Posted tagged ‘Park View Playground’

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Park View Field House Project Progressing

April 29, 2015

The restoration of the old field house at Park View Recreation Center is coming along nicely. Among the many changes people will notice is that the porch is being opened up as it originally was and the areas that had been cut out of the original brick wall are being reconfigured to their original door and window openings. I was surprised to see the original supporting posts for the porch roof were buried withing the wall when the porch was enclosed. The entire project is aiming for a completion date of July 31st, 2015.

Park View field house

Park View field house

Categories: Historic Landmarks, Parks and Green spaces, Restoration repair and maintenance
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Park View Playground Added to the National Register of Historic Places

May 29, 2014

On February 24, 2014, the Park View Playground and Field House was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places, according to the NPS Weekly List published March 7, 2014.

Park View Playground

According to the National Register of Historic Places Web site:

“The Park View Playground qualifies for listing in the National Register under Criterion A because it is associated with historical periods, social movements, groups, institutions, or patterns of growth and change that contributed significantly to the heritage, culture or development of the District of Columbia . Namely, Park View Playground was associated with a local movement to end segregation at the city’s public playgrounds. Community concern about the segregated nature of District of Columbia playgrounds, and especially the Park View Playground, initiated the public debate that ultimately ended segregation in all District playgrounds. The story of integration at Park View Playground, spanning five years, is unique. The continued struggle to free the playground from the biased and segregated practices of the District Recreation Board was followed both locally and nationally, thereby extending the conversation about race and segregation far beyond the Park View neighborhood.”

The full nomination is available here.

Categories: Architecture, Historic Landmarks, History
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Park View Playground in Spring 1932

July 18, 2013

Bricks Litter Playground 1932
Here’s an image of the Park View Playground that was published in the Washington Times on April 29, 1932. It shows Edith Heeter, 12, of 3304 Park Place and Albert Jones, 10, of 3567 Warder Street, standing on a pile of bricks located roughly where the field house currently stands. According to an accompanying article in the Times, the work of improving the playground was started in December 1931 but not finished causing neighborhood children to play in the street or on the cramped school property.

Despite the impact on the neighborhood, work to improve the site was slow in the beginning. However, intense work was eventually scheduled to begin on Monday, May 2, 1932. That work included the construction of the brick field house which was described as a “model brick structure.” In addition to the field house, the improvements of the playground included a baseball diamond, basketball court, a tennis court, a horseshoe court, a wading pool and other playground fixtures, such as sea-saws, slides, sand piles, and the like.

The Park View Playground improvements were finally completed in September 1932.

Categories: History, Parks and Green spaces
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