Learn more about the history of Fort Reno, Reno City, and the Chesapeake House via an exhibit in the windows of Pepco's Harrison Street Substation.
Fort Reno Historic Exhibit Tour
Tour the exhibit in the Pepco substation windows with historian Neil Flanagan. Take a deep-dive into neighborhood history of Fort Reno, Reno City, and the Chesapeake House.
Saturday, April 1, 10-11 am: RSVP HERE
Saturday, May 6, 10-11 am: RSVP HERE
RSVP is required.
About the Exhibit:
The Fort Reno exhibit was researched, organized, and written by students involved in the Community Coalition of Change club (CCC) at Jackson-Reed High School (formerly Wilson High School). Research was conducted to explore the deep and varied history of Fort Reno from the Civil War era to the present in an effort to better understand how our community evolved and changed. The CCC is dedicated to sharing the full history with the ultimate goal of presenting the many facets of Reno in a proposed permanent exhibit to be placed at the Chesapeake House at the corner of Belt & Chesapeake Streets NW.
Special thanks to the National Park Service, Pepco, Tenleytown Main Street, Maggie Downing of the DC History Center, Athena Angelos, Lucy Pope, Constance Sprague, Ian MacKaye, Neil Flanagan, Emily Swartz, and Friends of Reno for their collaboration and contributions.
About the Community Coalition for Change
The Community Coalition for Change (CCC) is a student-led social justice and community club started at Wilson High School in 2019 committed to uncovering the history of Reno and promoting more affordable housing and diversity in Ward 3. For more information, click here (QR code here)
Friendship Heights Alliance
The Friendship Heights Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating a dynamic and vibrant neighborhood through placemaking, community building, and collaboration. Creating venues for arts, local history, and community gatherings is key to our mission. This exhibit was coordinated, managed, and financially supported by the Alliance.
About Pepco
Pepco provides safe and reliable energy service to approximately 919,000 customers in the District of Columbia and Maryland. The Pepco Harrison Substation Window Gallery features rotating art installations and community-focused exhibits to help enliven the Friendship Heights neighborhood.
A December event to launch and celebrate this important history and those who contributed included a brief program including the following speakers:
Matt Frumin, Ward 3 Councilmember-elect
Donna Cooper, Pepco
Natalie Avery, Friendship Heights Alliance
Marc Minsker, Assistant Principal, Jackson-Reed High School
Neil Flanagan