Oral history interview with Norris Scott

Norris Scott, an African American man born on November 13, 1888, discusses his family history in Barry Farms and what growing up in the Anacostia neighborhood was like. He talks about different occupations he had, such as digging ditches and plumbing; Douglass Hall and other businesses, including John A. Moss's Law Firm, Sayles Coal Yard, Mason's Funeral Home, and Slaughter's Blacksmith Shop; and recreation, like visiting Green Willow Park and Eureka Park. Throughout the interview, Scott talks about prominent community members, including Georgianna Simpson and Emma Smith (schoolteachers), Captain George Graham (Civil War sergeant) and his daughter Ethel Greene, Elzie S. Hoffman (musician), Raymond Bohannon (taxi driver), and the Edmonson family (abolitionists and activists). He explains how many prominent families are related in Anacostia, including the Greene, McKenzie, Campbell, and Mason families. Scott also talks about being an original member of St. Phillips Episcopal Church. He ends the interview speaking about different homeowners and their houses in Anacostia. Norris Scott was interviewed by John Tetrault on February 24, 1975. Digital audio files include white noise and static; interviewee can be heard clearly for most parts. The interview is cut short by the passing of a train.