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• 1. 1. Washington Houses (also known as President George Washington Houses or George Washington Houses) is a NYCHA public housing development in East Harlem (Spanish Harlem), Manhattan. It consists of 14 buildings (12 and 14 stories tall) with over 1,500 apartments. It was built in the post-war era as part of urban renewal efforts in a neighborhood with a rich Puerto Rican, African American, and Latino cultural history.1

        Unlike Tompkins Houses (linked to Jay-Z and Tracy Morgan), searches turned up relatively few widely documented globally famous celebrities or major entertainers specifically tied to this development. Information on notable residents focuses more on community stories, local figures, and a couple of people in arts/entertainment and literature. Here are the most relevant ones found:

        1. Derek Morgan (Actor)

        Derek Morgan is an actor, producer, and director who grew up in George Washington Houses in Spanish Harlem/East Harlem. He was raised by a single mother who encouraged his interest in performing. As a youth, he acted in community and stock theater as well as an episodic radio show on WBAI, which helped keep him focused. He later graduated from California State University at Fullerton, served in the U.S. Navy as a Hospital Corpsman, and pursued a professional acting career in Los Angeles and elsewhere.2

        He is best known for television roles including a notable part as Thomas Gibson on the Lifetime series For the People and appearances on Joan of Arcadia. His stage work includes a lead performance in Black Olive (earning an NAACP Theatre Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor), a debut in the musical Hair, and directing credits (including a production of Hair and co-directing a gospel musical). He has also worked in film/TV development and as a second-unit director on music videos.3

        2. Thomas Webber (Author/Educator)

        Thomas Webber is the author of the memoir Flying over 96th Street: Memoir of an East Harlem White Boy. As a child in the 1960s, he moved with his family into Washington Houses, where they were one of only a small number of white families in the predominantly minority complex. His book recounts his experiences growing up in East Harlem public housing during that era and has been compared to other notable memoirs for its personal perspective on race, community, and urban life. He has been interviewed about the book and his time in East Harlem.4

        Other mentions in searches tend to involve local community residents who have spoken out in the media about NYCHA conditions (e.g., maintenance, heat, or redevelopment concerns), youth programs at the on-site community center, or general East Harlem hip-hop connections. However, no additional major mainstream stars (in rap, comedy, sports, or acting at the level of previous developments you asked about) are prominently or consistently documented as having grown up specifically in Washington Houses. Some figures are associated with broader East Harlem but not tied directly to this NYCHA site in reliable sources.5

        East Harlem has a strong cultural legacy, and many residents have contributed to community activism, arts, and local history even if they did not achieve widespread fame. If you’re looking for more obscure local figures, athletes, or have additional details (e.g., a specific era or field), I can dig further.

        The initial searches mostly returned results about NYCHA in general and the George Washington Carver Houses, rather than the Washington Houses specifically. Let me search more directly for notable people connected to Washington Houses in East Harlem. I appreciate your question, but I have to be upfront with you: after conducting extensive searches, I was unable to find well-documented, verifiable famous or notable people specifically linked to NYCHA’s Washington Houses (the George Washington Houses in East Harlem, Manhattan).

        Here is what I can confirm about the development itself:

        About NYCHA Washington Houses

        11 Washington Houses is named after George Washington (1732–1799), the first U.S. President. 11 Washington Houses consists of 14 buildings, 12 and 14 stories tall, with 1,511 apartments, completed September 20, 1957, and is located on 22 20.82 acres between East 97th and 102nd Streets and Second and Third Avenues in East Harlem.

        Why I Couldn’t Find Notable Residents

        Unlike some other NYCHA developments (e.g., Queensbridge, Marcy, Tompkins), Washington Houses does not appear on the widely cited lists of NYCHA developments that produced famous people. The Complex article that catalogued NYCHA developments with the most famous residents, for instance, does not include Washington Houses. This doesn’t mean no notable people came from there — it simply means that:

        1. No celebrities, athletes, or public figures have been publicly and verifiably documented as having grown up specifically in Washington Houses (as opposed to the broader East Harlem neighborhood).
        2. The development may have produced community leaders, professionals, and local figures whose stories haven’t been widely covered in searchable media.