THE NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION
A new period in the development of the city may be said to date from
1901 with the filing of the report of the McMillan Park Commission,
for since that time there has been a constant increase in the interest
taken by the public. The outstanding dates recording the progress
of this increased interest are 1910, 1912, 1920, and 1924. The Fine
Arts Commission was established in 1910. A new beginning of control
of private property was made in 1910 after many years’ lapse of the
original restrictions imposed by President Washington. This new
beginning consisted in control of the height of buildings, the passage
of a height law, and was followed in 1920 by a comprehensive zoning law.
In 1924 the lack of provision of public parks and the failure to
carry out the proposals of the plan of 1901, in so far as park areas
were concerned, led to the formation of the National Capital Park
Commission, with authority to purchase lands for park purposes. The
organization of the Commission was the result of combined efforts of
many nation-wide organizations.
The new Commission soon found that an intelligent choice of park
lands could not be made without knowledge of the interrelation of
parks, highways, zoning, public buildings, and other elements of city
and regional planning. The authority of the Commission was therefore
increased in 1926, and its membership enlarged. The new National
Capital Park and Planning Commission was charged--
with the duty of preparing, developing, and maintaining a
comprehensive, consistent, and coordinated plan for the National
Capital and environs (an area of some 1,539 square miles, lying
roughly within 20 miles of the White House, and involving the
cooperation of 2 States, 4 counties, 2 cities, and numerous
incorporated places), which plan shall include recommendations to the
proper executive authorities as to traffic and transportation; plats
and subdivisions; highways, parks, and parkways; school and library
sites; playgrounds, drainage, sewerage, and water supply; housing,
building, and zoning regulations; public and private buildings;
bridges and water fronts; commerce and industry; and other proper
elements of city and regional planning.
The largest single factor in determining the extent and character of
the development of the National Capital will be the extent, character,
and wisdom of the permanent investments by the public in public areas
and improvements. This Commission has, therefore, considered as of
primary importance the proper location and extent of public lands,
whether used for streets, parks, public buildings, or other public
services; and the timely acquisition and development of these areas for
their particular purposes.
[Illustration: VIEW FROM THE DOME OF THE CAPITOL, LOOKING EAST]
[Illustration: VIEW OF THE DOME OF THE CAPITOL, LOOKING SOUTH]
Since the areas needed for public use can not be chosen without regard
to the use and extent of private developments, it follows that some
control over the use of private property--as by zoning--is an essential
part of city or regional planning.
When city planning is mentioned most people think first of streets. In
this field the commission has been active in three ways--first, in an
effort to make the streets fit the land and to follow along the hills
and valleys instead of across them; second, in establishing a major
thoroughfare system guiding the development of the main highways within
the District of Columbia and extending the principles of the original
L’Enfant plan to the limits of the District; and third, in securing
public support of a regional highway system which will provide more
adequately for traffic both into the city and between suburban areas.
With the first of these aims in view many changes in the highway
plan of the District have been made in cooperation with the District
officials. These changes were advantageous to preserve natural
topography, to fit the streets to property lines, to save trees,
to provide drainage, or for like reasons. Several important street
openings and widenings have been undertaken in accordance with the
commission’s major thoroughfare plan, such as New York Avenue beyond
the limits of the L’Enfant plan, the opening of a new Louisiana
Avenue from the Union Station to Pennsylvania Avenue at Union Square,
straightening of Michigan Avenue, and extension of Sixteenth Street
to the District line. The plan which follows the recommendations of
the commission has been recognized by the District officials in the
adoption of a 5-year highway program.
Several new regional highway projects are now complete or going forward
in accordance with the regional plan. The Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
and the Lee Boulevard establish new standards in highway design. The
extension of Rhode Island and Massachusetts Avenues fits the plan. The
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission has adopted
practically all of the suggestions made by the Commission for the
Maryland area as part of the Maryland master plan.
Where parks are concerned the Commission has a special responsibility.
The plans for parks both in the District of Columbia and out of it have
received the indorsement of Congress in the Capper-Cramton Act.
