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Important Past Residents: Percussionist Barnett E. Williams

January 17, 2013

Image of Barnett Williams from Gazette.net, Photo credit: Christopher Anderson/The Gazette

Shortly after I started distributing the Park View Walking Trail brochure, I starting receiving emails informing me of notable persons and places connected to the neighborhood’s history. One of those individuals was percussionist Barnett E. Williams.

While I still have more research to do on Williams, I was told that he grew up on the 600 block of Rock Creek Church Road and confirmed that he lived at 634 Rock Creek Church Road by looking at DC Recorder of Deeds documents. The 2006 obituary from the Washington Post also provides the following:

Barnett Edward Williams, 61, a percussionist who lived his life to the beat of African drums and who loved sharing the drumming tradition with other enthusiasts, died March 4 of a heart attack at the home in the District where he was born. He was a District resident.

Mr. Williams, who was artist in residence for Fairfax County’s School Age Child Care Program, could be found on most Sunday afternoons in recent years in a drumming circle in the District’s Meridian Hill Park, also known as Malcolm X Park. Sweat-soaked on a summer afternoon, his palms callused from decades of drumming, he and fellow percussionists would pound out a seductive beat on squat West African djembes or maybe Senegalese kimbe drums or tall, sleek congas, as well as on maracas, bongos, cymbals and cowbells.

Considered one of the elders of the drumming circle, he started drumming at the historic park along 16th Street NW in 1967, when he was 11.

In addition, he was lead percussionist with Gil Scott-Heron and the Midnight Band and performed with Donald Byrd, Oscar Brown Jr., Candido, Dr. Billy Taylor and Donny Hathaway. Later, Williams founded the D.C. Percussion Society and formed the group Drums of Fire. With Melvin Deal, he founded the group African Heritage Dancers and Drummers.

The full obituary is really worth reading to understand just how accomplished Barnett E. Williams was.

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Park View Playground in 1938

January 11, 2013

I’ve been looking for a good photo of the old Park View Playground for a while now, and finally I’ve found one. While the scan below isn’t the best, at least I now know of another image I need a good scan of (future goal).

The photo dates to August 26, 1938, and shows the playground from the school. Princeton Place is in the background. This photo was taken a mere six years after the field house was built and wading pool installed. It also shows swings along Warder Street, teeter totters along Princeton to the east of the field house, and I believe a tennis court to the west of the field house.Park View playground 8 26 1938(Image: Star Collection, D.C. Public Library, (c) Washington Post)

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Park View Playground Played Interesting Role in Desegregation of District Playgrounds

January 3, 2013

As I may have already mentioned, I’ve started to do research on District playgrounds with a particular interest in field houses. However, in order to understand their broader context, I’m also having to piece together histories of particular playgrounds. I found the history of Park View playground to be interesting, particularly the role it played in the struggle to desegregate District playgrounds.

The field house at the Park View playground as it neared completion on September 8, 1932

The field house at the Park View playground as it neared completion on September 8, 1932

Need for a community playground was identified as early as 1915 by the Park View Citizens Association, which urged Congress to provide $22,000 for the purchase of a specified tract to adjoin the Park View School property then under construction. Need for establishment of a playground grew in 1919, at which time the playground space located on the grounds of the Park View School was attracting an average daily attendance of 1,100 children.  Residents advocated for the purchase of the vacant lot north of the school house as the site of the future playground and made plans to purchase the lot and create a playground as a permanent part of the municipal system in 1919.

Congress approved $32,000 for purchase of the lot in 1921. This added the acre and one-half of land north of the school to the acre playground of the Park View School. Early plans for the playground indicate the existence of a baseball diamond, basketball courts, and an open play area. By 1932, programming of the site expanded to include a new one and one-half story colonial style field house, a wading pool, and a tennis court. The 1932 improvements were accomplished using unemployed labor paid for out of the District’s unemployment fund.

The Park View community was among the earliest neighborhoods in the District to integrate. Black families began to move into the neighborhood as early as the 1930s and by 1946 it was a notably mixed neighborhood. This was at odds with the segregated public school and playground systems then enforced in the District.

