Hell's Bottom

If “Murder Bay” and “Dead Man’s Hollow” weren’t indication enough, there were some areas in 19th century D.C. where even the most adventurous Washingtonians would not dare to go. Another one of these areas was Hell’s Bottom. Though Shaw doesn’t really look it now, the neighborhood was once a place where cops were murdered, houses were condemned by the health department, and people lived in abject poverty. Since its residents defied the police, the city punished Hell’s Bottom by refusing to renew any of its liquor licenses in 1891. Without any booze, Hell’s Bottom began to lose its edge, and the neighborhood started improving.