Site.

 I have found a site.

A few blocks south of Howard University, in the heart of Ledroit Park, sits this duplex, or should I say half duplex. From the information I have been able to gather, the sturcture was built in the late 1800's in this late Victorian style neighborhood. The home belonged to Mary Church Terrell, one of the primary figures in the fight for civil rights in DC. She was also the first black woman to be appointed to the school board.

The structure itself also has an interesting history. The homes in the Ledroit Park neighborhood were constructed in the 1880's-90's, with this house constructed in 1894. The home was built as a duplex structure, with the separation coming at the center of the gable roof. In the 1940's, one half was damaged in a fire and had to be removed, thus leaving the other half intact.

The building intrigued me from the moment I saw a picture. The duplex was built to look like a single family home, but it was actually split in the center. This creates a very interesting situation when one half remains. The structure looks incomplete, it lacks the 'other half,' but at the same time it is a complete home.

As I study this project and work on my thesis design, I will have an array of questions to propel me forward into this investigation::

What is the relationship of the part to the whole?
How does the 'other half' become its own element, but still rely on the original structure?
How does old meet new?
What is the role of the joint?