Legacy Businesses Learning Session with Dr. Elizabeth Morton
For over two centuries, Washington, DC has functioned as a center of urban life. As the city has grown and evolved, commercial businesses have benefited the population through providing services and spaces important to the community. Several municipalities and historic preservation non-profits around the nation have explored the topic of legacy businesses, as these commercial establishments retain various tangible and intangible aspects important to historic preservation. In April 2023, the DC Preservation League is focusing on legacy businesses to highlight DC’s long-standing businesses and honor their history, social value, and cultural impact on the city at large.
In this community learning session, Dr. Elizabeth Morton discusses her study of legacy business programs across the US, and provides an overview of the legacy business documentation effort she oversaw in Arlington, VA. In the second half of the session, DC Preservation League staff members Zachary Burt and Shae Corey present their research on legacy businesses in DC.