For the District the Commission is now acquiring parks of three
types: (1) A parkway (the Fort Drive) around the city, 28 miles long
and connecting the sites of the Civil War forts on the second row of
hills; (2) a system of recreation centers and playgrounds distributed
throughout the area in association with the schools and so far as
possible providing a play area within a quarter of a mile of every
child; (3) preservation of stream valleys and correction of the
boundaries of Rock Creek Park.
The principal physical feature of the region is the Potomac River,
so it is natural that the corresponding feature of the park system
is along the river banks. Below Washington, where the broad lakelike
scenery exists, parkways are under construction or contemplated on
the Virginia side to Mount Vernon and on the Maryland shore to Fort
Washington. Above Washington a park is projected to preserve the
natural scenery of the Palisades, rapids, woodlands, and Great Falls
of the Potomac, together with the Patowmack Canal, built by George
Washington, and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal on the Maryland side of the
river.
The Commission has taken an active part in the effort to have the
public buildings of Washington grouped and arranged not only for the
convenience and beauty of the result but also that they may fit into
the future plans for streets, highways, and parks, and thus promote
the orderly development of the city and region. When the first
important step in the public-buildings program was taken in 1926 the
Commission urged the purchase of all of the land necessary for a plan
of the group as a whole instead of undertaking individual building
projects as separate units in the scheme. The problems of parking and
transit facilities in relation to the public-buildings groups have
caused the Commission great concern, and efforts have been made to
secure the cooperation of the architects in charge of the building
program in order to solve these problems. In all of its activities
concerning the public-buildings program the Commission has been guided
by the principles announced by the plan of 1901, under which Federal
buildings will be concentrated along the axis of the Mall and about the
White House. The Commission has given favorable consideration to an
enlargement of this program by which semipublic buildings and possibly
State buildings might be located along East Capitol Street in order to
help the balance between the northwest and the eastern portions of the
city of Washington.
In the same way the Commission advises the appropriate authorities on
matters of zoning and control of use of private property. Zoning has
now been adopted not only in the District but also in the Maryland
suburban area and in Arlington County and Fairfax County, Va. Also
Alexandria has prepared a zoning plan. It is hoped that in the not
distant future other portions of the Maryland and Virginia areas may
be added to this list. In matters relating to zoning in the District,
the Commission has contributed statistical data and expert opinion, and
was particularly active in the segregation of single-family houses from
2-family and community groups.
In brief, it is the function of the Commission to revive, review, and
revise the efforts of past generations toward a “great and effective
city for the seat of our Government” and to keep that ideal constantly
before the public, to the end that each separate undertaking by the
countless public and private agencies concerned may be coordinated and
related to produce a result in which future generations may take pride.
[Illustration: FORT DRIVE CONNECTING THE CIVIL WAR FORTS ENCIRCLING
WASHINGTON]
EAST CAPITOL STREET--EXTENDING THE MALL AXIS EASTWARD
Some one has said “the beauty of Washington is its trees.” No one
who has seen the thousands of trees in Washington and in the country
adjacent to the city can deny this. There is no national capital in
the world that has more beautiful trees than Washington. Those seen on
East Capitol Street are typical of the large massive trees throughout
the city. Thousands of them were planted during the Presidency of
General Grant, and it has been the policy of the District of Columbia
government to plant trees along streets opened for residential sections.
[Illustration: EAST CAPITOL STREET]
The climate of Washington, which is semitropical, permits the growth
of trees found both in the North and the South. Thus there are oak,
walnut, maple, and cedar trees amidst magnolias, Japanese cherry trees,
and the mountain laurel, to mention only a few. Congress has authorized
the establishment of a national arboretum in the National Capital,
which will comprise at least 500 acres and will be a most interesting
place for the planting of many varieties of trees and the study of
them. A plan to widen East Capitol Street and build a stadium on the
axis of the street in Anacostia Park is being made by the National
Capital Park and Planning Commission.
THE FORT DRIVE
The citizens’ movement to connect by a boulevard a considerable part of
the Civil War defenses of Washington was incorporated in the plan of
1901. These old defenses, occupying strategic positions, are capable of
being converted into small parks of high excellence and availability,
and a connecting boulevard will have an added historic interest.
