Holy Redeemer College
Holy Redeemer College stands as a built legacy of “Little Rome” in Northeast DC.
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Constructed in 1933, architect Anthony A.F. Schmitt designed Holy Redeemer College as a residential home for members of the Redemptorist religious order while they pursued studies at nearby Catholic University of America (CUA). The building has been continuously owned and operated by the religious order since its erection.
The college is architecturally significant as a prominent example of the Romanesque Revival style in the District. Located in the Edgewood neighborhood of DC, the building is distinguishable by a solid masonry exterior, a central tower, and its placement on an artificial rise that echoes the noble stature of a Medieval Italian palazzo.
Historically, the institution is associated with the rise of Catholic establishments and religious culture in the neighborhoods around CUA. The prominence of a thriving Catholic university, various catholic businesses, and an increasingly Catholic demographic in Northeast DC prompted the nickname “Little Rome” for the surrounding area. Between 1900 and 1940, more than fifty Catholic institutions popped up around CUA in the neighborhood of Edgewood.
Holy Redeemer College contributed to the history of this “Little Rome” within the city, and continues to serve its religious community through offering mass and housing clerical workers.
DC Inventory: March 28, 2019
National Register: May 17, 2019