As early as 1947 the issue of Park View playground’s segregated nature was challenged. The Southern Conference for Human Welfare requested that Park View playground support “mixed” activities to reflect the composition of the neighborhood. The District of Columbia Recreation Department denied the request but agreed to study six playgrounds where the population composition was changing – Rose Park, Rosedale, Park View, Hoover, New York Avenue, and Happy Hollow. (more…)

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Park View Year in Review: Part IV — Historic Preservation and Community Activism

January 1, 2013

This will be my final post wrapping up the major developments of 2012. In addition to private development, improvement of District properties, and growth in small business, it has also been a year with notable developments in historic preservation and community activism.

Historic Preservation

East elevation of the Park View School auditorium, detail from 1915 plan.

East elevation of the Park View School auditorium, detail from 1915 plan.

Prior to 2012, the only buildings in the immediate neighborhood that had official recognition as historic structures were the old 10th Precinct Police Station at 750 Park Road, the former Engine Company No. 24 (since moved and incorporated as the Metro chiller plant), and the former Billy Simpson’s House of Seafood and Steaks (now Chez Billy). Of those, only 750 Park Road is officially in Park View. Recognizing that we do have buildings with historic merit in the community and, as development speeds up along Georgia Avenue, they have an increased risk of loss, I’ve been working through ANC 1A to evaluate and nominate properties when appropriate.

So far, the ANC has a record of 1 win and 1 loss. The nomination of the Park View School building easily passed both the ANC and Historic Preservation Review Board votes and is now on the DC Inventory of Historic Properties. The nomination of the former York Theater didn’t fare so well. With the current owner opposing the nomination on grounds of religious freedom, the Historic Preservation Review Board voted against the nomination with a split decision — despite a staff report from the Historic Preservation Office recommending support of the nomination.

To demystify the process and provide better guidance for future nominations, ANC 1A now has a report outlining the status of historic properties, historic districts, and African American Heritage Trail sites within the Commission’s boundaries. The report will be updated periodically and is intended to provide a basis for future conversations and work in the community that touch upon preservation issues.

Community Activism

Fourth of July at the AFRH.

Fourth of July at the AFRH.

No community progresses without and active citizenry, and 2012 has seen an increase in local activism. Among the more notable achievements this year are the continued development of the Friends of the Soldiers’ Home group, which is successfully partnering with the Armed Forced Retirement Home (AFRH) to not only provide support and volunteers for activities like BINGO, but has also been able to host events on the AFRH grounds. The two most notable events of 2012 were the Fourth of July and Oktoberfest. The Friends group also partnered in the annual cyclocross at the AFRH helping to make that a success.

To the south of the neighborhood near the Washington Hospitals Center, local residents also came together to create Wangari Gardens. Very much a grass roots movement, Wangari Gardens is now a community garden on a formerly large and underused piece of property. In addition to the gardens, new trees have been planted around its perimeter and the large site is a favorite of dog owners.

The corner of Irving and Georgia was graced with a new welcome sign on Monday, June 4th

The corner of Irving and Georgia was graced with a new welcome sign on Monday, June 4th

The residents of Irving Street were successful in replacing the old gateway sign on Georgia Avenue with a new and attractive addition to the community. This was a long slog on the part of the community and I give them a tremendous amout of credit for persevering to see that this came to pass. Even though they ultimately got ANC approval, the lack of support from outgoing ANC Commissioner Johnson created hurdles that otherwise would not have existed.

By the end of the year, the neighborhood also had a self-guided walking trail brochure available for those wanting to get to know the history and culture of the community better. Copies of the brochure are still being printed and distributed, so be on the look out for them if you haven’t found one.

Taking Notice

And … if you think all this activity went without notice in the greater community, you’d be mistaken. Many of these events were noted on area blogs (other than this one) and in the local press. Most notable was Urban Turf’s creation of a neighborhood profile for Park View this year. While profiles have existed for Columbia Heights and Petworth for a while now (and in some cases, profiles updated), this was Park View’s debut on Urban Turf.

