Murder Bay

This article is about the Washington D.C. slum. For the New Zealand bay formerly known as Murderer's Bay, see Golden Bay / Mohua.
The National Mall, Washington, c. 1908. Murder Bay is visible at the far left

Murder Bay (also known as Hooker's Division) was a disreputable slum in Washington, D.C., roughly bounded by Constitution Avenue NW, Pennsylvania Avenue NW, and 13th and 15th Streets NW. The area was a center of crime through the early 20th century, with an extensive criminal underclass and prostitution occurring in several brothels and hotels in the area.[1][2][3] The area was completely rebuilt during the construction of the Federal Triangle project in the late 1920s and 1930s.

C Street NW near 13th Street NW in 1912: Known from the mid-1800s to the 1920s as "Murder Bay," this area was home to numerous brothels.
  1. ^ "Ariel Rios Building, Washington, D.C.". (General Services Administration official site). (Archived version) Retrieved May 18, 2008.
  2. ^ Savage, Monument Wars: Washington, D.C., the National Mall, and the Transformation of the Memorial Landscape, 2009, p. 100-101; Gutheim and Lee, p. 73; Lowry, p. 61-65; Evelyn, Dickson, and Ackerman, p. 63-64.
  3. ^ "Within sight of the White House : section of Washington, D.C., known as "Hooker's Division," which contains 50 saloons and 109 bawdy-houses--list of 61 places where liquor is sold with government [sic] but without city licenses". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2023-09-29.