dent house

The Dent House opened its doors on June 19, 2019 to commemorate the history of Juneteenth and the legacy of James C. Dent. The community center offers a workforce development and education programs, including Robotics and Ascend Through Music, as well as youth and community engagement activities that follow Living Classrooms’ “Learning by Doing” approach.

The James C. Dent House is a historic building located near Pepco’s Waterfront substation in the Buzzard Point neighborhood of the District of Columbia. As part of Pepco’s efforts to support the communities it serves, the company restored the house and worked with Living Classrooms to create youth and adult education programming serving members of the surrounding neighborhood.

The Dent House is located in the rapidly developing Buzzard Point neighborhood and is adjacent to three public housing developments owned and maintained by the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA): James Creek, Greenleaf Gardens, and Syphax Gardens. The re-opening of the Dent House as a community center is addressing longstanding needs among the families living within the 600 residential units. Programs are designed after assessed community input.

The James C. Dent House has a long history in the Southwest neighborhood. It was built in 1906 as the home and parsonage of Rev. James Clinton Dent. Born into slavery in 1855 and later becoming a farm laborer, Rev. Dent was also second pastor of the Mount Moriah Baptist Church after making his way to southwest DC. In 2010, the house was designated a Historic Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places as a symbol of progress and testament to the heroic contributions of James C. Dent to improve life and foster faith in his community. Additionally, in the house, is an original wooden plank from the original Dent House porch signed by the builder himself in 1907.