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George Walker: Prominent Composer & Washingtonian Grew Up on Sherman Avenue

December 24, 2012
(ASSOCIATED PRESS) - A 1996 photograph of George Walker

(ASSOCIATED PRESS) – A 1996 photograph of George Walker

I truly hope folks read the article in Sunday’s Washington Post Magazine about composer George Walker. If not, Parlor piano inspired career is available online and you can catch up on your reading. I’m highlighting this not only because I find Walker’s life and accomplishments inspirational, but because he grew up in our community.

His childhood home is located at 3222 Sherman Avenue, NW. Walker was born in 1922 and according to the Post article, considered this his home until his farther died in 1954.

His father emigrated to the United States, where he became a physician after graduating from Temple University Medical School in Philadelphia.  George Walker’s mother, Rosa King, supervised her son’s first piano lessons that began when he was five years of age. His first teacher was Miss Mary L. Henry. Mrs. Lillian Mitchell Allen, who had earned a doctorate in music education, became his second piano teacher. There is a good overview of his career here.

George Walker grew up at 3222 Sherman Avenue, NW.

George Walker grew up at 3222 Sherman Avenue, NW.

In 1997, mayor Marion Barry proclaimed June 14 George Walker Day in the District of Columbia. The citation that accompanied that proclamation summed up Walker’s accomplishments as follows:

“A native Washingtonian and a product of D.C. public schools, . . . he was the first black graduate of the Curtis Institute, the first black to earn a doctorate degree from the Eastman School of Music, the first black pianist to play with the Philadelphia Orchestra and to obtain major management under the aegis of National Concert Artists and Columbia Artists Management; and in 1996, was the first black recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Music.”

Walker is certainly someone all Washingtonians should be familiar with and proud of.

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Presidential Wives, Playgrounds, and Tree Planting Ceremonies

December 21, 2012
First Lady Grace Coolidge plants a tree at the Chevy Chase playground, February 28, 1929.

First Lady Grace Coolidge plants a tree at the Chevy Chase Playground, February 28, 1929.

I’ve started doing research on District playgrounds so there’s a good chance that I’ll have a few posts about them in the near future. But for now, I’ll start with a historical side note that I stumbled upon related to playgrounds, trees, and presidential wives. Apparently, from 1928 to 1934, the Women’s City Club was successful in inviting siting and former First Ladies to attend their prominent tree planting ceremony.

The first such tree planting occurred on May 1, 1928, at the Park View playground as part of the he District playground program that included 42 municipal playgrounds. At the Park View Playground, Mrs. William Howard Taft planted a red maple. According to the day’s program, during the exercises the school children danced around the tree  singing the planting song.

On February 28 of the following year, Mrs. Calvin Coolidge planted a tree at the Chevy Chase playgrounds as one of her last acts as First Lady. More than 1,000 persons witnessed the ceremony. Though this was the second such event at a District playground, it was described as an established custom by former First Ladies in their final days in the Capital before the inauguration of a new administration.

Mrs. Woodrow Wilson was honored in 1930 with a tree planting at the Virginia Avenue Playground and Mrs. Herbert Hoover planted a willow oak on October 22, 1931, at the Mitchell Park Playground.

After a two year break, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt planted the last such tree that I’ve been able to track down on October 28, 1934. This tree was planted at the McMillan Playground (1st and Bryant).

It’s possible that the tradition was interrupted by the Great Depression, or World War II, or that organizers had simply run out of presidential wives to honor. Whatever the reason, I like the idea and would be happy to see it come back.

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Early Park View Post Office Educated Children While Serving Community

December 7, 2012

Here’s a great image I recently found showing a mail truck at the Park View School. The image comes from a magazine published on September 25, 1919.

Mail truck at the Park View post office, 1919.

Mail truck at the Park View post office, 1919.

The community post office opened in the basement of the Park View School on July 4, 1918. I’ve posted images of the inside of the post office before, but this is the first action shot I’ve found of activity on the outside of the school.

Before the post office moved to the school, there was a branch post office at Park View, in a drug-store. According to a 1919 article in Everybody’s Magazine, the druggist didn’t want it and ran it merely as an accommodation to his customers.  He considered the post office more trouble than it was worth. The community considered it a simply arrangement to move the branch post office to the school, and found it to be a great convenience to the residents of the community.

