Last updated: August 2, 2021
Place
Brookland Bowling Alley
Photograph by Kim Williams, courtesy of District of Columbia Historic Preservation Office
Quick Facts
Location:
3726 10th St. NE Washington DC
Significance:
Architecture
Designation:
Listed in the National Register – Reference number 100004306
MANAGED BY:
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2019, The Brookland Bowling Alleys in Washington DC retains high architectural integrity. The Brookland Bowling Alleys was constructed in 1938 and 1939 for the Brookland Recreation Center, Inc. for duckpin bowling. The building was designed in two phases as a vernacular expression of Art Deco by William Edward St. Cyr Barrington, a local architect. The building possesses integrity of design, materials and workmanship. It retains its original massing having no exterior additions, its original buff brick walls with dark brick decorative detailing, and its integrated brickwork reflecting the Art Deco style.
Within a year of the building’s 1938 opening, the popularity of bowling as an inexpensive form of entertainment enticed the property owners to add a second story and additional lanes to the Brookland facility. This addition, designed by Barrington, was seamlessly executed, providing little indication that there was an addition to the original one-story building. The Brookland Bowling Alleys was largely a bowling alley, although it also offered amenities including a barber shop and “luncheonette.” As completed in 1939, the building included 28 duck-pin lanes on both floors, described in press accounts as being very popular with local bowlers. The Brookland Bowling Alleys operated for twelve years, from 1938 until 1950 when a major fire destroyed the interior of the establishment. Barrington was again engaged for his design services to restore the building. The interior was renovated, but this time around, as a wholesale store for electric lighting, parts and appliances for Atlantic Electric Supply Corp., a company that still occupies the building today.
Within a year of the building’s 1938 opening, the popularity of bowling as an inexpensive form of entertainment enticed the property owners to add a second story and additional lanes to the Brookland facility. This addition, designed by Barrington, was seamlessly executed, providing little indication that there was an addition to the original one-story building. The Brookland Bowling Alleys was largely a bowling alley, although it also offered amenities including a barber shop and “luncheonette.” As completed in 1939, the building included 28 duck-pin lanes on both floors, described in press accounts as being very popular with local bowlers. The Brookland Bowling Alleys operated for twelve years, from 1938 until 1950 when a major fire destroyed the interior of the establishment. Barrington was again engaged for his design services to restore the building. The interior was renovated, but this time around, as a wholesale store for electric lighting, parts and appliances for Atlantic Electric Supply Corp., a company that still occupies the building today.