Archive for June 2012

1952 Map Documents Beginning of “Chocolate City”

June 29, 2012

Lately, it seems like a day doesn’t go by without another news article about gentrification in the Washington area. While the focus in 2012 is on how the city is becoming whiter, sixty years ago the buzz was about the growing black population in Washington and its role in the upcoming presidential election between Republican candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower the Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson.

The map below, published in the Baltimore Sun on November 2, 1952 (two days before the election), illustrates the city of Washington’s changing demographics from 1930 to 1950. The accompanying text is below the image.

“Segregation … in Washington, D.C. has become an issue in the current political campaign, and abolishment of segregation has been promised by both parties. This map, based on a District of Columbia census tract[s], shows the white and non-white areas. The solid black areas denote a population of over 50% non-white since [the] 1930 census; the checked portions show the same percentage since the 1940 census, and the lined parts indicate the same percentage since the 1950 census. Each dot represents housing for 100 non-whites in predominantly white areas.”

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Final Streetscape Work Improving Georgia Ave. Metro’s East Entrance Begun

June 28, 2012

(DDOT streetscape work at the Georgia Ave. Metro station)

As I posted on Friday, DDOT began their final push to complete the Middle Georgia Avenue Great Streets project on Monday, June 25th. In addition to the bike racks that will be installed in front of DC Reynolds, the major work will be around the east entrance to the Georgia Ave. Metro Station and the wedge in front of Sweet Mango.

Not only will DDOT be installing pavers to match what has been installed elsewhere on Georgia Avenue, the area around the Metro will also be getting several more tree boxes. The detail below, from DDOT’s plans, show both the pattern of the pavers and the locations of the new tree boxes.

Due to the time of year, there is a very high likelihood that the new trees will not be planted until the regular seasonal tree planting season later this year or early next year.

Proposed paver designs for the area around the Georgia Avenue Metro station (courtesy of DDOT)

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Bruce Monroe Park Community Day This Saturday, June 30th

June 27, 2012

If you missed the community day at the Park View Recreation Center last weekend, fear not. This Saturday the Bruce Monroe Park will be hosting a community day as well. See the poster below for details.


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Old Photo Album Offers Rare Glimpse into Park View’s Early Days

June 26, 2012

This early 20th century photo album contains a glimpse into Park View’s past

I recently found a photo album in a shop dating to ca. 1918-1921 that quickly caught my attention. While the album was apparently from an upstate New York family, in looking through the images it seems that the family spent the summer of 1918 living in a house on the 600 block of Park Road.

While living on Park Road, the family took a number of photos of the area, including the Park View School, a streetcar on Georgia Avenue, and many photos of the Old Soldiers’ Home’s grounds during their visits there.

All in all, it is a rare and exciting glimpse into life in the neighborhood during its earliest years.

View of Park Road from Warder Street, ca. 1918

A page from the photo album that includes the Park View School and a streetcar on Georgia Avenue

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Want to Know Your Neighborhood Better?: DC Reynolds Hosting Meeting to Talk About Community

June 25, 2012

Ward 1 map showing proposed 2012 ANC and SMD boundaries

Do you want to get involved in your neighborhood but don’t know where to start? Do you find acronyms like ANC, SMD, and PSA confusing? Have you ever wondered if there is a neighborhood civic organization in your area?

If you live on or near Georgia Avenue, or just want to learn more, here’s an opportunity to find out more about where you live, better understand how to get involved in your community, and more effectively communicate with the city and your representatives.

DC Reynolds is hosting an informal evening with Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners Kent Boese (1A08) and Lauren McKenzie (1B09) and Juan Camilo Barragan (Ward 1 Liaison, Office of Neighborhood Engagement (ONE), Executive Office of the Mayor) to help demystify the different opportunities available to learn more about your community and get involved.

Where: DC Reynolds, 3628 Georgia Avenue

Date: Tuesday June 26, 2012

Time: 7:00 p.m.