Of these so-called forts a number are already in possession of the
Government. Among those that have been purchased is Fort Stevens,
near the Army Medical Center, where during General Early’s raid, on
July 12, 1864, President Lincoln was under fire until ordered to the
rear by the officer in command. The Fort Drive is being developed
by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. There will be
a continuous parkway of suitable width connecting the sites of the
following old forts: Fort Greble, Fort Carroll, Battery Ricketts, Fort
Stanton, Fort Wagner, Fort Baker, Fort Davis (United States owned),
Fort Dupont (United States owned), Fort Shaplin, A Battery, Fort Mahan,
Fort Bunker Hill, Fort Totten, Fort Slocum, Fort Stevens (United States
owned), Fort De Russye, Fort Bayard, Battery Kemble, Battery Vermont
(United States owned), and Battery Parrott. There is another Civil
War fortification in the Arlington National Cemetery, called Fort
McPherson, which is being preserved for its historic character. From it
a commanding view of the cemetery and of the river is obtained.
[Illustration: PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE WATER FRONT]
WASHINGTON CHANNEL AND THE WATER FRONT
The water front of Washington is to be similar to the magnificent water
fronts of large cities of Europe. The plan provides for a quay, with
space for commercial piers, warehouses, steamboat offices, commercial
houses, boathouses, and recreational piers. There will be a beautiful
boulevard drive along “Water Street” which will connect with Anacostia
Park, also adequate street-railway accommodations. Washington has 18
miles of water front, and this will be a most interesting part of it.
It is proposed to replace all existing structures on the water front at
“Water Street,” with the exception of the Municipal Fish Wharf, with
modern buildings. Head houses and transit sheds are to be of brick and
tile, with slate roofs and of a modified colonial architecture. A total
of six wharves is projected for immediate construction and a portion of
the frontage available is to be reserved for future additions. Yacht
basins and small-boat anchorage are included in the plan. The plan has
been prepared by the United States Engineer Office, with the idea that
Washington is not primarily an industrial city, nor will it ever be, so
that railroad connections with the piers and slips were omitted. Such
industrial developments as might require ship-to-rail transfers can be
accommodated in other locations. Buzzards Point is to be developed for
maritime commercial uses.
Under the improvement program “Water Street” is to be made a 160-foot
boulevard, with separate lanes for traffic, street cars, and trucks,
and marginal and central landscaping. The old 4-line street-car lanes
on a portion of the street have been removed. To permit of direct
connection with East Potomac Park and the Highway Bridge, a bridge
is to be built just below the railroad crossing at the head of the
Washington Channel. Water Street is now Maine Avenue.
[Illustration: GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL PARKWAY]
The cost of the entire project is estimated at $3,691,600. The report
was submitted by the Secretary of War to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives on November 26, 1929, and then was referred to the
Committee on Rivers and Harbors. The project is now under development.
[Illustration: FISH MARKET ALONG THE WATER FRONT]
GEORGE WASHINGTON MEMORIAL PARKWAY
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, designed by the National
Capital Park and Planning Commission, was authorized by the
Capper-Cramton Act, approved May 29, 1930, and carrying with it an
authorization of $33,500,000 for the development of a comprehensive
park, parkway, and playground area in the District of Columbia and the
surrounding regions of Maryland and Virginia. This parkway is designed
“to include the public control of both banks of the river between
Mount Vernon and Great Falls on the Virginia side and between Fort
Washington and Great Falls on the Maryland side, with the exception of
areas at Alexandria and in Washington which are reserved for commercial
development.”
This is a project in which both residents of the District of
Columbia and of the States of Maryland and Virginia may take equal
pride--namely, to preserve Great Falls and the banks of the Potomac,
so that the Potomac River, as it flows through the National Capital,
may flow through a continuous park from Great Falls to Mount Vernon.
Washington is to be envied in having so near to it such beautiful
scenery as the Palisades of the Potomac and Great Falls, which are said
to be “the finest specimens of nature in this part of the country.”
