renamed ‘Outlaw Way.’ Since outlaws have, frankly, never been much of the fabric of Capitol Hill life, this required immediate research.
As it turned out, no person living outside the law is involved in this. Rather, it was some someone with the wonderful name of Pocahontas Outlaw (pictured) who is lending her name to this street. Mrs. Outlaw, born Pocahontas Swinton in 1932, moved to Washington when she was four years old. She married William Outlaw. Together and separately, they went out of their way to make their neighborhood a better place.
The Outlaws ran a restaurant on U Street named the Outlaw Kitchen after he retired from the military. A 1991 article in the Washington Post describes their apple cobbler’s “intense sweetness and gooeyness cut by the flaky pastry on top.” Sadly, the Outlaws had to close the restaurant in 2000 after Mr. Outlaw suffered a stroke. He would continue to help out in the neighborhood, becoming the place where all people in the area could have their packages delivered to avoid them being stolen from their stoops. In 2007, a Washington Post article on his endeavors described how his house would, at some times of the year, be so stuffed with boxes that the living room would be impassable.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Outlaw supported her community in a wide variety of ways, from her work at the local polling place to her volunteer work for ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) It was for this long-time commitment to helping in her neighborhood that her neighbors requested – four years after her death – that the block of 10th Street NE on which she lived be given the ceremonial designation of ‘Outlaw Way.’
Law 22-193, the “Outlaw Way Designation Act of 2018,” was introduced in the Council and assigned Bill No. 22-746 which was referred to the Committee of the Whole. The bill was adopted on first and second readings on Sept. 18, 2018, and Oct. 2, 2018, respectively. After mayoral review, it was assigned Act No. 22-475 on Oct. 22, 2018, and transmitted to Congress for its review. D.C. Law 22-193 became effective Dec. 13, 2018. (sited: https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/laws/22-193)