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Update on Final Middle Georgia Avenue Great Streets Work

June 22, 2012

Bike racks outside of the Looking Glass Lounge on a typical evening

Back in December 2011, as the Middle Georgia Avenue Great Streets project was nearing its end, I met with DDOT to discuss placement of bike racks between Otis Place and Rock Creek Church Road. The outcome of that meeting included the agreement that four bike racks would be installed outside of 3628 Georgia Avenue (DC Reynolds) in addition to the four racks outside of the Looking Glass Lounge/Blue Banana. Anyone that has been along this stretch of Georgia recently will clearly see that the additional racks have not yet been installed.

In following up with DDOT in April I learned that there had been a minor plan/contract error which resulted (among other things) in fewer bike racks fabricated for the Middle Georgia Avenue project than were shown on the plans.  By May, DDOT was moving forward with processing the change order for the remaining project work at the Georgia Ave.-Petworth Metro Plaza.

I’m happy to report that everything is now in place for work to resume again as early as Monday June 25th on the remaining work .  This will include, among other items, the bike racks, a  trash can outside of Lion’s Fine Wines, and Metro Plaza work.

The sidewalk outside of DC Reynolds has been marked and ready for bike racks since December 2011

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Park View Rec Center Hosts Welcome Back Cookout

June 21, 2012

To welcome the community back to the newly reopened and renovated grounds of the Park View Recreation Center, DPR and the rec center staff are hosting a day of fun this Saturday, June 23, from Noon to dusk.

As you can read from the flyer below, the event will feature a BBQ, flag football, basketball, kickball, and other community events to welcome the community back to their community park.


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Invitation to Spend July 4th on the Grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home

June 21, 2012

The following announcement came through my email last night. It sounds like an enjoyable opportunity to spend the Fourth of July relaxing, fishing, and watching the fireworks on the south grounds of the Old Soldiers’ Home. I’m sure many won’t want to miss it (a PDF flyer is available here)

Friends of the Soldiers’ Home in cooperation with the Armed Forces Retirement Home present:

A July 4th Celebration

Family Fun* Local Food Vendors* Children’s Fishing* Hiking* Biking* Picnicking* Jogging* Soccer* Touch Football* Kickball* Tug of War* Balloon Twisting*

Watch the fireworks on the National Mall from one of the best vantage points in Washington, D.C., on the grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home!

Wednesday, July 4, 2012, 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., on the southern grounds of the Armed Forces Retirement Home, Washington, D.C. (Entrance at Rock Creek Church Road and Randolph Street)

 FOOD

Carry in picnic food and drink or purchase from these vendors courtesy of Grey DC:

  • Lemon Grass Truck: We serve Vietnamese Cuisine. The menu features 4 main items; banh mi, tacos, vermicelli noodles, and salad. All are topped with either lemongrass chicken or slow roasted pork. We will also be serving Bubble Tea!
  • Captain Cookie: Captain Cookie and the Milk Man is a bakery truck that serves fresh-baked cookies, local creamery milk and made-to-order ice cream sandwiches
  • PapsJuices, LLCI produce my own juices from the freshest and finest Roots, Fruits Flowers in the world.
  • Los Verracos: In 2009, some friends in New Jersey/New York came together over a mutual admiration and respect of pork and all of its wonders. They decided they wanted to find a way to share this passion with friends and family. Los Verracos Supper Club was born.
  • We are Humble Pie! We offer updated, rustic interpretations of classic American pie flavors using seasonal, local produce and handmade all-butter crust. Plus, each tart fits in the palm of your hand!
  • Sugar High Bakery, a selection of baked goods with a twist. I bake everything from cakes to cookies to cupcakes, making sure to keep everything both tasty and fun! For samples of my work, you can check out my blog here and see other samples of my work on Facebook here.