Already, along the Palisades of the Potomac, quarries have been
established and beautiful timber is being converted into lumber and
firewood. These invasions will in time destroy natural beauties that
can not be restored.
[Illustration: GREAT FALLS OF THE POTOMAC]
THE MOUNT VERNON HIGHWAY ROUTE
THE MOUNT VERNON HIGHWAY TRAVERSES HISTORIC TERRITORY
The route traverses a territory full of historic associations and
reminiscent of the days of Washington. About halfway between Washington
and Alexandria it passes close to the site of Abingdon, the home
of John Parke Custis, Mrs. Washington’s son. Here Nellie Custis,
Washington’s adopted daughter, was born. A beautiful view of the river
and a panorama of Washington and the north shore is seen from this
point. Also here the Potomac is being dredged, making new land for
Washington National Airport, to be the finest in the United States.
Work will be completed in 1941.
[Illustration: MOUNT VERNON MEMORIAL HIGHWAY, NORTH OF LITTLE HUNTING
CREEK]
Passing on to Alexandria the route enters the city by Washington Street
and passes directly by Christ Church, where the Washington pew may
still be seen.
Alexandria was Washington’s own town. It was his market place, his post
office, and his voting place. It was the meeting place of the lodge of
Masons to which he belonged, and the lodge hall is now the repository
of a great many articles and paintings associated with him. The trowel,
square, and plumb bob used in laying the corner stone of the Capitol
may be seen here, as also the Bible used in the Masonic lodge of which
Washington was a member. Among many other things of historical interest
is a portrait of George Washington painted by W. Williams for the lodge.
There is scarcely a foot of ground in Alexandria that Washington did
not tread. The old quarters of the volunteer fire company to which
he belonged still stand. In Gadsby’s Inn, now the City Hotel, he
recruited the first company of provincial troops authorized by Governor
Dinwiddie, and with which he fought the Battle of Great Meadows.
[Illustration: MOUNT VERNON MEMORIAL HIGHWAY]
In the ballroom of Gadsby’s Inn in 1798 was held the first celebration
of Washington’s birthday. From the steps of the same building he gave
his last military command to the Alexandria Light Infantry Blues; and
here, also, in November, 1799, less than 30 days before his death, he
cast his last vote.
At the Carlyle House, still standing, he received his appointment as an
officer in the British Army on General Braddock’s staff; and in this
house also, at the Convention of the Five Governors assembled to confer
with General Braddock, the first suggestion of colonial taxation was
made--a step which ultimately led to the revolt of the Colonies.
A short side trip from Washington Street down King Street takes the
traveler to the George Washington National Masonic Memorial, which has
been erected at the western outskirts of the town on Shooters Hill. It
is 333 feet high, and was designed by Harvey W. Corbett, architect.
Returning to Washington Street and proceeding southward the traveler
passes the Confederate Monument, and soon reaches the southern limits
of the town and passing within a stone’s throw of the first corner
stone of the District of Columbia, still standing on Jones Point.
Leaving Alexandria the route crosses Hunting Creek to Fort Hunt, thence
to the entrance gates of Mount Vernon.
FEATURES OF THE HIGHWAY DESCRIBED
The making of surveys, preparation of plans, and supervision of
construction have all been done by the Bureau of Public Roads of
the United States Department of Agriculture, and Gilmore D. Clarke,
Consulting Landscape Architect.
[Illustration: MOUNT VERNON MEMORIAL HIGHWAY--BRIDGE OVER BOUNDARY
CHANNEL]
The location selected for the highway required the construction
of fills across approximately 2³⁄₄ miles of open water, which was
accomplished by pumping gravel and sand from the Potomac River.
The highway throughout its entire length, with the exception of the
section through Alexandria, has been designed to provide for a free
flow of traffic over a surface with a minimum width of 40 feet, and
where there is any volume of cross traffic it passes either under or
over the highway.
Except through the city of Alexandria, the highway follows closely the
shore of the Potomac River for the greater portion of the distance.
This situation affords beautiful vistas of Washington and the Potomac
River, which, in combination with the landscaping and development of
the project itself, make this highway a fitting tribute to the memory
of George Washington.
