A local developer has restored the former home of the first African American elected to Congress after reconstruction, placing the LeDroit Park property on the market for $2.05 million.
Built in 1873 by architect and LeDroit Park founder James McGill, the fully detached, corner lot house at 419 U St. NW was home to Illinois’ Oscar Stanton De Priest — who at one point was the sole voice in Congress for 12 million blacks. He was the first black congressman elected by a non-southern state.
De Priest was a Chicago-based developer who jump started his political career as a member of the board of commissioners of Cook County, Illinois. He won a seat on the Chicago City Council in 1914 and was elected to Congress in 1928, serving three terms from 1929 to 1935, the year he died.
District Design & Development (D3) purchased the property for $1.075 million in 2017 and took two years to renovate it, making sure to keep intact McGill’s Beau-Arts design and architecture. It was among the first…
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