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES

Trout Unlimited, the nation’s foremost organization for restoring fisheries, is supplying volunteers and donating 20 fishing poles and bait for children to use at the Soldiers Home fishing ponds stocked with fish. Catch-and-release fishing will occur from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

In addition to fishing we will have organized activities including soccer, touch football, kickball and tug of war. Thanks to Park View Kids Zone for helping supply equipment. Why go to the Mall when you can watch the fireworks from some of the high ground right here at the Soldiers Home? Fireworks begin shortly after 9 p.m.

Also featuring KazooTheBalloonMaker.com: Serving the DC metro area, Kazoo specializes in advanced, multi-balloon creations that are sure to make the kids smile and amaze the adults. No simple dogs or swords here. Available for parties and events of all kinds.

  •  ****STREET PARKING IS EXTREMELY LIMITED****Please walk or bike to the inside of the grounds; the H8 bus stops near the entrance and the Georgia/Petworth metro stop is a 10-minute walk from the entrance gate
  • No glass containers
  • Please help us keep the grounds clean by removing your own waste
  • No Rain Date

Friends of the Soldiers Home is a volunteer organization serving members of the Armed Forces Retirement Home. Friends extends enormous thanks to the veterans and staff of the Home for inviting the community inside the gates for this very special July 4 celebration.

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Park View Played Significant Role in Early Organized Washington Tennis Leagues

June 20, 2012

1916 Officers of the Suburban Tennis League included Park View’s J. Howard Hixson as vice president.

I’ve written previously about Washington’s Suburban Baseball League that was popular in the early 20th century, but I’ve recently learned that baseball was not the only organized sport with a fair amount of popularity during that period. There was also a Suburban Tennis League, and like baseball, the Park View section was well represented.

During the league’s pinnacle ca. 1916-1918, the league consisted of  eight tennis clubs — seven located in northwest Washington and one located downtown. Matches occurred each Saturday starting in mid-June and running until the beginning of September. In 1916, each club played once a week in seven matches, five doubles and two singles. In total, the league had 31 courts and 309 male members in that year.

The Park View team played under the name of the Princeton Heights  Club from 1913 to 1916 and from 1916 to 1919 under just the Princeton Club. This was largely due to J. Howard Hixson who was not only an avid tennis player, but lived at 608 Rock Creek Church Road from 1916 to 1923. Research to date indicates that Hixson was an employee of Edgar S. Kennedy who developed the blocks just south of Rock Creek Church Road as the Princeton Heights Subdivision. This relationship with Kennedy, along with Hixson living in Park View’s northernmost subdivision, surely influence him in choosing the name. By 1916, Hixson and the Princeton Heights Club were also noted in the Washington Post as playing a major role in developing organized tennis in Washington from 1914 to 1916.

1916 was a pivotal year for the Princeton Heights club, as it was that year that they lost the original home of their tennis courts on the block bordered by Princeton Place, Warder Street, Quebec Place, and Park Place due to building operations. Not to be deterred, they quickly established six new courts on the block bordered by Princeton Place, Park Place, Otis Place, and Warder Street. They were originally assured this land for 10 years, but again lost it in May of 1919 to additional building operations.

In addition to the Princeton (Heights) Club, the other organized clubs included the Argyle Club, the Euclid Club, the Holmead Club, the Home Club, the Petworth Club, the Racquet Club, and the Standards Club. The map below shows the general locations of each clubs tennis courts.

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732 Lamont Street Looking Good

June 19, 2012

732 Lamont as it appeared before work ramped back up

732 Lamont Street is an example of what I consider to be good development from the point of view of aesthetics. For a while there, though, I had my doubts. It was a work site where a previous developer attempted to take a two-story apartment building and add an additional floor. However, as many developments in the area, construction stalled and the building sat vacant and blighted for a while.

Fortunately, construction ramped back up with the goal of creating eleven 1 and 2 bedroom condos. What I like most about the building is how the addition of a floor didn’t alter the character of the building. In looking at it today few would guess that it wasn’t a three-story building to begin with. I truly wish other developers would approach redevelopment of the community in the same spirit.

732 Lamont has gone from blight to asset during the last year.

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