Professional Documents
Culture Documents
METHODS
The above map shows the location and/or residence of individuals from the Cobb Human
Archive at their time of death. The vast majority of individuals are located in the
Northwest quadrant of the city. Within the Northwest quadrant, most individuals reside
in an area currently referred to as NoMa or North of Massachusetts Avenue. The
second and third most populated neighborhoods are those of Shaw and Pleasant Plains
respectively. Each of these three neighborhoods are historically Black neighborhoods,
reflecting the socially sanctioned racial classification of individuals in the Cobb Human
Archive.
There is also a large cluster of individuals in the Southwest quadrant of the city. The 60
individuals located in this quadrant represent people who resided in the District of
Columbia poorhouse. The poorhouse has had several names throughout its history,
including Blue Plains, Home for the Aged and Infirm, and DC Village. It has had a
reputation for abusive behaviors towards its residences and deplorable living conditions.
In the 1940s, Eleanor Roosevelt stated, It is sad and horrible if we are going to let Blue
Plains be our standard for the nation on the attitude to old age.
Further analyses are required to reveal the complexities associated with Cobb individuals
lived spaces. This includes mapping those individuals from the 1950s and 1960s.
Through the analysis of census data, we also hope to reveal more information about living
spaces prior to the time of death and entry into the poorhouse.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dr. Ali Erkan, Department of Computer Science, Ithaca College
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Howard University
Dr. Fatimah Jackson, W. Montague Cobb Research Laboratory