Statement of Introduction – Evanti Court Designation Act of 2024
April 18, 2024
Today, I am introducing the “Evanti Court Designation Act of 2024”, which would designate the
public alley system in Square 2863, bounded by Euclid Street, Fairmont Street, Sherman Avenue, and
11th Street Northwest, in Ward 1, as Evanti Court.
This alley designation is in honor of Lillian Evanti, a D.C. native and Howard University Graduate
who lived in her family home at 1910 Vermont Ave, NW (approx. 6 blocks from the proposed alley
designation) from 1904 until her death in 1967. Lillian Evanti was an incredibly talented and
internationally celebrated opera singer and artist. Madame Evanti left an indelible imprint on cultural
institutions in the District of Columbia: among other accomplishments, she was a founding member of the
National Negro Opera Company and a chief advocate for a United States National Cultural Center, which
would ultimately become the Kennedy Center.
1
Improvement and redevelopment of alley lots is permitted in the District, but new housing built on
an alley lot requires an official address – and thus, an official alley name. As I have done in the past, I
welcome each opportunity to enable the construction of new housing, and to honor under-represented
figures in D.C. history in doing so.
Over the course of four months, the team proposing to develop new homes in Square 2863
presented to Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1B at two committee meetings and three full ANC
meetings; flyers were distributed to neighbors and a separate community meeting was held to discuss
options for names for the alley and answer questions about the proposed project.
Attached is a resolution in support of this alley designation, passed by ANC 1B on July 6, 2023.
This resolution fulfills the requirement of D.C. Official Code § 9-204.21(j), making this designation worthy
of Council consideration.
Brianne K. Nadeau
Councilmember, Ward 1
1
For more on the life of Lillian Evanti: https://anacostia.si.edu/collection/spotlight/madame-lillian-evanti.
Aerial Image of Square 2863. Source: OCTO e-Sanborn Square 2863. Source: Office of Tax and Revenue
1
_____________________________
Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau
A BILL
_________________________
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
_________________________
To designate the public alley system within Square 2863, bounded by Euclid Street, N.W., 1
Sherman Avenue, N.W., Fairmont Street, N.W., and 11
th
Street, N.W., as Evanti Court. 2
3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 4
act may be cited as the “Evanti Court Designation Act of 2024”. 5
Sec. 2. Pursuant to sections 401, 403, and 421 of the Street and Alley Closing and 6
Acquisition Procedures Act of 1982, effective March 10, 1983 (D.C. Law 4-201; D.C. Official 7
Code §§ 9-204.01, 9-204.03, and 9-204.21), the Council officially designates the entire portion 8
of the public alley system within Square 2863, which is bounded by Euclid Street, N.W., 9
Sherman Avenue, N.W., Fairmont Street, N.W., and 11
th
Street, N.W., as “Evanti Court”. 10
Sec. 3. Transmittal. 11
The Council shall transmit a copy of this act, upon its effective date, to the Mayor, the 12
District Department of Transportation, and the Office of the Surveyor. 13
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 14
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 15
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 16
2
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 17
Sec. 5. Effective date. 18
This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 19
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 20
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 21
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 22
Columbia Register. 23
ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 1B
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1B serves the communities of lower Columbia Heights, LeDroit Park,
Pleasant Plains, Shaw, U Street, Howard University, and lower Georgia Avenue.
A RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF
NAMING THE ALLEY LOCATED AT 1021-1027
EUCLID STREET NW IN MEMORY AND HONOR
OF LILLIAN EVANTI
WHEREAS; The alley (Square 2863) that runs east and west between 2600 blocks of
11
th
Street NW and Sherman Avenue NW and the 1000 blocks of Euclid Street NW
and Fairmont Street NW, should be designated as “Evanti Court,” located in the
Pleasant Plains neighborhood of Ward 1;
WHEREAS; This alley designation would pay homage to the internationally
acclaimed opera singer and composer Lillian Evanti.
WHEREAS; The D.C. History Center described her as “an accomplished lyric
soprano, a teacher, an international inspiration. She was a daughter, a mother, a friend.
She endured the snubs and injustices of racial discrimination and the heartaches of a
troubled marriage. But she never gave up. Washingtonians remember her today as a
trailblazer whose contribution to the city’s cultural life is surpassed by few.”
WHEREAS; Lillian Evanti was born and raised in Washington, D.C. Her family
home is the Evans-Tibbs house in ANC 1B (1910 Vermont Ave NW by U Street),
where she lived from 1904 until she died in 1967. Her notable accomplishments
include graduating from Howard University School of Music in 1917, being the first
African American to perform with a major European company, owned and founded
the publishing company, Columbia Music Bureau in Washington, D.C., helped
establish the National Negro Opera Company, served as a good-will ambassador in
Latin America, and successfully lobbied for a national cultural center for performing
arts, which became the Kennedy Center.
WHEREAS; The DC Council will hold a public hearing at which the ANC will
support and express enthusiasm about the naming of the alley in honor of Lillian
Evanti;
WHEREAS; The naming of the alley would support future development of a single-
family homes on a Lot 840 located in Square 2863. This property would be developed
by a request for special exception relief from the alley width requirement to allow for a
14 ft. 9 in. wide alley instead of a 15 ft. wide alley (Subtitle U § 601.1(f)); and
WHEREAS; ANC 1B04 Commissioner and ABC 1B09 Commissioner have met with
the owner of the lot to hear comments and concerns from neighbors abutting the
property and that live on the block surrounding the lot. The community came to a
consensus, expressing support and determining that the naming of the alley and
development would have minimal to no adverse impact on the community.
(continued on next page)
2000 14 STREET, NW
SUITE 100B
WASHINGTON, DC 20009
(202) 481-3462
1b@anc.dc.gov
@ANC1B
COMMISSIONERS
LARRY HANDERHAN
VICE CHAIR
1b01@anc.dc.gov
SEAN HOLIHAN
1b02@anc.dc.gov
JAMIE SYCAMORE
1b03@anc.dc.gov
SANTIAGO LAKATOS
TREASURER
1b04@anc.dc.gov
ALAN KENSEK
1b05@anc.dc.gov
VACANT
1b06@anc.dc.gov
ASHLEIGH FIELDS
1b07@anc.dc.gov
SABEL HARRIS
CHAIR
1b08@anc.dc.gov
TUCKER JONES
SECRETARY
1b09@anc.dc.gov
ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 1B
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1B serves the communities of lower Columbia Heights, LeDroit Park,
Pleasant Plains, Shaw, U Street, Howard University, and lower Georgia Avenue.
THEREFORE; BE IT RESOLVED THAT: ANC 1B support the naming of the alley located at
1021-1027 Euclid Street NW and urges that DC Council to pass this measure.
# # # # #
Certification:
After providing sufficient notice for and with a quorum of of 8 present at its July 6, 2023,
meeting, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1B voted, with 6 Yeas, 0 Nos, and 0
Abstentions, to adopt the above resolution.
Sabel Harris Tucker Jones
Chair, ANC 1B Secretary, ANC 1B