Introduction

The history of a block tells us a story. The history tells us how and why a block is shaped the way it is.  It also tells us why certain infrastructures stand where they do and others do not.  Through learning the history of a block one can understand more than just what was built when and where. We can make logical inferences based on he information we obtain to figure out different kinds of information such as the type of people living in the block. Learning about a block and the blocks surrounding it, one can start to piece together the history and story of the city itself.  All of these blocks work as parts of the city. After going through all of the blocks histories one can make an accurate prediction of the future of that specific area. The history of Block 47 gives a very accurate explanation of the U District area as a whole.  For example, the block is a great example of public and private-sectors shaping cities.  We will cover why the block is shaped the way it is and how learning about those towering buildings actually helps us in understanding the past of the U District.