Reflecting upon the success of the post office in the school and its educational component, in 1920 Miss Francis S. Fairley, community executive of Park View, penned the following in School Life:

Not only has the post office in the school served as a convenience to the public, but as an educational factor in school life its value can not be overestimated. The children attend largely to the postal affairs of the family; they mail letters, insure packages, learn weights and rates of different classes of mail matter, register letters, make out money-order applications, learn about postal zones, and so are brought into direct personal relations with the greatest institution of world interchange.

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Historic Park View Walking Trail Brochure Now Available

December 5, 2012

Park View Walking Tour coverAt long last, I finally have the first 500 copies of the Park View walking trail brochure. I dropped off some copies at DC Reynolds and Lion’s Fine Wines on Monday. I’ll also be dropping off copies at Tibet Shop over the weekend. I’ll also be spreading them around at other locations in the area so be on the look out for them.

I’ll also have copies with me on Thursday night at All Souls Church, 1500 Harvard Street, NW. That is when the Humanities Council hosts its 6th annual D.C. Community Heritage Project Showcase. That event starts at 6:30 and runs until 8:30 p.m.

If you want one and have trouble finding them, contact me directly and I’ll make sure you get one.

The trail consists of 21 points of interest roughly arranged in a circle. While the first and last points are at the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Rock Creek Church Road, you can really start or stop at any point. Below is a sample showing stop 16.

Park View School walking trail
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Former York Theater Building Fails to Achieve Landmark Designation

November 30, 2012

York Theater, 3641 Georgia, ca. 1920, courtesy Robert K. Headley

Despite  a very positive staff report recommending that the former York Theater building be designated as a historic landmark, the Historic Preservation Review Board decided against the nomination by a vote of 5 against, 3 in favor. Based on the comments of a few of those voting against the nomination, it appeared that the building’s history and importance to the development of the neighborhood was diminished in value simply because they did not think the building achieved a level of aesthetics they were looking for in a former theater building.

From the beginning the nomination was difficult due to the Fisherman of Men Church’s (the current owners) opposition to the nomination.While the nomination was not at odds with the stated goals and plans of the current renovations by the church, their opposition as stated at the hearing tended to boil down to this:

  1. As a property owner, what right did anyone have to tell them what to do with their property;
  2. How would they be impacted in the future by a landmark designation (in some of the comments, rooms for classes or even building higher on the property was mentioned, though no immediate plans are known); and,
  3. The church did not think it was appropriate to support a landmark nomination for a theater that was built in a white neighborhood and catered to white patrons, which in their opinion would glorify segregation.

Honestly, this last point disappoints me. While I have heard others state similar sentiments before, in a city like Washington where segregation once existed, one could argue that no building from the city’s segregate past should be preserved or protected as every building — black or white — was in response to segregation. Sometimes a historic structure is just that. Also, to protect sites that are only significant to one segment of the community and destroy the rest, in my opinion, diminishes the value of even the buildings that remain because they represent an incomplete and biased story.

In the case of the theater, there was nothing sinister on the part of owner Harry Crandall when he built it. He merely wanted a theater in every major section of Washington. Following the York, Crandall built the Lincoln to serve the African-American community on U Street. Unlike the York, the Lincoln achieved landmark status with significant support in the its community.

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Historical Society of Washington Exhibits Kiplinger Collection until March 2013

November 29, 2012

Here’s a newly opened exhibit I want people to be aware of — Window to Washington, the Kiplinger Collection at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. According to the HSW Web site, admission is free. There is also an online exhibition component that is worth the visit if you want to learn more about the collection and see a few of the images.

The HSW describes the exhibit, which runs until May 2013, as follows:

The Society is delighted to present a new exhibit, Window to Washington, featuring the Kiplinger Collection, the most important donation in the organization’s 188-year history. The exhibit explores the development of our nation’s capital, from a sleepy southern town into a modern metropolis, as told through the works of artists who witnessed the city’s changes. The exhibit is currently planned for a six-month run at the Society and will include some of the collection’s rarest and most iconic artworks.

Below is a video which provides additional context.

From the neighborhood, it’s an easy trip on the Green line to the Mt. Vernon Square Metro station and then a few blocks to the south.

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