[Illustration: CHRIST CHURCH, ALEXANDRIA, VA.]
Below Alexandria the highway has been widened at points of outstanding
beauty, so that motorists can stop for a few minutes to enjoy the view.
The bridges in general are of reinforced-concrete arches, faced with
native stone laid in random bond. Special attention has been given to
harmonizing their lines with the general plan of development.
[Illustration: MOUNT VERNON MEMORIAL HIGHWAY--UNDERPASS AT HIGHWAY
BRIDGE]
The intersection of the memorial highway with U. S. Highway No. 1 near
the beginning of the project has been so designed that a large volume
of traffic can flow from one highway to the other without crossing the
center line of either route.
A large parking area at Mount Vernon that will accommodate the
thousands of visitors to this national shrine has been provided, and a
concession building of colonial design has been erected to provide for
their comfort.
[Illustration: MOUNT VERNON MEMORIAL HIGHWAY--BRIDGE OVER HUNTING CREEK]
MOUNT VERNON
Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington the greater part of his
life, is situated along the historic Potomac, 14.7 miles south of the
city of Washington, which he was instrumental in founding, though
referring to it as the Federal City.
[Illustration: GEORGE WASHINGTON
FROM THE HOUDON BUST, MODELED FROM LIFE AT MOUNT VERNON IN 1785]
The history of Mount Vernon goes back to the time of Capt. John
Smith, who explored the regions of the Potomac River in 1608. Some 40
years later Scotch and Irish emigrants settled along the banks of the
Potomac, both on the Virginia and Maryland sides. In 1674 a tract of
5,000 acres, 15 miles south of Washington on the Virginia side of the
river, was granted by Lord Culpeper to John Washington and Nicholas
Spencer. Half of this tract was inherited by the half-brother of George
Washington, Lawrence Washington. Mount Vernon was built in 1743 by
Lawrence Washington, who named it after Admiral Vernon, under whom he
served. It occupies a most picturesque spot on high ground overlooking
the river, which it faces.
The mansion is well built. Its foundations are of stone and brick. The
framework is of oak and the sheathing of pine wood. Also much copper
was used in its construction. On the main floor is a central hall, a
music room, a family dining room, a sitting room, and parlor; also a
library and a banquet room, which were added by George Washington. On
the second floor is the room in which Washington died; also, among
several others, the Lafayette room. There are six bedrooms on the third
floor. The house is 96 feet long and 30 feet wide, with a portico 25
feet high; the height of the building to the cupola is about 50 feet.
Beautiful gardens are near by.
In 1752 Lawrence Washington died. Augustine Washington had provided
that in the case of Lawrence’s death without heirs Mount Vernon should
pass to George, and this provision Lawrence incorporated in his own
will. To his widow he left a life interest in the property, with a
reversion to his infant daughter, Sarah, who, as it happened, survived
her father only a few weeks. Thus there was only the widow’s life
interest to be considered. Anne Fairfax Washington lived until 1761,
and at her death George Washington became the proprietor of Mount
Vernon. The mansion was then enlarged for its new mistress, Martha
Dandridge Custis, whom he had married in 1759.
During Washington’s years of public life he longed for the day when
he could be at home at Mount Vernon with his beloved Martha and the
family. It was undoubtedly one of the very best-managed estates in the
Colonies, and Washington himself was regarded one of the richest men.
The main entrance to Mount Vernon was from the west, which gateway was
flanked by two porters’ lodges. The large portico on the east side
of the mansion was used for outdoor gatherings and entertainment of
visitors. Among the many guests entertained at Mount Vernon was the
distinguished young French patriot, General Lafayette. On the main
floor in a glass case hangs a key to the Bastille, sent by Lafayette to
Washington in 1790, with the message: “That the principles of America
opened the Bastille is not to be doubted, therefore the key comes to
the right place.”
Washington was called from Mount Vernon to serve his country on
three most noteworthy occasions, and each time after an interval of
several years: In 1775, when he was made Commander in Chief of the
Continental Army; in 1787, when he became president of the convention
in Philadelphia that framed the Federal Constitution; and in 1789, when
he became first President of the United States of America.
