Barry Farm es hoy conocida por las 432 viviendas en ruinas construidas en 1943 por la National Capital Housing Administration. Sin embargo, la comunidad afroamericana remonta su historia a 1867, cuando la Freedmen's Bureau adquirió 375 acres de tierra en el sureste de DC. Este terreno se dividió en parcelas más pequeñas que los afroamericanos fueron comprando con el tiempo.
A railroad line built in 1913 created a physical and social barrier separating Barry Farm and the surrounding community from much of DC. The construction of the Suitland Parkway in the 1950s further isolated these communities. These geographic barriers reinforced political disenfranchisement and social isolation resulting in housing, health, wealth and education disparities which persist to this day. To help address these disparities, City First provided $12 Million in NMTC financing to support the new construction and relocation of the Martha’s Table headquarters from Ward 2 to Ward 8.
Located at 2375 Elvans Road, SE, less than a mile from Barry Farm, Martha’s Table’s new headquarters anchors a 54,000 SF non-profit community service campus at the Commons at Stanton Square that will enable a near 40% increase in the number of clients served. The Commons houses Martha’s Table’s successful food, education and community support programs along with other critical services provided by Community of Hope and other non-profit partners.