[Illustration: _Courtesy of Army Air Corps._
MOUNT VERNON]
[Illustration: MOUNT VERNON]
Washington died at Mount Vernon on December 14, 1799. Martha Washington
lived there during the remainder of her lifetime. On her death in
1802 the property was inherited by her nephew, Bushrod Washington, an
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Thereafter the estate suffered
for need of repairs. In 1858 the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of
the Union was organized. The association purchased the property for
$200,000 and to-day own and control Mount Vernon, including about 400
acres of the old estate.
[Illustration: TOMB OF WASHINGTON]
Mount Vernon each day is the place of pilgrimage of hundreds of
American and foreign visitors, who go there by motor or steamboat to
visit the mansion and see the many historical articles of interest that
once belonged to George Washington and his family and are now there on
exhibition, but more particularly do they go to Mount Vernon to pay
homage at the Washington tomb, which is near the mansion. Here also
Lafayette came on his second visit to the United States during 1824-25,
after an interval of almost 40 years.
The number of visitors at Mount Vernon for the year ended December 31,
1938, was 633,514.
WAKEFIELD, THE BIRTHPLACE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
After more than a century and a half of neglect, a group of patriotic
persons have within recent years taken steps to restore Wakefield,
the birthplace of George Washington, situated about 50 miles south of
Mount Vernon, along the Potomac, amidst beautiful landscapes between
Popes Creek and Bridges Creek. The Government erected a monument at the
site in 1895 to mark the birthplace and provided a watchman to care
for the grounds. Until within the past few years the little Government
reservation of 11 acres, acquired in 1882, was inaccessible because the
Government dock was washed away and the road leading into Wakefield
from the main highway was almost impassable. The State of Virginia
recently completed a sand and gravel road to the place. The new road,
about 2 miles in length, intersects the George Washington Highway from
Fredericksburg, between Oak Grove and Potomac Mills. The Wakefield
National Memorial Association (Inc.) has been organized to purchase the
lands at Wakefield and thus save them from threatened encroachments of
hunting and fishing clubs, which are now securing valuable sites along
the Potomac River. Thus the association is doing for Wakefield what
the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union accomplished for the
preservation of Mount Vernon.
[Illustration: WAKEFIELD, AT POPES CREEK, WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VA.]
Congress early in 1930 appropriated $50,000 toward erecting a colonial
house, typical of the Virginia houses at the time of George Washington.
Bricks for the house were made from the clay at Wakefield. The
construction work was carried out under the supervision of the National
Park Service of the Department of the Interior, which has jurisdiction
over the maintenance of Wakefield since the project of restoration was
completed. John D. Rockefeller, jr., gave $115,000 for the purchase of
267 acres, and the association purchased approximately 100 additional
acres. The association raised about $200,000.
[Illustration: MAP SHOWING WASHINGTON AND WAKEFIELD]
[Illustration: WAKEFIELD--WASHINGTON FAMILY BURYING GROUND]
The money, aside from the amounts spent to buy land, was expended
in erecting a house that is as nearly a replica of the original
birth house as could be planned on the basis of available data, in
restoring the gardens, and in protecting the ancient graveyard where
lie the remains of 31 members of the Washington family, including his
great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and brother, and to build a
resthouse at the site. The original house was built between 1717 and
1720, and was burned Christmas, 1780. From pieces of china found in
the ruins the celebrated Lenox china, showing the Washington coat of
arms, has been reproduced and made available to the public by the
Wakefield National Memorial Association. In the work of restoration the
association was led by its president, the late Mrs. Harry Lee Rust, of
Washington, D. C., who was a native of Westmoreland County, Va., and
spent her childhood days in the vicinity of the Washington estate. She
was a most indefatigable worker toward the realization of this project.
Wakefield was dedicated on February 11, 1932, the birthday of George
Washington (old style), which month marked the beginning of the George
Washington bicentennial celebration. Wakefield is known to-day as the
George Washington Birthplace National Monument.
[Illustration: THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL AND APPROACHES]
[Illustration: THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL]