VOICE
Vol. 4 No. 11 February 2003
of
The
Hill
This Month
12 A Neighborhood Story
Part 2
17 The Price of Living on
the Hill
20 Parking: Seeing Red
23 Loving Your Lover
25 Benjamin Drummond
at the ONH
26 Doc Robinson on Life
29 It’s A Mad, Mad,
MadCap World
30 The Magic of Aaron
Posner
34 Life beyond AOL
36 On Diagnosis, Recovery
Balding and Life
38 A Tale of the Capitol
Tiles
38 One on One: Sasha
Bruce Charter School
Departments
VoiceMail.........................................3
City Desk ........................................4
DownLoad .......................................8
Business Bits ................................10
Ask Judith .....................................42
Home Design.................................46
Ask the Vet....................................48
Health and Fitness.........................51
Barracks Row ................................52
KidSites ........................................53
Kids’ Calendar...............................55
Capital Kids...................................56
Kids’ Sports ..................................56
Community Calendar......................57
Horoscope.....................................58
Classifieds ....................................59
Business Servces..........................60
Grub Street ...................................62
Celebrating
our history with
heart and soul
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1220 G Street, NE (Selling Agents) $232,000
4521 N. Capitol Street, NE (Selling Agents) $212,000
116 6th Street, NE #304 (Selling Agents) $224,900
116 6th Street, NE #105 (Selling Agents) $294,500
301 G Street, NE #11 (Selling Agents) $239,900
305 C St, NE #208 (Listing & Selling Agents) $159,000
305 C St, NE #106 (Listing Agents) $179,000
1417 Chapin Street, NW #102 (Selling Agents) $229,900
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group, the wishes of a majority
or those of any particular
official. “Historic” is not a matter
of taste. The Historic District
was created under a set of standards
consistent with best historic
preservation practice. These standards
were given the force of law. The laws are
administered by the Historic
Preservation Review Board, among others,
with informed advice from knowledgeable
people such as the volunteers
serving on the CHRS Historic District
Committee, the DC Preservation League,
and the Committee of 100.
Therein is another critical point: We
are not a detached, abstract entity. We
are your and Mr. Theil’s neighbors. In
response to an invitation in the CHRS
News, readers identified almost 30 abandoned
properties like 1229 E Street. The
frustration we share in common with Mr.
Thiel extends to the frustrations felt by
the neighbors of these other abandoned
properties scattered around the Hill, and
we are taking them up with the DCRA.
From my own windows I can see three
properties that were eyesores like the
Shotgun House. After a long time and
consistent pressure, two have been renovated
and occupied, and the other is a
work in progress.
Restoration, not demolition, is both
the good and legal solution. If destruction
of historic properties ever were
allowed to be the easy choice, we would
be living in a very different community.
In the 1950’s, when the wrecking ball
was aimed at many houses, both modest
and elegant, in which we now live,
residents banded together to bring it to
a halt. The Capitol Hill Restoration
Society came into being to formalize
opposition to spot demolition as well as
the construction of large projects, such
as the proposal to put a freeway through
the community. By the 1970’s the
Historic District was created to endorse
this ideal of protection and restoration.
The challenges remain. The spirit of
destruction lives on with owners who are
indifferent to anything but narrow, personal
aims.
The Shotgun House and even the
other nuisance properties are not our
only activity. The CHRS will be holding
the 46th House and Garden Tour this
year to continue to showcase the unique
community where we live. The earnings
are the major income for the CHRS and
generate several grants we make to
community projects. We’ve initiated a
pilot project on Park Street to explore
assistance to low-income owners in historic
districts whose home need exterior
repairs and we are coordinating the Call
Box Project throughout the Hill. We have
represented Capitol Hill interests in city
planning like the Anacostia Waterfront,
Reservation Thirteen, the South Capitol
Street gateway Project, and have worked
to mitigate the impact of
large residential and
commercial developments
like Bryan
Square, Medlink
and Station Place.
News of these and
other activities is
published in the CHRS News and on our
website. Modest dues make you a member
and enable you to keep up with what
we do, make your views known, and
even work on these projects. Call 202-
543-0425 for membership information
or e-mail us at CapHRS@AOL.com.
ROBERT L. M. NEVITT
President
Capitol Hill Restoration Society
P.O. Box 15264
Washington, DC 20003-0264
Façade Easements: More
Questions
To the Editor:
Thanks to you and Jim Wright for the
very informative article on Façade
Easement Donations in your January
2003 edition. However, I found the article
lacking in one very material area.
The article contained no discussion of
the drawbacks of encumbering a residential
property with such an easement
or the effects such an easement would
have on the value of the property.
In a brief on the topic posted at
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/facade_
easement_brief.pdf, the IRS holds the
position that, “The deduction the taxpayer
is entitled to is equal to the fair market
value of the easement, which is generally
the decrease in fair market value
of the property caused by the restrictions
placed on the property because of
the easement.”
Decrease in fair market value?
Perhaps a discussion of this factor, with
commentary from a few Hill realtors on
their marketplace observations, would
be in order. Another aspect to consider
would be the challenges a property
owner would face when selling a property:
more complicated closing process,
higher closing costs, educating prospective
buyers (who would be encumbered
by the easement but receive no compensation,
presumably because they would
be paying less for the property). Finally,
perhaps one of our local bankers could
provide some information on the effects
of the easement and property value
decrease on the ability to use the property
as collateral for mortgages and
lines of credit.
Thank you for your fine publication.
EDWARD CHRISTOVICH
141 Kentucky Ave, SE
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
www.voiceofthehill.com 3
Voicemail
The Voice of the Hill is published
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Hill residences and business locations.
The focus is on the community
and includes contiguous neighborhoods
from Gallaudet University
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Bon Mots for Le Bon Café
To the Editor:
Long before there was Cosi, or
Starbucks, or Firehook, there was Le
Bon Cafe. You should have given it credit
for our first good caffe latte and croissants,
and other breakfast treats. It was
an immediate success, and lines were
long—it’s sad that a publication that purports
to be the Voice of the HIll would
relegate a Hill original to a mere mention
in an Editor’s Note.
MAUREEN SHEA
Restoration Society
Clarifies its Role In Fate of
‘Shotgun House’
Dear Editor:
I am writing in response to Mr. Thiel’s
letter in the December issue of Voice of
the Hill. I do this both to clarify what the
Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS)
is as an organization and its role in
determining the fate of the house at
1229 E. St. SE, known as “The Shotgun
House.”
As I have personally made clear to Mr.
Thiel, I am deeply sympathetic with his
frustration over the derelict state of that
house. However, CHRS is not the agent of
his frustration. The laws and regulations
of the city and the decision of the city
departments that administer them dictate
what has happened and will happen to
that property. We have argued for the
rehabilitation of the house. If we are persuasive,
it is because our views are rooted
in law and regulation; the idea that our
association of volunteers has some sinister
influence is not supported by fact and
is just not credible. Similarly, we have neither
the financial nor personnel resources
to purchase and renovate properties.
The real power to rectify the abandoned
character of the shotgun House
lies with the owner, Larry Quillian. He
knew when he bought the house the
restriction regarding properties in the
historic district. Indeed, everyone knowledgeable
about this case has condemned
his flouting of law in a cynical
pursuit of demolition by neglect. Now
the Board of Condemnation, at its meeting
on December 18, has voted to
rescind the condemnation order. The
board and an HPRB representative will
visit the house and will make a list of
what the owner must do to make the
house habitable. At the same time, the
HPRB is putting this house on a deteriorated
buildings list and notifying Mr.
Quillian. This will start a progression of
actions that should culminate in fines
and/or the property being fixed up.
This emphasizes a critical point—that
the preservation of this house or any
other in the Historic District, is not the
result of the whims of any particular
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
4 www.voiceofthehill.com
cityDesk
COVERING THE HILL’S POLITICAL SCENE AND MORE
ALL STORIES BY MARK SEGRAVES
Working Through the Growing Pains:
ANC 6A Begins a New Year
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6A (ANC 6A)
held its first meeting of the year January 2 and hit
the ground running. The commissioners, the
majority of whom are serving their first term as
elected officials, approved a new set of by-laws and
elected new officers and committee chairs in an
organized and timely fashion.
One item, however, did threaten to put a damper
on the otherwise orderly meeting. Commissioner
Wanda Stevens-Harris, who arrived just a few minutes
after the meeting had started, requested that
the meeting be stopped. Stevens-Harris objected to
the meeting being run outside of the parameters of
the old by-laws. The old by-laws, which were still in
effect, called for an outside convener named by the
previous ANC to run the first meeting of a new ANC.
The previous ANC did not name any convener.
After a brief consultation with Gottleib Simon,
Executive Director of the Office of ANC, the commissioners
re-convened the meeting. Commissioner
Joe Fengler, who had been running the
meeting, called for a vote on whether to proceed
without a convener. The commissioners voted five
to two in favor of continuing without a convener.
Stevens-Harris and Gladys Mack were the only two
commissioners to oppose the motion.
It became clear from that point on that Fengler
and Stevens-Harris were not on the same page.
Stevens-Harris was upset because, in her words,
“decisions have been made by commissioners prior
to the meetings.”
What Stevens-Harris was alluding to was the predetermined
slate of ANC officers which named her
as Vice-Chair rather than Chair, as well as the proposed
moving of public safety from the prevue of
the Vice-Chair to the Alcohol Beverage Control
(ABC) committee. Stevens-Harris is the only ANC
6A commissioner to be re-elected to ANC 6A and
therefore reasoned that seniority should find her as
the ANC Chairman this year. The proposed new
slate would leave Stevens-Harris with no real power
to speak of.
Before the commissioners could vote on the slate
of officers and committee chairs, they first needed
to amend the by-laws to allow the election by the
use of a slate. Before it got to that point though,
Stevens-Harris objected to the moving of public
safety to the ABC committee. The commissioners
spent more than 30 minutes debating the change.
Several residents in attendance voiced their concerns
that combining the two would make for an
overburdened committee, and that public safety
was deserving of its own committee.
Fengler, who seemed to think that while the
meeting was open to the public to view, it was not
for the public to participate in, did allow for several
residents to speak on the issue, but made it clear
that in his opinion he did not have to do so.
Fengler, and other commissioners who supported
the change, argued that the combination of the
two made sense, as the ABC committee works with
the police on an ongoing basis and this move
would capitalize on that relationship. In the end,
the commissioners voted five to two in favor of
combining the two. Stevens-Harris and Mack were
again the two dissenting votes.
The commissioners made several other changes
to the by-laws, including changing the requirements
for grant applications to require a presentation
before the ANC and allowing the election of a
slate of officers. The new by-laws will be posted on
www.voiceofthehill.com when they are made available.
While it was a tedious and at times painful
process, the commissioners managed to work
through their differences in a timely and professional
manner—something that ANC 6A has been
unable to do in the past.
Only one slate of nominations was proposed for
officers and committee chairs, and it was approved
without objection.
ANC Chairman Joe Fengler
ANC Vice-Chair Wanda Stevens-Harris
Treasurer Nick Alberti
Secretary Michael Musante
Zoning Committee Chair Cody Rice
ABC & Public Safety Chair Jessica Ward
Optimistic Resolutions
The commissioners passed several resolutions that
signal their intent to set straight the fiscal disorder
left by previous commissions. The first resolution
dealt with the 1999 requirement by the city for all
ANCs to participate in a security fund to satisfy the
need for a surety bond. The commissioners passed
the resolution and approved the disbursement of
the $25 fee.
The commissioners passed another resolution
dealing with the past commission’s fiscal woes.
They approved the payment of a past due bill for a
storage facility. The bill, which is more than $1,000,
was approved last year, as well, but was never paid
due to lack of funds. The resolution authorizes the
ANC treasurer to work with the storage facility to
bring closure to this issue. The ANC is currently
locked out of the unit for lack of payment. Voice of
the Hill inventoried the storage unit last year and
found mostly office furniture and old records.
Of course, the ANC is without any funds and may
not receive disbursements from the District government
for more than a year. The current lack of
funds makes the idea of making any payments
unrealistic at this time. Some commissioners have
talked about raising funds from private donations.
D.C. law allows for contributions of up to $1,000
per individual. The commissioners also authorized
the treasurer to meet with the D.C. auditor to try
and resolve the current auditor’s recommendations
to withhold future funds from the ANC.
The commissioners passed a resolution asking
the District government to supply them with office
space. The resolution cites the 1999 ANC reform act
that provides for office space if requested. ANC 6A
has made this request in the past to no avail.
The Times, They Are a-Changin’
The commissioners voted to change the regular
monthly meeting to the second Thursday of the
month. The commission had been meeting on the
first Thursday for years. The change was made to
accommodate the Near Northeast Citizens meeting
on the first Thursday of the month. The ANC will
continue to meet at 7 p.m. at the Miner Elementary
School.
Missing in Action
One commissioner was not present at the meeting.
Colleen Harris, who had been a commissioner in
ANC 6B for the past two years and won re-election,
is now serving in ANC 6A due to re-districting and
did not attend the swearing-in ceremony earlier
that day. Harris missed every meeting that ANC 6B
had in 2002 and several in 2001. While Harris has
spoken by phone with other ANC 6A commissioners
since the election, calls from Voice of the Hill
have gone un-returned. Fengler noted for the
record that Harris was absent without an excuse.
ANC by-laws provide for removal of commissioners
if they miss three consecutive meetings without an
excuse. Commissioners in ANC 6B have publicly
lamented the fact that they never removed her
from their ANC.
Attendance
Commissioners in attendance were Joe Fengler,
Cody Rice, Wanda Stevens-Harris, Jessica Ward,
Nick Alberti, Gladys Mack, and Michael Musante.
Harris was the only absent commissioner. The next
regular meeting of the ANC will be Thursday,
February 12, at 7 p.m. in the Miner Elementary
School.
No Glitz and Glamour for DC’s ‘Citizen
Volunteers’
ANC Commissioners’ Swearing-In Lacks Pomp,
Organization
The newly-elected crop of Advisory Neighborhood
Commissioners (ANC) was sworn in on Thursday,
January 2. During the ceremony, hundreds of “citizen
volunteers,” as one councilmember called
them, were herded into a crowded room in the D.C.
Convention Center.
www.voiceofthehill.com 5
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
“They used to at least call out your name before
you took the oath,” bemoaned one longtime ANC
commissioner on his way out of the ceremony.
After speeches by D.C.’s non-voting member of
Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton and Mayor
Anthony Williams, individual councilmembers
swore in their respective Wards one at a time.
Councilmember Sharon Ambrose swore in the ANC
commissioners for Ward 6.
“This is a very exciting time for the Ward 6
ANCs,” Ambrose told the crowd. “I’m very happy to
see the number of new ANC commissioners in
Ward 6.”
The 40 or so commissioners-elect stood at their
seats in the auditorium-like setting all at once, scattered
in groups about the room. With their right
hands raised, they swore to “defend the constitution
and exercise their best judgment.” No speeches
from the new commissioners were given.
When the swearing-in was over, the new commissioners
were handed an ANC handbook and
told to stand in line for photo IDs. The line snaked
through the convention center halls and almost
out the door.
A Study in Contrasts
In contrast, earlier that day, the Mayor and city
council were sworn in at the posh Warner Theater.
Media trucks lined the streets outside the Warner.
Limousines delivered Washington’s power elite to
the event. The Mayor and city council’s day began
with an inaugural breakfast. Following the standing-
room-only event at the Warner, the Mayor
hosted a reception at the Wilson building. Later
that night, the Old Post Office would be the site for
one last reception.
There was no breakfast for the commissioners,
and no reception was held. No dignitaries, diplomats
or cabinet members were present, and very little
media attention was given the ceremony. The
H.D. Woodson High School Choir and Color Guard
added a bit of pomp, and three clergymen provided
the circumstance, but the event fell far short from
making the 300 or so non-paid citizens feel very
special.
Mayor Williams was present, but he had already
had a long day and appeared to have trouble keeping
his eyes open throughout the ceremony. Several
commissioners came late. They had all been at the
inaugural reception at the Wilson building. The
event was un-organized at best, with people coming
and going from the stage and the auditorium
throughout the event.
A scheduling back-up forced the combination of
ceremonies. The D.C. Shadow representative’s
swearing-in was added to the event at the last
minute. It was unclear whether or not Norton
would have been in attendance for the ANC swearing-
in if not for the poor scheduling. Her name was
not on the program.
At least the Commissioners from Ward 5 did not
go home empty handed. Ward 5 Councilmember
Vincent Orange gave each of them one of his trademark
number “5” lapel pins. One commissioner
not from Ward 5 said, “Orange gave those out last
year too; you’d think the other councilmembers
would have caught on.”
Newly-Formed ANC 6C Meets
Elects Rob Hall as Chairman
The newly-formed Advisory Neighborhood
Commission 6C (ANC 6C) held its first meeting on
Monday, January 6. The commissioners elected Rob
Hall as their Chairman. Hall, serving his second
term as a commissioner, served as treasurer for ANC
6A last year and due to re-districting finds himself
in the new ANC 6C this year.
“I am looking forward to being part of a functional
ANC,” Hall told the audience.
About 20 residents, including School Board
Member Tommy Wells, sat in the auditorium at
Terrell Junior High School. With several windows
broken out, wind chilled the room to the point that
commissioners were wearing their hats and coats.
The commissioners voted to hold future meetings
at the Capitol Children’s Museum.
In addition to Hall, the commissioners elected a
full slate of officers and committee chairs. Mark
Dixon was elected as Vice-Chair, Bill Crews as
Treasurer and Bob Morris as interim Secretary.
Karen Wirt was nominated for Secretary but was
not at the meeting. The commissioners will vote on
a permanent secretary at the February meeting.
Before the commissioners could elect committee
chairs, they needed to decide on what standing
committees to have. As a new ANC, they were infact
starting from scratch. There were as many suggestions
for committees as there were commissioners.
Commissioner Charles Docter wanted to incorporate
Planning and Zoning, Licensing and
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6 www.voiceofthehill.com
Economic Development, and Public Safety committees.
Hall proposed a Public Interest and Grants
committee. Commissioner Daniel Pernell wanted
to combine Zoning and Licensing. In the end, the
commissioners voted to have Planning and Zoning,
Licensing and Economic Development, and a
Public Safety and Security committees.
The commissioners elected Docter as Chair of the
Planning and Zoning Committee. Commissioner
Lawrence Thomas was elected as Chair of the
Licensing and Economic Development Committee,
and Dixon as Chair of the Public Safety Committee.
In other business that needed to be completed in
order for the ANC to comply with D.C. law and
receive District funds, the commissioners voted to
open a checking account at Bank of America and to
adopt a set of “bare bones” by-laws supplied by the
Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.
The by-laws conform to D.C. code and can be
amended in the future by the commissioners.
“We’ve just crossed the threshold of being funded,”
Hall said with a big smile as the vote to adopt
the by-laws was taken.
The commissioners voted to hold their regular
monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of the
month at 7 p.m. at the Capitol Children’s Museum.
Commissioners in attendance were Rob Hall,
Daniel Pernell, Mark Dixon, Bill Crews, Lawrence
Thomas, Bob Morris, and Charles Docter. Absent
commissioners were Karen Wirt and April Hall. The
next regular monthly meeting will be held on
Tuesday, February 3 at 7 p.m. in the Capital
Children’s Museum.
ANC 6A Inspects Storage Facility
Treasurer Hopes to Have Funds Released to Settle
Overdue Account
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6A (ANC 6A)
may be able to settle its overdue bill at the H Street
storage facility. Commissioner Nicholas Alberti,
who was elected as Treasurer of ANC 6A at the
January meeting, has been in contact with the
Office of the D.C. Auditor (ODCA) and has
requested that the ODCA release enough funds to
settle the account. If successful, Alberti would be
able satisfy the largest outstanding bill left by the
previous commissioners and take a giant step
toward correcting the fiscal mess inherited by this
new ANC.
According to Alberti, the ODCA is receptive to
working out some type of arrangement that would
allow the ANC to pay the bill and rescue years
worth of files and various office equipment that is
under the threat of being lost if the bill is defaulted.
The ANC has been locked out of its storage facility
for months because it is behind in the monthly
bill—to the tune of $1,500. That amount increases
by $340 per month (the storage fee is $325 per
month, and a $15 late fee is added each month the
bill is not paid). Last year, the ODAC suspended
annual disbursements to the ANC and froze all of
its accounts after an audit revealed thousands of
dollars in unauthorized payments by the ANC.
Alberti and Commissioner Cody Rice recently
gained access to the storage unit to inventory the
contents. Alberti and Rice will report to the commissioners,
who will then decide whether to pursue
a means to pay the bill or to default. Alberti and
Rice seemed to agree the right thing to do would be
to pay the bill, even though the contents of the faculty
are clearly not worth the $1,500.
This reporter viewed the contents of the storage
unit with Alberti and Rice, as well as at a previous
inspection last year with then Chairman Keith
Jarrell. On both visits, there was nothing more than
a few desks and chairs, a locked safe, file cabinets
full of files that date back to the early 1990’s and
other office equipment. One desk contained a copy
of the Joy of Sex and pictures printed from an internet
dating site, as well as campaign material for former
commissioner Marvin Fields.
Alberti said that the ODCA has agreed to release
$25 of the ANC’s money to pay for the ANC bond,
as required by D.C. Law.
ANC 6D Holds First Meeting of 2003
Residents Urge Commissioners to Pass Two
Resolutions
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D (ANC 6D)
held its first monthly meeting of the new year
before a packed room of more than 50 residents.
Many of the residents in attendance were there to
urge the ANC, formerly ANC 2D, to pass two resolutions
pertaining to the expansion of Potomac
Place at 800 4th Street, SW.
The commissioners had voted last month against
passing one of the resolutions that would have proposed
the nomination of 800 4th Street, SW, for
landmark status. The other proposed resolution
opposes the expansion due to the loss of green
space. After a spirited dialogue between the commissioners
and several residents, the commissioners
voted to approve the resolution in opposition of
the expansion. The resolution will most likely be
moot, however, as the building permits have
already been issued.
Several residents stormed out of the meeting in
protest because Commissioners C.W. Hargrave and
Mary Williams refused to allow the resolution
requesting landmark status to be voted on. “You
should be ashamed of yourself!” one resident
shouted as she left the room.
The commissioners voted to write a letter to the
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the
management company of the Waterside Mall
requesting a written plan for increased security
between the hours of 10 p.m. and midnight. The
mall managers recently closed access through the
mall from the Metro at 10 p.m. Pedestrians must
now walk from the Metro to M Street and then to
6th Street, turning a five-minute walk into a 30-
minute walk.
ANC commissioners met last week with Ward 6
Councilmember Sharon Ambrose, Lt. John Sheldon
of the MPD and the mall management company to
discuss alternatives. At that meeting, Shelton
promised that a written plan would be presented at
the ANC meeting. Shelton was not present at the
ANC meeting, but Lieutenant Haselden was.
Haselden said that this was the first he was hearing
about a plan. This revelation left many of the commissioners
and some residents a bit upset.
Marge Francese, executive assistant for Ambrose,
stood up and told Haselden, “Sharon didn’t ask for
a plan. She demanded a plan.”
Haselden said that he would speak with Captain
Shelton and report back at the next PSA 110 meeting.
Representatives of the property management
company will attend the PSA 110 meeting as well.
The commissioners voted on two liquor licenses.
At the December 2002 meeting, the ANC, then
ANC 2D, voted protest the renewal of Nation’s
nightclub license. At that time, Nation was in ANC
6B, but after January 1, 2003, due to redistricting, it
became ANC 6D.
Due to the scheduling of the renewal hearing
before the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation
Administration (ABRA), both ANC 6B and ANC 2D
voted to protest. ABRA has determined that ANC
6D has no standing at the hearing, only ANC 6B.
Commissioner Williams moved to reconsider the
December vote, saying that she now is not in favor
of a protest. Commissioner Bob Siegle, who represents
the area around Nation, urged the commissioners
to seek a voluntary agreement with the club
owner to cease having “rave” events at the club.
Nation has not had a “rave” event since September
of last year. The commissioner voted four to two in
favor of withdrawing its protest. Siegle and Roger
Moffatt voted against the vote, and Edward
Johnson abstained.
The commissioner voted unanimously to support
the application by Cantina Marina to transfer
the liquor license from the former Gangplank
restaurant and to extend the hours of operation to
3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 a.m. during the
week. The commissioners did place one requirement
on the support. Cantina Marina must agree to
honor a voluntary agreement the Gangplank
signed that would not allow outdoor music.
The commissioners voted to oppose the planned
unit development (PUD) for the waterfront area.
The proposed PUD would open 4th Street SW to
traffic and increase the height of some buildings to
130 feet. The majority of the residents voicing opinions
on the PUD were not in favor of the plan in its
current form. The commissioners voted 6 to 1 to
oppose the PUD. C.W. Hargrave was the lone dissenting
vote.
The ANC will have a new Executive Assistant. The
commissioners voted unanimously to approve the
hiring of Roberta Weiner. Weiner will be paid $12
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per hour for no more than 40 hours per month.
New officers were elected. Ahmed Assalaam will
take over from Andy Litsky as ANC Chairman.
Moffatt was elected as Vice-Chair and Johnson as
Secretary; all three were un-opposed. The only contested
position was that of treasurer.
Commissioners Hargrave and Siegle were both
nominated. Siegle won by a vote of four to three.
Commissioners in attendance were Edward
Johnson, C.W. Hargrave, Mary Williams, Andy
Litsky, Roger Moffatt, Ahmed Assalaam and Bob
Siegle. None of the commissioners was absent. The
next ANC 6D meeting will be Monday, February 10,
at 7 p.m. in the basement of the Westminster
Presbyterian Church at 4th and I Streets, SW.
Olson Elected ANC 6B Chair
New Committees Created, Votes Cast on
Community Issues
On January 14, at a slow-moving and sometimes
tedious pace, Advisory Neighborhood Commission
6B (ANC 6B) began the new year by electing new
officers, creating two new committees, appointing
four committee chairmen, and voting on 10 substantive
community issues. The commissioners,
four of whom are serving in their first term, elected
Commissioner Julie Olson as the Chair of ANC 6B.
Olson, who is serving in her second term, was
the Co-Chair of the Planning and Zoning
Committee and brings with her a successful track
record of communicating with the residents and
bringing city officials and community members
together. Olson, along with all of the officers, ran
unopposed.
As is the custom of ANC 6B, the election of officers
is conducted by a former commissioner. Kenan
Jarboe, who had served as one of the District’s most
influential and savvy ANC Chairs until deciding
not to run last year, oversaw the election process.
Will Hill, the senior most member of the commission
was elected as Vice-Chair; Scott Cernich as
Secretary; Keith Smith as Treasurer; and Neil Glick
as Parliamentarian. Jarboe will still be a presence at
the ANC as Olson appointed Jarboe as the Vice-
Chair of the Planning and Zoning Committee.
Unlike the other ANCs in Ward 6, who elect their
committee chairs by a majority vote of the commissioners,
ANC 6B allows for the Chairman to
appoint the committee chairs. Any commissioner
may object to an appointment, but if there are no
objections, the appointment stands. Before
announcing her appointments, Olson made a
motion to add two new committees to the by-laws.
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Public Safety and Eastern Market were unanimously
approved.
Planning and Zoning and Alcoholic Beverage
Control (ABC) are the two committees already in
the by-laws as standing committees. Olson
appointed the following chairs: ABC - Neil Glick;
Planning and Zoning - Mary Wright; Public Safety -
Daryl Snowden; and Eastern Market - David
Sheldon.
Planning and Zoning
The commissioners voted to support three Board
of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) applications. The
owner of the home at 1356 North Carolina Avenue,
NE, is seeking to add a one-story addition to her
home. The addition has already received approval
of the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB).
The commissioners voted unanimously to support
the variance application.
The tenant at 301 12th Street, SE, is seeking a special
exemption for non-conforming use. David
Berkowitz, who has been building custom acoustic
guitars at the site since 2001, was unable to get a
certificate of occupancy for his business without
the exemption. In 1979, the property was granted a
certificate of occupancy for use as a grocery store.
Prior to 2000, the storefront had been vacant for
years. A few neighbors requested the ANC oppose
the request because they feared what might be
allowed to use the location should Berkowitz move.
Other neighbors thought that Berkowitz was seeking
the incorrect variance. The commissioners
voted unanimously to support the application and
let the BZA deal with the issue of which type of variance
he needed.
The homeowner at 654 Independence Avenue,
SE, is requesting a lot occupancy variance so that
she may build an addition on the rear of her house.
The commissioners voted unanimously to support
her request, provided that she receives written support
from her most effected neighbor.
The National Democratic Club has proposed a
44-foot wide townhouse at 411 New Jersey Avenue,
SE. The commissioners voted eight to one in favor
of supporting the design concept before the HPRB
hearing, but voiced concern about the potential
use. The house will not be used as a residence.
The commissioners voted to authorize the attorney
representing the Southeast Citizens for Smart
Development (SCSD) before the BZA to also represent
the ANC. In September of last year, the ANC
voted to join the appeal by SCSD of building permits
issued to Boys Town for townhouses at
Pennsylvania and Potomac Avenues SE. Last year,
the SCSD and the ANC successfully appealed the
issuing of building permits to Boys Town for four
community based residential facilities. Boys Town
then applied for and was granted new permits for
the building of four town houses. The ANC and
SCSD have appealed those new permits. The hearing
will be held January 21.
The commissioners voted to approve two new
signs at St Mark’s Episcopal Church at 3rd and A
Streets, SE, and to oppose a new pay phone at 1430
Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
In other business, the commissioners voted to
support the application for an ABC license by
Pacific Café at 12th and Pennsylvania Avenues, SE.
The support is dependent upon the restaurant
owner signing a voluntary agreement that would
not allow live music or dancing. The commissioners
also voted to request a four way stop sign at the
intersection of 2nd and D Streets, SE.
Commissioners in attendance were Will Hill,
Julie Olson, Neil Glick, Mary Wright, David
Sheldon, Scott Cernich, Daryl Snowden, Francis
Campbell, and Keith Smith. Michael Simpson was
the only absent commissioner.
The next ANC 6B regular monthly meeting will
be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 11, in the Old
Naval Hospital.
Boys Town Appeal, Round 2:
Hearing Postponed While Timeliness Issue
Considered
January 22—Representatives of Southeast Citizens
for Smart Development (SCSD), Advisory
Neighborhood Commission 6B (ANC 6B), and Boys
Town, the Nebraska-based non-profit organization,
were back before the Board of Zoning Adjustment
(BZA) on Tuesday, January 21, for a second round of
appeals. The hearing, however, was postponed,
while the board members consider a motion by the
attorneys for Boys Town to dismiss the appeal on
the grounds of timeliness.
Phil Feola, the lead attorney representing Boys
Town, said, “The clock began ticking when the
original permits were issued 11 months ago.” Feola
cited regulations stating that “an appeal is not
timely if it is filed 60 days after notice.”
The BZA ruled last year that the zoning administrator
had erred in issuing permits for four community-
based residential facilities at the Pennsylvania
Avenue site. Before the Department of Consumer
and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) could enforce the
board’s decision, Boys Town applied for, and was
issued (by DCRA) new permits for four single-family
homes. The SCSD and ANC 6B are appealing
those permits, saying Boys Town is in violation of
parking and side yard requirements.
The appeal was never argued on Tuesday, however,
as the board members spent the afternoon hearing
arguments about the motion to dismiss. At the
center of the issue seems to be the question of what
becomes of a permit that is successfully appealed
between the time of the BZA decision and enforcement
by DCRA—and if that change resets the clock
for new appeals.
BZA Chairman Geoffrey Griffis told both sides,
after a 25-minute recess, that he was “about to frustrate”
all the parties involved. Griffis postponed a
decision on the motion to dismiss until Tuesday,
January 28. Griffis instructed Feola to provide the
board members with the original application and
permits, as well as the original and revised plans.
Mark Segraves can be reached at
mark@voiceofthehill.com.
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February 11 Overbeck History Lecture
Looks At ‘Our Neighborhood’s River’
Few people today are aware that Washington’s
founders sited the federal city in this particular
place along the Potomac not because of what the
Potomac had to offer, but because of its Anacostia
tributary. It was the Anacostia that had the best
harbor, and it provided passage for ocean-going
ships—in those days, all the way up to Bladensburg.
At the next Overbeck History Lecture, Don
Hawkins will describe how the Anacostia River has
changed over the years, both physically and in its
many uses, and how it helped shape our community.
The event will be held on Tuesday, February 11,
at 8 p.m. at the Naval Lodge Hall at 330
Pennsylvania Avenue S.E.
An architect by profession, Don Hawkins has
made himself perhaps the most knowledgeable person
anywhere on the District’s early topography,
having drawn and published dozens of maps and
illustrations showing how our area looked to early
European settlers and how it evolved over the years.
His many other research projects include a reconstruction
of William Thornton’s lost design for the
U.S. Capitol, which is on display today in the crypt
under the Capitol’s rotunda.
A native of Arlington, Hawkins studied architecture
at Catholic University, the Architectural
Association in London, and Carnegie Institute of
Technology in Pittsburgh. He’s a frequent lecturer
on D.C. history at the Smithsonian, at local historical
societies, and at most of our area’s universities.
As with all Overbeck lectures, admission is free,
but seating is limited and a reservation is required.
If possible please reserve by email (info@
CapitolHillHistory.org) to facilitate confirmation
and any updates, but you may also leave a message
at 202-544-1845. If you phone, please provide your
name, phone number and email address, and lecture
series coordinator Kristen Miller will get back
to you.
‘One City, One Future’ Inaugural
Ceremonies Held
Mayor and City Council Members Discuss the Next
Four Years for the District
BY COLIN GUSTAFSON
Voice of the Hill Intern
Thursday, Jan. 2—D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams
and Members of the City Council, including
Sharon Ambrose of Ward 6, took oaths of office and
spoke on their plans for the future of the District on
Thursday at a lavish Inaugural ceremony at the
Warner Theater. Also in attendance at the ceremony
were Williams’ wife and mother and Delegate
Eleanor Holmes Norton.
Addressing a three-quarters-full house, Williams
delivered a speech in which he outlined the three
main priorities of his second four-year term as
mayor: improving education, expanding “opportunity,”
and increasing public safety.
Council Members Address Localized
Issues
While the mayor spoke broadly on his plans for the
city as a whole, Council Members used their five
minutes of speaking time to address more specific,
localized issues.
Kathleen Patterson of Ward 3 voiced grievances
about the operation of DC correctional facilities,
citing several recent inmate murders and saying
that “the city now must stop doing harm to itself
and begin taking responsibility again.”
Most council members discussed goals and initiatives
for their own wards. Vincent Orange proposed
building a “McKinley Technology Center for
kids” in his Ward 5, while Jim Graham promised
school renovations and more police in Ward 1 “to
prevent crime before it happens.”
Ward 6 Council Member Sharon Ambrose, who
represents Capitol Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods,
did not focus her comments on problems
with education, crime, and housing, but
instead talked about expanding business and the
arts in DC.
Calling the Hill a “microcosm of progress” and
“our nation’s neighborhood,” Ambrose discussed
the economic contributions of the waterfront fish
market and RFK, as well as the cultural contributions
of organizations such as the Capitol Hill Arts
Workshop, the Folger Theater, and the H Street
Playhouse.
She also told residents to look forward to more
museums and arts centers in the future, including a
renovated wax museum, the Atlas Theater, the
Woolly Mammoth center, and a new Shakespeare
Theater around the corner from the Lansburgh
downtown.
David Catania, Council Member At-Large, also
spoke at the ceremony and urged the mayor to
adopt his goal of converting a quarter of all public
housing residences into privately-owned homes in
four years. He also proposed developing better jobtraining
programs and lowering pharmaceutical
prices.
At the end of his speech, Catania said he hoped
to accomplish his goals on the city council very
soon because he “might not want to do this after
another four years.”
However, this statement was only a joke, Catania
later clarified. “The city council is my priority,” he
said at the ANC swearing-in ceremony after the
inaugural festivities. “And right now I’m not really
looking beyond that.”
Catania added that he was also “very proud” of
the ANCs’ progress in recent years. However, he
was noncommittal about whether ANC-6A, which
has been without operating funds for nearly a year,
would regain funding now that it has new commissioners
and redrawn boundaries of jurisdiction. “All
I can say is it’s a time for fresh starts,” he said. “New
[ANCs] cannot be forever burdened by members on
earlier commissions.”
Senator Stabenow’s Capitol Hill
House Burns
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, freshman Senator Debbie
Stabenow’s 150-year-old, two-story frame house on
9th Street SE burned when a fire which began in the
kitchen quickly spread to the rest of the house.
Quick action by neighbors prevented more serious
damage. No one was at home at the time of the
blaze.
Free Theater on H Street
Theater Alliance Launches Community
Development Program
Theater Alliance Artistic Director Jeremy Skidmore
has announced the launch of the company’s Free
Theater on H Street Program. Beginning with
Theater Alliance’s upcoming production of Naomi
Wallace’s Slaughter City and continuing for every
production in 2003, Theater Alliance will provide
up to 25 free tickets per performance to members of
the H Street NE community residing within a fiveblock
radius of the company’s H Street Playhouse
home.
This designated area includes Gallaudet
University. Anyone living within the designated
five blocks wishing to receive a free ticket simply
needs to bring a driver’s license, billing statement,
or Gallaudet Student ID to the H Street Playhouse
on his or her next visit. Once the address or ID is
verified as being within the appropriate zone or
offering proof of enrollment at Gallaudet, free
admission will be granted, and the patron will be
enrolled in the Free Theater database for continued
free admission to future productions.
This program has been made possible through
the generous support of the Fannie Mae
Foundation and the CHAMPS Community
Foundation. For more information about Free
Theater on H Street please, interested persons may
log on to www.theateralliance.com.
2003 Capitol Hill Community
Achievement Awards Winners
Announced
20th Annual Dinner May 14th at the Great Hall of
the Folger Library
Alan and Becky Dye, Bruce Robey and Tommy
Wells will be honored by the CHAMPS Community
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
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Foundation as recipients of the 2003 Capitol Hill
Community Achievement Awards in May.
Alan and Becky Dye are longtime Capitol Hill residents.
Alan is a member of the Board of the 8th
Street Main Street Program, and over the years, he
has generously provided legal assistance to organizations
seeking to establish charitable status. Becky
is a member of the Board of the Friends of the
National Arboretum and Shakespeare Theatre
Guild. She’s been active in projects at the Capitol
Hill Day School and the Capitol Hill Arts
Workshop.
Bruce Robey is currently President of CHAMPS
and a member of the CHAMPS Community
Foundation Board. He is publisher of the Voice of
the Hill and owner of the H Street Playhouse. For
more than 30 years, he has been actively involved
in the community, assisting the Capitol Hill Arts
Workshop and other organizations with computer
needs. His wife, Adele Robey, received a
Community Achievement Award in 1995.
Tommy Wells is serving his second term as
District 3 (Wards 5 & 6) School Board member. He is
a member of the Board of the Friends of the Old
Naval Hospital and served many years as an ANC6B
commissioner and chairman of ANC6B.
Old Naval Hospital Nominated To List
of ‘Endangered Historic Places’
January 22—Today, the Capitol Hill Restoration
Society (CHRS) nominated Washington’s Civil
War-Era Old Naval Hospital to the National Trust
for Historic Preservation’s list of “11 Most
Endangered Historic Places of 2003.” The nomination,
endorsed by Ward 6 Councilmember Sharon
Ambrose, the Old Naval Hospital Foundation, the
DC Preservation League, and the Historical Society
of Washington, D.C., calls attention to the
immense historic value of the former hospital —
located on Pennsylvania Avenue’s 900-Block, SE —
and the urgent threat that years of deferred maintenance,
neglect, and overall vacancy have placed
upon this unique legacy of the nation’s wartime
heritage. CHRS and supporters of the nomination
hope that focusing national attention on the plight
of the local and federally-recognized landmark will
hasten the restoration and re-use of the building,
constructed between 1864 and 1866.
The Navy created the 50-bed facility in response
to the critical need for hospital care during the Civil
War and as a permanent alternative to temporary
locations – most notably at St. Elizabeth’s. It is the
oldest documented naval hospital in Washington
and is the first such institution of its kind specifically
designed on a large enough scale to serve for
an extended period of time.
Although the building is still owned by the federal
government, it has been leased to the District of
Columbia since the early ‘60s. Leading proposals
for its re-use involve extensive public and community
functions such as library space, meeting facilities,
and arts/educational uses. Any restoration and
redevelopment of the property will involve substantial
private investment, and CHRS expects that
nomination to the National Trust’s endangered list
will send a call throughout the country to generate
awareness and help in raising funds to save the hospital.
Properties included on previous years’ 11
Most Endangered lists usually benefit greatly from
the recognition a listing brings.
The number of local residents logging
on to www.voiceofthehill.com is
increasing constantly. Log on daily to
learn the latest news that affects our
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Chef of the Hill: A Special Menu
Just for You
A new business has popped up on the Hill, and it’s
guaranteed to help make your Valentine’s Day the
tastiest one ever! Last July, James Sinopoli, threeyear
Hill resident, decided to bring his work home
with him, opening a new personal chef service
called Chef of the Hill.
After trailing a friend already in the trade,
Sinopoli was hooked. “I am passionate about food,”
he says, “and this allows me to do something I love
on a very personal basis.”
To begin the process, Chef Sinopoli takes a visit
to your home to conduct an intake interview,
reviewing your likes, dislikes, and any special
dietary needs. He can handle restrictions, it
seems—“If green peppers give him gas, and she
hates scallops—no problem!”
Based on your eating habits and food preferences,
Chef of the Hill develops a special menu just for
you! From there, you pick the meals you want the
most. On an agreed-upon day, Chef of The Hill will
arrive with bags of fresh groceries—“The folks at
the Eastern Market make sure we get the best of
their best.”
The menus that Chef Sinopoli creates are not
limited to any one fare. “I do many different types
of food. I just took some Thai cooking classes while
in Bangkok in November, so currently I have a good
Thai influence going. I am pretty versatile as far as
cooking goes, though.” He is also experienced with
clients who have special dietary concerns, and
makes special effort to research recipes that meet
these people’s needs.
”I try to include the information that they need
in the menu planning part of my service. For
instance, someone who is diabetic may be watching
their carbs, so I will include a carb count on the
menu for them.”
You don’t need to worry about what size pans
you don’t have; Chef Sinopoli comes equipped
with his own pots and pans and any other equipment
needed—he even brings his own garbage can!
When you return home, your refrigerator and freezer
will be loaded with delicious dinners.
Sinopoli, a Certified Executive Chef in the
American Culinary Federation, graduate of The
Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and
member of the United States Personal Chef
Association (USPCA), says “I prepare one to two
weeks’ worth of meals for my clients, in their
homes, based on a thorough intake process (food
likes and dislikes, dietary needs, etc.). I am responsible
for meal preparation, all food shopping and
cleanup. My clients find they are eating healthier,
better, and often saving money compared to dining
out several times a week.”
So, why locate this business on Capitol Hill?
“Capitol Hill is where I live, and it just seemed as
though there is the need here for this type of service.
Many of us have housekeepers. I’m a lot like
them, only I cook before I clean up.” In addition to
being Chef of the Hill, James Sinopoli belongs to
the Stanton Park Neighborhood Association and
The Congressional Cemetery.
You can browse sample menus and customer testimonials
at www.chefofthehill.homestead.com, or
give them a call at (202) 285-2507. You can also email
Chef Sinopoli at jsinopoli@mindspring.com.
Anatolia Bazaar
A Haven of Tradition, Culture and Excellence
On January 5, despite the snowy weather and cold
temperatures, Anatolia Turkish Cafe owners Dilek
and Yilidrim Mit opened the doors of their new
business, Anatolia Bazaar. Pass through the goldenhandled
doors, crossing the threshold of 631
Pennsylvania Avenue, and prepare to enter an
entirely different world—a haven of tradition, culture,
and excellence.
The word “bazaar” conjures up the idea of a small
room, filled to the brim with enough inexpensive
novelties to cause a nervous breakdown. Anatolia
Bazaar couldn’t be more different than that image.
Dilek and Yilidrim have transformed the characteristic
long, narrow space of this Capitol Hill storefront
into a spacious gallery, displaying exquisite
Turkish rugs, gold leaf bowls, striking jewelry, and
hand-blown glass vases—all at amazing prices.
The Mits’ impetus to open the new store is rooted
in a desire to display, educate, and share the rich
history and culture of Anatolian civilizations. Dilek
says, “Noticing the absence of Turkish Cuisine and
with the intention to introduce the Capitol Hill
community to Turkish food, we established
Anatolia Turkish Café in 1995. In our decoration,
our main theme was the Anatolian culture. Over
the years, our interest in the Ottoman Empire and
the Anatolian civilization history inspired us to
establish Anatolia Bazaar.”
Dilek and Yilidrim are not your average store
owners. With an obvious understanding of the history
and influence of Turkish culture, the Mits are
eager to explain each object’s meaning and method
of creation. “We want to share this magnificent
heritage with the enthusiasts of history, in the
hope that it makes a contribution to the efforts to
make known our rich cultural and artistic heritage.”
Anatolian art, which spans thousands of
years and more than 30 civilizations, has greatly
influenced the world of art at large. Some of its
main characteristic elements—iconography, symbolic
color, and an uncanny attention to precise
detail—spread through artistic movements all over
the world, attesting to the breadth of the impact
Anatolian art has had on other communities.
Included in the gallery is a striking display of
hand-blown glass vessels, called Çesm-I Bülbül,
translated as “eye of the nightingale.” These pieces
are created by melting glass rods and then inserting
blue and white pigment into the mixture. As the
artist shapes the glass, the pigments expand into
parallel lines of color that rotate endlessly around
the body of the vessel. This blue and white color
palette is indicative of the Çesm-I Bülbül. Because
of the lengthy and incredibly difficult process,
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VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
www.voiceofthehill.com 11
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There is a universal method to the creation of
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12 www.voiceofthehill.com
begun in the early 19th century
along the north side of Boundary
Street. There, a belt of large holdings,
through which very few roads ran,
formed the northern border of the
study area. One industrial complex
and three large estates lay along
Boundary Street. Mt. Olivet
Cemetery lay further north.
The westernmost of these estates
was Brentwood, built by
Washington’s first mayor, Robert
Brent, for his daughter, Eleanor
Pearson. The Benjamin Latrobe
mansion on the property was a
social center of the young city. The
estate eventually became the site of
World War I Camp Meigs, and then
in 1919, the first Hechinger
Company lumberyard. When
Hechinger’s moved to 15th and H in
1930, the Union Terminal Market
was built to serve as the city’s principal
wholesale produce market.
Although streets now cut through
the area, the coordinated design and
use of the market buildings mark
this as a unified development. The
Brentwood name lives on in
Brentwood Road and Brentwood
Park that occupies part of the original
estate to the north of the market.
The next estate to the east was
that of Amos Kendall, Postmaster
General under Andrew Jackson.
Kendall founded an elementary
school for a small group of deaf boys
that, through his generosity and the
hard work of the school first educator,
Edward Miner Gallaudet, grew
into the first university for the deaf,
Gallaudet University. The original
campus was designed by Frederick
Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux in
1865-66 and filled with the buildings
of architect Frederick Withers.
The result is one of the most important
ensembles of historic architecture
in the District of Columbia.
The campus was designed to be
self-contained: both staff and students
lived there. As a result, the
INTRODUCTION
What follows is the second installment
of a brief history of the Capitol
Hill North/Near Northeast neighborhood.
The first installment appeared
in the January issue of the Voice and
is still available on the website at
www.voiceofthehill.com/history.htm.
This history is the product of the
first phase of a multi-year cultural
resources survey undertaken in
October 2001 by the Near Northeast
Citizens community organization
with the support of a federal Historic
Preservation Fund grant. The first
phase of the project focused on gaining
a broad historical overview of
the survey area. Future phases will
include additional research on the
neighborhood as a whole as well as
documentation of individual buildings.
The survey area is roughly
bounded by the Union Station railroad
tracks/2nd Street NE (west),
Florida Avenue (north), Maryland
Avenue (east) and F Street NE
(south). This area, platted as part of
the original L’Enfant plan for the
Old City of Washington, is comprised
of 66 city squares and over
3,500 buildings.
The project’s Principal Investigator
and the author of this history is
Nancy Schwartz, a former Chief
Historian of the federal Historic
American Buildings Survey, the
author of What Style Is It?, a popular
guide to architectural styles in the
United States, and the Architectural
Historian for the Eastern Market
Historic Structure Report.
RICHARD LAYMAN
Project Administrator
Capitol Hill North/Near Northeast
Cultural and Social History Study
_____________
Florida Avenue Border of
the Study Area
This pattern of open spaces was
new city with the outside world. The
two streets chosen were 14th Street
NW and Maryland Avenue NE.
Fourteenth Street led north into the
agricultural area that would provide
food and trade for the new city.
Maryland Avenue was the link to the
cities and states to the north. The
report said of Maryland Avenue “…it
is the most direct and proper street
for the principal post road, leading
toward Bladensburg or Baltimore….”1
The term “post road” denoted the
route used by the United States mail,
and a system of post roads connected
all the major cities of the new
country.2
The connection to Bladensburg,
and from there to Annapolis,
Baltimore, and points north, was
greatly improved in 1810-12 by none
other than Benjamin Latrobe.
Latrobe was one of the seminal figures
in the early development of
Washington. As the first professionally-
trained architect and the first
engineer since L’Enfant, he brought
his expertise to the erection of public
and private buildings and the
construction of roads, bridges, and
canals. Latrobe felt strongly that the
success of the new capital as an economic
center—and therefore its viability
as a city—was dependent upon
linking it to the established cities of
the East Coast and to the developing
lands to the west.3
Latrobe was in the forefront of
pushing for the construction of
turnpikes going northeast to
Baltimore, north to Frederick, and
west to the Shenandoah Valley. In
1810, Latrobe was one of three commissioners
of the Columbia
Turnpikes Company appointed to
lay out these routes.
The first completed was the turnpike
to Bladensburg for which
Latrobe personally chose the route—
a route that exists today as the present
Bladensburg Road. Grading and
graveling began as soon as the surveying
was complete.4 The new road,
built to promote success for the city,
ironically became the route of its
destruction during the War of 1812,
when the British attacked overland
in 1814, marching down Bladensburg
Road and Maryland Avenue on
their way to burn the Capitol and
White House. The Columbia
Turnpike to Bladensburg began at a
tollbooth at the District line at the
intersection of Boundary Street
(Florida Ave.) and Maryland Avenue.
It then went north through the
tobacco port of Bladensburg and on
to Baltimore (roughly via the present
U.S. Route1). The turnpike was built
and run by a publicly-chartered private
company which maintained the
road and collected fees from travelers.
There was brisk business
between Baltimore and Washington
in the early 19th century: ten, fourhorse
stages carrying 100 passengers
school did not stimulate development
in the area to the south of it.
The spacious campus plan, and the
existence of an actual farm at the
eastern edge of the campus for many
years, helped this property retain
some of the qualities of the original
19th century estate into the 20th
century. East of Gallaudet was
Trinidad, one of several properties in
the general area owned by banker
William Wilson Corcoran. Corcoran
gave this estate to Columbian
College, the forerunner of George
Washington University, in 1872, to
begin the school’s endowment. In
1888, it was sold to the Washington
Machine Brick Company, which
already owned the land along
Boundary Street from Trinidad to
Bladensburg Road. The company
subdivided the land for a suburban
development with smaller, more
urban lots along Boundary Street
and spacious lots for larger houses to
the north. Only the southern lots
were built upon in the 19th century
with houses constructed in styles
very much like those in the study
area to the south.
The Washington Machine Brick
Company manufactured brick on
the easternmost of the large open
tracts until the clay deposits were
depleted. Then that area was developed
for housing as well. At the turn
of the century, part of the brick company’s
land was used for an American
League Baseball park across for
the intersection of I Street. (See the
appendix for a more complete, annotated
account of the properties on
the northern border of the study
area.)
The Role of Transportation
in the Development of the
Study Area.
If the Northeast quadrant of
L’Enfant’s city was sparsely settled
before the Civil War, it was not off
the beaten path. In fact, one of the
most important historical characteristics
of the study area as the location
of major transportation
routes—first roads, then railroads,
and then streetcars. These transportation
routes, crossing through
or commencing from the study area,
more than any other factor, influenced
the development of the area.
Roads
Long before the Near Northeast
became a settled neighborhood, it
had already become an important
hub for early roads linking the city
to existing highways, to distant cities
and to the farmlands of Washington
County and Maryland. The first legislative
action taken in 1802 by the
newly elected government of the
City of Washington dealt with a
report recommending which roads
should be improved to connect the
HA Neighborhood’s Story
Part II
Street
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
www.voiceofthehill.com 13
a day were traveling between the two
cities in 1828.5 The turnpike continued
in operation for nearly 60 years.
In 1871, Congress authorized the
D.C. government to “take over all
the franchise and real estate of the
Columbia Turnpike Roads
Company” and provide a free road
from 15th and H to the District line.6
There were other important early
roads leading out of the study area.
In a discussion about developing a
plan for extending the streets of the
city into Washington County, the
Report of the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia for 1887 states
that: “The great lines of communication
between city and country had
long since been established—
Benning’s road, Bladensburgh road,
Brentwood road, Seventh street road,
Fourteenth street road, and from
Georgetown, the Tennallytown
pike….”7 Three of the six roads
named originated in the study area.
Brentwood Road ran north along the
west side of Brentwood, the estate of
the Pearson/Patterson families, and
headed north through Washington
County and into Prince Georges
County.8 Benning’s Road began at
the Bladensburg tollgate and led east
across the Anacostia River where it
crossed the old road to Alexandria
and then joined the Marlboro Pike
heading toward the Prince Georges’
County seat of Upper Marlboro. It
also connected with Annapolis via
the present-day Sheriff Road. In
January 1798, Benjamin Stoddert,
Thomas Law and John Templeman
received the permission of the
Maryland legislature to incorporate
the Anacostia Bridge Company for
the purpose of building a toll bridge
across that river. It was the second
bridge connecting the city with the
eastern bank of the Anacostia River.9
By 1828, William Benning was the
sole owner of all the stock of the
Anacostia Bridge Company. Benning
gave his name to the bridge and the
road that ran across it. Opposition
grew to the tolls on the Anacostia
bridges, and in 1856 both the
Benning Road bridge and the Navy
Yard bridge were legally transferred
to the District of Columbia.10 A new
iron bridge replaced the old one in
1892.11
Of the grid streets within the survey
area, the earliest to be improved
appears to be K Street NE. It is clear
from looking at L’Enfant’s sketch
plan, and even clearer on the 1792
version of the plan produced by
Andrew Ellicott, that K Street was
meant to be an important street in
the new city. Of the grid streets, only
North, South, and East Capitol and
16th Street share its broad width. It
was probably intended to be the
same 130-foot width that L’Enfant
specifies for roads “leading to public
buildings or markets.”12 Running the
full breadth of the city, the route of
K Street passed just two blocks north
of the President’s Park and ran
through or near five of the proposed
public reservations shown on the
plan.13 The street had been opened
by at least 1809, when $800 was
appropriated for its improvement
between 7th and 13th Streets, NE.14
The street that would provide the
most direct connection between the
President’s House and the important
intersection of Maryland Avenue,
Bladensburg and Benning Roads was
not cut through until 1849.15 H Street
would become a principal thoroughfare
of the city, and in the last quarter
of the 19th century, it would
gradually become more commercialized.
Even by 1887, citizens of the
area beyond 15th Street were complaining
about the heavy burden of
traffic on H Street.16 H Street NE
would grow to become one the city’s
main neighborhood shopping streets
and one that gave an identity to the
entire Near Northeast area.
The Railroad
In the 1830s, a new form of transportation,
the steam railroad,
reached Washington via the Near
Northeast neighborhood and has
exerted a tremendous influence on
the area every since. The Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, the nation’s first
railroad, began to build its main line
out of Baltimore to the west in 1828.
By 1835, its first branch line south to
Washington was opened. At first, the
tracks stopped in Bladensburg, and
passengers made the final leg of
their trip by stagecoach. But by June
20, 1835, tracks were completed into
the city, curving across the northern
part of the study area to a temporary
terminal in a converted house at the
corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and
2nd Street, NW.17 A new passenger
terminal was eventually built at New
Jersey Ave. and C Street, NW in
1852. The B&O tracks entered the
city at approximately Boundary and
9th Street NE and then followed the
route of today’s West Virginia
Avenue,18 cutting through squares
N931, 909, 888, 857 and 831. At the
intersection of 6th Street, the tracks
went west along I to 2nd Street NE
and then went diagonally southwest
along Delaware Avenue. The trains
traveled at the amazing speed of 20
miles per hour and cut the travel
time between Washington and Baltimore
in half. The Turnpike Company
and the stage lines protested
the placement of tracks through the
city and tried to compete for passengers,
but succeeded only in forcing
the railroad to keep its prices down.19
Soon travelers and mail going north
were moving by rail.
The railroad tracks were built
across the study area at a time when
it was undeveloped. A romanticized
1839 print of a train crossing “Tiber
Creek northeast of the Capitol”20
shows a bucolic rural landscape with
frolicking cows and horses. By the
time the area began a vigorous period
of growth after the Civil War, the
railroad was an established presence.
There can be no doubt that the
trains were not the best neighbors:
they affected both quality of life and
physical safety. The engines and
whistles were noisy and they trailed
smoke, cinders, and soot in their
wake. Added to this was the problem
of grade crossings. As the roads in
the Near Northeast were gradually
opened, eleven of them crossed the
railroad tracks, and the tracks literally
ran on I Street for four blocks. The
railroad was not cooperative in
changing the level of its tracks to
that of the improved streets, making
the grade crossings difficult. Tensions
between the railroad and the
city’s residents persisted through the
19th century, and the B&O’s cavalier
attitude toward city regulations and
concerns exacerbated the issues.
Citizens complained about trains
using the city streets, marring the
beauty of the capital, and cutting off
communication between parts of
the city.21 The safety of grade crossings
was a recurring issue. As early as
1870, a memo asked Congress to
remove the B&O tracks to the city
limits “due to disregard for laws &
level crossings.”22 The issue was one
of the reasons for founding the
Northeast Citizens Association in
1892, “after many deaths made it
clear that the rail crossings were a
definite hazard.”23 In fact, elimination
of grade crossings was regarded
as one of the main goals in the erection
of Union Station and its
approaches.
Another source of concern at the
western edge of the study area was a
connection known as the “Y.” In
1873, the B&O opened its
Metropolitan Line to provide speedier
service to western destinations.
The route ran southeast to
Washington from the main line at
Point of Rocks, Maryland. It
approached the B&O Terminal down
1st Street NE, joining the existing
tracks from Baltimore just below G
Street, NE. That same year, the B&O
asked for permission to build a short,
curved connection between its two
tracks to facilitate train movement
in and out of the terminal. The “Y”
proved to be very controversial both
because it could be used to bypass
Washington as a stop for through
passenger trains, and because it
proved to be prone to accidents. On
August 17, 1887, the Evening Star carried
a lengthy account of a speeding
passenger train that wrecked at the
“Y,” demolishing a signal tower,
killing the engineer, and injuring
many others. Although an inquest
held into the death of the engineer
concluded the wreck was an accident
caused by faulty brakes, the verdict
went on to say that “ …this accident
and others that have occurred
at this point, is due to the very rapid
rate of speed with which trains
habitually enter the city…”24 The
District Commissioners also reacted
on the day after the wreck, allowing
the railroad to use the “Y” for only
four through freights a day at speeds
no greater than 6 miles per hour.25
The wreck illustrated the tensions
between the necessity for good railroad
connections and the danger
and inconvenience to the residents.
The day after the wreck, the Star editorialized
its “… hope for the general
relief of East Washington from
above-ground steam railroads, and
the relief of South Washington and
the mall from similar nuisances. The
Commissioners and the citizens’
committee can address themselves
to no work of greater public importance…”
26
The influence of the railroads on
the study area was not all negative.
Despite the country estates that dotted
the hills above Florida Ave., the
proximity to the railroad and the
jobs it provided were probably
important reasons why the Near
Northeast developed as a middle and
working class neighborhood. In the
19th century walking city, the presence
of the railroad and its passenger
and freight terminals and rail yard
were a source of nearby employment.
Short spurs off the tracks in
the northeast neighborhood served
smaller individually owned coal and
wood yards. The 1904 Sanborn map
shows coal yards at Delaware Avenue
and H, 4th and I, and on both the
northeast and southwest corners of
8th and K. The area did not, however,
develop a decidedly industrial
caste as a result of the presence of
the railroad. It remained a largely
residential area with a scattering of
mixed uses. The 1904 map also
shows that the lots closest to the
tracks were slower to develop. Only
houses at the northwest corner of
7th and I and 9th and K were built
with the trains in their back yards.
When the tracks were removed
after Union Station and its new
approaches went into service in
1907, the railroad right of way from
6th Street north became West
Virginia Avenue. The removal of the
railroad improved the residential
quality of the neighborhood north
of H Street and encouraged development
of the remaining empty lots.
The Act authorizing Union Station
confirmed and preserved the residential
character of the neighborhoods
east of 2nd Street by forbidding
spurs on the east side of the
new track alignment.27
Union Station
In the early 20th century, immense
changes in the development of the
northeast quadrant of the city result-
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
14 www.voiceofthehill.com
‘more or less in a condition of inserviceability
for public use.’”29 Because
of its importance as a transportation
corridor, H Street was the last one to
be worked on. While it was under
construction, traffic was detoured up
to K Street. Conditions did not finally
improve until the roads were
repaved in 1907.30
The Union Station project was one
of the largest public works projects
in the country, costing $25 million
and employing over 5000 workmen.
Many of the laborers were gangs of
Southern and Eastern Europeans
who traveled from one construction
site to another.31 However, it is
impossible to believe that such a
lengthy and expensive project did
not also provide employment for
many in the neighborhoods directly
adjacent to it.
Once the project was finished,
Union Station physically dominated
the western boundary of the study
area. The bulk of the station, its
stone retaining walls, and the long
underpasses beneath the tracks created
a visual demarcation between
the Near Northeast and the areas to
the west. The Congressional act that
authorized Union Station also reinforced
changing development patterns
on either side of the tracks.
Spurs off the railroad were not
allowed on the east side of the
tracks, reinforcing the desire to
maintain the neighborhood as a residential
area. Spurs were allowed on
the west and the main B&O coal
yard, warehouses, manufacturing,
and other industrial uses prevailed
there.32
The Streetcar
The most important factor in the
growth of the Near Northeast area
was the establishment of a street railway
line along H Street. Chartered
by Congress in 1870, the Columbia
Railroad Company was the city’s
third horse car operator. Its route
began at 15th Street and New York
Avenue NW, where it intersected the
established Navy Yard to Georgetown
line, and continued east on
New York to K Street (at that time
the location of the Northern Liberties
Market). From K, it went south
on Massachusetts Avenue to H Street
and all the way across H to the city
boundary at 15th Street NE, a roundtrip
distance of five miles. The line
began as a single track with turnouts
for cars to pass, but a double
track was added by 1872.33 The company
built a car barn and stable on
the east side of 15th Street just south
of H Street at the eastern end of the
line.
By 1883, the company was running
15 cars, each making 11 trips
daily. There were 34 employees and
52 horses in the stable. The line
proved profitable and returned a dividend
of $.50 to $1 per share to its
ed from the building of a single terminal
to serve all the railroads coming
into the District of Columbia.
This new Union Station, erected
between 1903 and 1907, was part of
the grand vision of the McMillan
Commission, creating a ceremonial
entrance to the city just to the north
of, and oriented toward, the Capitol
building. The area chosen for the
station, at the intersection of Delaware
and Massachusetts Avenues,
was low-lying ground near the former
bed of Goose Creek. The station
and the tracks and yards spreading
out behind it to the northeast would
wipe out 300 houses and businesses
in an area known as Swampoodle28
and would cut a swath across the
developing H Street commercial corridor,
devastating the area east of the
Government Printing Office where
business development was the oldest
and most intense. The business section
of Boyd’s Directory for 1890, a
decade before the project began,
already listed over 80 businesses in
the area between North Capitol and
2nd Street NE that would have been
either destroyed or greatly affected
by the railroad construction project.
The station project had an intense
and lasting effect on the Near
Northeast study area. First the site
had to be prepared with the purchase
and demolition of buildings
and the leveling of the ground.
Steam shovels tore down hills, and
the fill was transported to build up
low ground where the station and
plaza would stand. Although the
B&O and Pennsylvania Railroads,
the two companies building the station,
had bought enough land to
provide nearby neighbors with some
buffer from construction, the dirt
and noise of pile driving and
machinery must have been a major
inconvenience. Even more important,
the east-west streets and streetcar
line that connected the neighborhood
with the downtown area to
the west all had to pass directly
through the construction zone. The
master plan called for all these
streets to pass under the tracks that
approached the station on a massive
viaduct. This eliminated the hazard
of grade crossings that previously
concerned residents, but to accomplish
it required massive regrading of
all the east-west streets, beginning at
about 3rd Street.
When the east-west streets were
lowered to pass under the viaduct,
the north-south streets that intersected
them also had to be lowered,
and even the alleys had to be adjusted.
Evidence of this work can be seen
in the western part of the study area,
especially along 2nd Street where
19th century houses stand far above
the sidewalks. In the spring of 1905,
the city’s assistant highway engineer
“reported that, save for H, every
street that crossed the viaduct was
ments used in its favor were that a
short line upon an easy grade between
the points mentioned in the
proposed route could be managed at
a small cost, and that the prospective
growth in value of property
along the line would recompense
the owners of lots in the eastern section
by making a market for them.
On the other hand, those opposed
or totally indifferent to the enterprise,
pointed to the Egyptian darkness
of all that portion of the route
east of the government printing
office, the absence of streets or
grades, and the non-existence of any
sewerage, whole squares of ground
being perpetually covered with
water.
The line proved a successful asset
to development. In the year 1869,
before the line was proposed, the
value of land and improvements
along its route east of North Capitol
Street was $311, 662. By 1873, that
figure had risen to $745,219. Houses
were erected near both North Capitol
and near the car barns and turnpike
tollbooth at 15th Street.
“…Streets were opened and graded,
sewerage established, gas and water
introduced, and a permanent population
located where before had been
a few hovels and a dangerous neighborhood.”
38
The investors and officers of the
Columbia Line included some of the
best known figures in the city at that
time. Among those whose names
appeared on the application for a
charter were Matthew Emery, the
Mayor of the city, and Edward Miner
Gallaudet, the president of Gallaudet
College.39 J. C. McKendon was the
first president of the line, and he
served until construction was completed.
He was succeeded by Henry
A. Willard, a Washington entrepreneur
and the owner of the Willard
Hotel. Willard owned several squares
(numbers 909 and 932) in the Near
Northeast in partnership with John
H. Ketcham. Ketcham was a Civil
War general, congressman from New
York (1865-1873), and one of the
three appointed commissioners of
the District of Columbia.40
Part of the requirements for laying
the track along city streets was the
concomitant improvement of the
street. The improvements to H Street
that accompanied the laying of the
streetcar tracks would help to make
it the most direct and best-maintained
route from the intersection of
the main roads at 15th and H Streets
NE to the residential and commercial
areas to the west. Over time, this
would encourage the commercialization
of H Street itself.
In the late 19th century, street railway
service was extended beyond
the15th and H Streets, NE intersection
that had served as the terminus
for nearly 30 years. Using electricity
from the power plant built to power
stockholders.34 The line initially ran
an economical one-man one-horse
car, nicknamed the “bobtail,” that
did not have a separate conductor,
requiring passengers to work their
way to the front of the car to pay
their fares before finding a seat. The
cars were so unpopular that patrons
eventually conducted a riders’ strike
and refused to pay their fares until
the company agreed to begin providing
larger and more comfortable
cars. Their action led to Congress
banning the short cars on all D.C.
routes in 1892.35
The Columbia Railroad is an interesting
footnote in the history of
American transit. In 1888, Congress
mandated the end of horse propulsion
in Washington by 1892, but
refused to allow the use of overhead
electrical wires in the L’Enfant city.
There was no successful underground
electrical propulsion system
at that time, and Washington streetcar
operators experimented with a
number of alternative, but unsuccessful,
systems. In 1894, both the
much larger Metropolitan Line and
the Columbia Line were being
pushed to find new forms of propulsion.
Both considered the adoption
of an underground electrical conduit
system like the one that General
Electric was developing for New York
City. But only the Metropolitan Line
decided to experiment with the
untried system on one of it routes.
After much research and debate, the
directors of the Columbia Line voted
to go with a known technology and
convert their system to cable. They
erected a new car barn and power
plant facing Benning Road east of
15th Street in1895. But even before
the first of Columbia’s cable cars ran,
the Metropolitan Line had finished
and begun service on its 9th Street
NW line using electric conduit—the
wave of the future. The Columbia
Line would be the last cable system
built in the United States. It was a
short-lived system. The last cable car
run on the Columbia route—and the
last one in the city—was on July 23,
1899. The system was then converted
to electric conduit.36
Unlike the first two street railway
companies in the city that provided
transportation through and between
the most populated neighborhoods,
37 the Columbia Line was the
first of many lines built in the metropolitan
area whose purpose was to
increase the value of undeveloped
land. A lengthy article on the founding
of the line from the November
16, 1883 National Republican reveals
the skepticism that greeted the
choice of its route and gives a colorful
description of the level of development
in the Near Northeast area
in the late 1860s:
It was a difficult task to persuade
capitalists that the enterprise would
ever prove remunerative. The argu-
www.voiceofthehill.com 15
Hugh Kelly
A S S O C I AT E B RO K E R
Winner, ‘Platinum Award’ Every Year Since Inception in 1998 (Annual DC Home Sales in Excess of $10 Million)
202-588-2224
email hugh@hughkelly.com
GARY JANKOWSKI, Buyer Specialist, 202-439-6009
gary@hughkelly.com
All of Hugh’s listings can be viewed at www.hughkelly.com
2002–
The BEST
EVER!!
THANKS, CAPITOL
HILL!!!!
Avery sincere “thank you”
to the sellers and buyers
we did business with
this year. Despite many challenges,
it was truly an exciting
and gratifying year.
For me, one of the most satisfying
aspects of the year was to see
how widely the Hill is (finally!)
perceived as a highly desirable
place to live. Those of us who
have been on the Hill for a long
time have always known this. I
have been doing real estate on
the Hill for 28 years now, and I
have noticed a dramatic shift in
attitude among our buyers: now
they want the Hill because it IS
the Hill; the unique mix that
makes the Hill what it is has
become known to a whole new
legion of potential residents and
they love it!
We look forward to an even
more satisfying 2003.
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
16 www.voiceofthehill.com
largest centers for ordnance production
and engineering by 1898. It was
the city’s single largest source of
employment.42 The 8th Street line
provided the residents of the Near
Northeast with easy access to the
jobs at the Navy Yard, and census
records show that many of them
were employed there.
For 27 years, the Near Northeast
was also served by a special highspeed
interurban streetcar service
that linked Washington with
Annapolis, Baltimore, and intermediate
towns. In 1908, the Washington
Baltimore & Annapolis (WB&A)
Railroad inaugurated frequent electric
trains from its terminal at 15th
and H Streets, NE. Express trains
could reach either Baltimore or
Annapolis in under an hour. After
1910, the trains ran all the way to
downtown Washington along the H
Street streetcar tracks. To avoid competition
with the host line, they did
not pick up any intra-city passengers.
However with the growth of
private automobiles and the economic
effects of the Depression, the
line was closed in August 1935.
One more railway, the short-lived
Washington, Spa Green, and Gretta
Railroad also used the 15th and H NE
location as a terminus. The company
its cable operation, the Columbia
Line won permission in 1898 to
build an electric trolley line east
along Benning Road. Since this route
was outside the city, overhead wires
could be used. The line split on the
east side of the Anacostia. One
branch ran to Kenilworth, and the
other connected at Seat Pleasant
with the terminus of the steam-powered
Chesapeake Beach Railroad
serving the popular resort on the
western shore of the Chesapeake
Bay. By 1899, Columbia Railroad had
been acquired by Washington
Traction and Electric Company, a
holding company that had gained
control of all of the city’s streetcar
lines except those of the Capital
Traction Company. In 1902,
Washington Traction developed
financial problems and was taken
over by Washington Railway and
Electric Company. In 1932, all of the
city’s streetcar and bus lines were
merged into the Capital Transit
Company.41
More streetcar access was provided
in 1908 when the Capital Traction
Company’s U Street line was extended
east down Boundary Street to 8th
Street NE, and from there south
down 8th to the Navy Yard. The
Navy Yard was one of the world’s
road tracks. Another stretch exists where
Brentwood Road crossed another early
road, Queens Chapel Road.
9 The first bridge was built at the foot of
Kentucky Avenue in 1796. It was burned
in the War of 1812 and rebuilt with
Congressional funds. It burned completely
in 1846 and was not replaced
until 1890. A third bridge was built
between 11th and 12th Streets, SE by the
Navy Yard Bridge Company in 1819. East
Washington Citizens Association,
(Pamphlet on the history of East
Washington) 1891
10 East Washington Citizens Association.
Ibid.
11 Report of Engineers Department, District
of Columbia, 1892, p. 199
12 Pamphlet by the East Washington
Citizens Association states that its width
was 147.8 feet in 1891.
13 Today K Street passes Mount Vernon
Square, Franklin Park, McPherson
Square, Farragut Square, and Washington
Circle. A proposed circle at 16th and K
was not built.
14 East Washington Citizens Association.
Ibid.
15 Proctor, Washington Star, 11/29/31
16 United States Senate Doc. No. 58, 1887
17 Proctor, Washington Past and Present, p.
718
18 West Virginia Avenue replaced the original
track bed after the completion of
Union Station in 1907.
19 Proctor, Washington Past and Present, 719
20 In the Prints and Photographs Division,
Library of Congress
21 Proctor, Washington Past and Present, 722-
723
22 East Washington Citizens Association.
Ibid.
23 Washington Star, 12/12/52
24 Evening Star August 18, 1887, p.1
25 Report of the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia, 1888, p. 40-41
26 Evening Star, August 18, 1887
27 Wright, William. “Now Arriving
Washington: Union Station and Life in
the Nation’s Capital.” Manuscript of dissertation
draft. 2002
28 Wright. Ibid.
29 Wright. Ibid.
30 William Wright’s manuscript dissertation
on the history of Union Station,
that is the basis for the information in
the preceding paragraphs, contains a
chapter detailing the effects of station
construction on the surrounding neighborhoods.
It has a number of colorful
descriptions of the condition of the
streets and the difficulties residents
endured because of roadwork.
31 Wright. Ibid.
32 Wright, chapter 3
33 King, LeRoy O., Jr. 100 Years of Capital
Traction. The Story of Streetcars in the
Nation’s Capital. Taylor Publishing
Company, 1972, p. 13.
34 National Republican, 11/16/83]
35 King, 13
36 King, 32,35
37 The Washington and Georgetown
Railway Company was chartered in 1862.
Its main route ran between Georgetown
and the Navy Yard via Pennsylvania
Avenue. Intersecting lines went along
7th and 14th Streets, NW. The
Metropolitan Railroad Company was
formed in 1864 and ran from the Capitol
to the War Department via F Street, NW
38 National Republican, 11/16/83.
39 Ibid
40 District of Columbia Schools, Office of
the Statistician. “Biographical Directory
of the Public Schools of the District of
Columbia.” Typescript, 1953.
41 Traceries and Parsons Engineering
Science, Inc. “DC Early Transportation
Systems Survey: Early Roads, Railroads
and Streetcars.” Report prepared for the
D.C. Preservation League and the D.C.
Historic Preservation Division, 1996.
42 Overbeck, Eastern Market, p. 13
43 King, 104-5
was incorporated in 1905 and by
1910 began running trains from a
modest waiting station and car barn
near 15th and H along Bladensburg
Road to Bladensburg. Although initially
planned to go as far as
Gettysburg, PA, the line never ran
further than an extension to Berwyn
Heights. The route was planned to
promote development of land
owned by the company adjacent to
the tracks, but it never successfully
competed with established rail lines
in the same area. The line became
the Washington Interurban Railroad
Company in 1916, and by 1923 the
streetcars had been replaced by buses
and the tracks removed when
Bladensburg Road was paved.43
NOTE: The Capitol Hill North/Near
Northeast Cultural and Social History
Study has been funded with the assistance
of a matching grant from the US
Department of Interior, National Park
Service, through the State Historic
Preservation Grant-in-Aid Program,
Historic Preservation Office, Office of
Planning, District of Columbia, under
provisions of the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.
1 Quoted in Clark, Allen C. “The Mayorality
of Robert Brent,” Records of the
Columbia Historical Society, Vol. 33-34,
Clark, p. 269
2 The mail was first carried by riders, but by
1785, the volume of mail had grown so
large that existing stage lines were used
to move it between cities. Alexandria was
the first town in the area to have a post
office. The mail moved down a road on
the east side of the Anacostia and by
ferry into Alexandria. After Georgetown
got a post office, a road from Bladensburg
led directly to that city along a
route north of the present Florida
Avenue. A post office was established in
Washington in 1795. (Holmes, Oliver W.
“Stage coach Days in the District of
Columbia,” Records of the Columbia
Historical Society, Vol. 50, pp. 7, 11) On
June 29, 1795, The Postmaster General of
the USA instructed stage operators that
the Baltimore-Georgetown route would
thenceforth have to stop also in
Washington City.
3 Formwalt, Lee W. “Benjamin Henry
Latrobe and the Development of
Transportation in the District of
Columbia, 1802-1817. Records of the
Columbia Historical Society. Vol. 50, p.
38-39
4 Formwalt, 41-43. The only remaining version
of the plan prepared by L’Enfant ca.
1791 (reproduced in Gutheim pp. 34-35)
shows a diagonal avenue, beginning at
Massachusetts Avenue NE and running
northeast approximately parallel to the
angle of Maryland Avenue until it intersects
Boundary Street at approximately L
Street NE. This intersection is labeled as
the beginning of the “New Road to
Bladensburg.” This avenue does not
appear on the Ellicott version of
L’Enfant’s plan that became the basis for
laying out the new city.
5 Proctor, John Clagett, editor. Washington
Past and Present: a History. New York:
Lewis Historical Publishing Company,
Inc. 1935, p. 718
6 Records of the Columbia Historical
Society, Vol. 20, 40-41
7 Report of the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia, 1887, p. 48
8 Small stretches of this old road remain,
running from the north end of 6th Street
NE across New York Avenue and the rail-
Sunday Worship Schedule
8:15 am Holy Eucharist - spoken
9:15 am Breakfast
9:45 am Adult Forum - Bible
study and discussion of
special issues
10:00 am Church School
11:00 am* Holy Eucharist - music
12:00 pm Coffee Hour and
Fellowship
Nursery care for children under 3
available at 8:15 am
CHRIST CHURCH—a
welcoming community
of faith and fellowship
with a big heart and
room to grow.
620 G Street SE
Just two and a half blocks
south of Eastern Market
Metro station Christ Church in 1918
See our web site
www.washingtonparish.org
Phone (202) 547-9300
The Rev. Dr. Judith A. Davis, Rector
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
www.voiceofthehill.com 17
THE FLOURISHING OF
CAPITOL HILL
On a picturesque weekend in early
January, “For Sale” signs dot the
snow-covered front yards of homes
in almost every block surrounding
Eastern Market. Less than a week
later, the snow has melted, and the
signs now read “SOLD.”
On another day, a representative
from a local real estate firm sends a
voice message to East Capitol Street
residents congratulating them on
the arrival of a new neighbor who
has purchased a home for over
$850,000. Real estate on Capitol Hill
is booming.
The national real estate market has
exploded in the last year, as well.
The Washington Post reports that, in
2002, home sales across the country
reached an unprecedented high of
6.5 million, as a result of plummeting
mortgage rates, which reached a
40-year low in the first week of
January.
Local real estate agent John Parker
says these trends in the national
economy, combined with a recent
increase in the popularity of city living,
have made Capitol Hill an especially
thriving market. “First of all,
cities are back,” he says. “And you
don’t need to be an economist to see
that this country-wide surge is certainly
helping the local real estate
…We are a place on the upswing.”
Market figures provide ample evidence
for this upswing. In 2002, the
gross volume for settlements on
homes and condominiums on
Capitol Hill exceeded $608 billion, a
sharp rise both from $494 billion in
the previous year and what now
seems a meager $156 billion in 1995.
Moreover, the average sales price for
a townhouse on the Hill rose 31 percent
in 2001 and then shot up
another 24.33 percent in 2002, while
the District as a whole saw 18 and
11.82 percent rises in those years.
Parker attributes the Hill’s popularity,
in part, to changes in local
government. Several political events
in the last five years, he says, directly
correlate with sudden jumps in
home prices. One is the congressional
appointment of the DC Control
Board, which restored confidence in
the city for many potential buyers,
thereby spurring demand for homes.
Similarly, he believes the election of
Mayor Anthony Williams and the
departure of Marion Barry helped
prompt a rise of roughly $18,000 in
average home sale prices in 1998 and
an overall rise of $192,000 during
Williams’ first four-year term.
Parker also cites the opening of
the MCI Center as a reason for the
$23,000 increase in average home
sales prices in 1997.
Others attribute the success of
local real estate to a general rise in
the quality of life. “The market is
exploding because Capitol Hill keeps
getting better and better and better
all the time,” says George Didden,
CEO of National Capital Bank.
The Big Draws
Whatever the reason, this boom is
attracting hundreds of new residents,
the majority of whom are
moving from DC’s immediate suburbs.
Parker explains that more
homeowners today are forgoing the
quiet remove of neighborhoods in
Bethesda, Arlington, and even upper
Northwest in favor of easier commutes
and greater access to cultural
institutions in downtown. “The key
word here is commute,” he says.
“We’re a walking community, so you
don’t have to have a marriage agreement
with your car keys …You can
walk to work, or take the Metro to
MCI and be in your seat for the
hockey game in 15 minutes.”
Many of these newcomers, Parker
believes, are “empty-nesters,” who
have children off at college and are
now seeking leisure opportunities on
both the Hill and in downtown DC,
in places like Chinatown,
Georgetown, the Smithsonian, the
Folger Theater, and the Library of
Congress.
However, former suburbanites are
not the only newcomers. Renters on
the Hill who have decided to purchase
homes also account for a
“huge piece of the pie,” Parker says.
Many are young, professional couples
who plan to have children and
are willing to overlook the Hill’s
institutional shortcomings. “You’ve
got 29-year old newlyweds, knowing
full well they’re going to have children,
knowing full well the educational
dilemma they’re going to face
in this city, and yet willing to bite
the bullet because they want to be
here so much,” Parker says.
With the Hill attracting droves of
young and old, competition for
homes has become particularly heated
in the areas between First Street
and Lincoln Park. According to Larry
Kamins, a local real estate broker, the
appeal of living close to the epicenter
of business, culture, and politics
in DC has sparked enormous
demand for homes closer to the
Capitol. “Popularity and price run
hand-in-hand, in concentric circles
around the Capitol,” he says. “The
closer you are, the more you pay,
and sometimes that means figures of
one and two million.”
But being near the center of activity
is not the only draw of Capitol
Hill. Certainly, other parts of DC
(and other cities, for that matter)
offer easy commutes and the same
proximity to business and culture.
And some people are, in fact, turned
off by the thought of living so close
to the home base of national politics.
Parker and others believe the Hill
offers many other unique qualities
that set it apart in the real estate
market. One is its historic architecture.
Residents say the old, Victorian
townhouses add an induplicable
mystique to the Hill.
While some hail the Hill’s diversity
and inclusiveness, others say
homebuyers are more attracted to
the self-contained, small-town feel
of neighborhoods like Eastern
Market. “I’ve always seen Capitol
Hill as a little village within a city,”
one resident says. “We’re not quite
Mayberry, but we’re not L.A. either
… Everybody knows each other.
Everybody just kind of blends in.”
Perhaps the greatest appeal of
Capitol Hill, however, is not something
that potential homebuyers can
see at first glance. For many, it is
something like hometown pride, an
appreciation for the finer details that
one fosters only after living in a
community for many years.
“You get a day like yesterday
where the snow is falling, the trees
are covered and the Capitol dome is
above you, and that’s when it really
becomes unique,” Parker says. “You
can’t find that in any other place in
the world. I’ve been here over 20
years; it’s my home, and I love it. It’s
easy to be biased when you live on
Capitol Hill.”
***
THE GENTRIFICATION
CRISIS
Yet this real estate boom poses some
problems.
Real estate agents, mortgage
bankers, and residents alike often
paint a bright picture of booming
local real estate and a flourishing
Hill community. And for many, this
is true.
With the rising demand for
homes, Capitol Hill has become a
hotbed for real estate. Not only have
BOOMING
REAL ESTATE
The Many Costs of Living on Capitol Hill
BY COLIN GUSTAFSON
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
18 www.voiceofthehill.com
Al Dainton, who recently moved
into a townhouse near H Street, NE,
agrees. “The people who are moving
out must be making a killing with
these new prices,” he says.
However, for residents with a lifelong
attachment to the Hill, the
promise of “making a killing” means
very little. Rob Nevitt, a retired
Foreign Service officer and President
of the Capitol Hill Restoration
Society, says he and his wife love the
Hill and plan to stay there for the
rest of their lives.
If anything, this increase in property
values bodes poorly for him.
Instead of looking forward to future
profits, Nevitt faces changing assessments
and rising property taxes,
which he says pose a financial strain
for anyone living on fixed or low
resale values shot up on existing
homes, but development firms are
constructing new, high-end homes,
filling vacant lots and buildings with
luxurious townhouses and condominiums.
Many residents have welcomed
this development. In the 600 block
of Massachusetts Avenue, NE, where
new $800,000 townhouses are going
up just around the corner, 15-year
resident Debra Knopman is excited.
This high-end construction means
her own property values will rise,
and if she decides to sell her home in
a few years, her sale price will be
more than three times the amount
she originally paid. “It’s like being
given a gift of tens of thousands of
dollars in equity just for living here,”
she says.
you’re not going to make a killing—
you can’t, it’s awash— because their
homes are very expensive too.”
Nevitt is also concerned that
upscale housing development will
undermine the diversity of the Hill
by attracting a larger demographic of
wealthy residents, while prompting
more middle-income residents to
leave. “Diversity is something we all
value, here, be it racial, economic,
whatever,” he says. “I’m neither a
sociologist nor an economist. But I
do know when you see the new row
houses being built for six-hundred,
or whatever, it means you’re getting
the gentry, and inevitably there’s
going to be a dilution of the interesting
character of the Hill.”
Others worry that the influx of
upscale homes will also invite further
corporate business development
in many neighborhoods. Already,
appearance of chains, like Starbucks,
has threatened to close many smaller,
locally-owned businesses on the
Hill.
In spite of such concerns, however,
outside demand continues to fuel
high-end development.
A Wave of Gentrification
As Kamins explains, popularity
diminishes the farther out one
moves from the Capitol, but this fact
has not stopped many well-to-do
homebuyers who can’t quite afford
near-Capitol homes from paying
high prices in “farther-out” neighborhoods.
Parker explains, “With so much
competition, the Hill is forever
expanding in its quality and its
realm, and we’re not talking just 2nd
and East Capitol; we’re talking 18th
and 19th and East Capitol … The
gentrification wave just continues.”
This wave has continued, reaching
the geographic and socioeconomic
margins of Capitol Hill and bringing
with it a sense of amazement for
many residents. Jim Myers, who has
written for The Atlantic Monthly
about his experience living in a
notoriously violent neighborhood
near Kentucky Courts, says he is
shocked by where some development
firms are willing to place
upscale housing.
“We’ve got new, $800,000 homes
going up where the Kentucky Courts
Crew hangs out around the corner,”
he says. “Where there’s a heroin
market a block away, where the
women from the methadone clinic
are coming and going. I mean, the
needle van stops a block from the
five-hundred-thousand dollar condos,
where the sign says ‘Luxury
with an edge.’ What kind of ‘edge’
are they talking about?”
For many, the sudden presence of
upscale homes in or near povertyridden
neighborhoods is evidence of
an economic polarization of the Hill,
a widening of the gulf between rich
income. The burden of this housing
expansion, he says, falls squarely on
the shoulders of the retired, and,
more severely, on the poor, especially
those living on supplemental government
incomes.
Moreover, Nevitt believe the
promise of rising property values is
an empty one for those who do plan
to sell their homes because of similarly
rising real estate values elsewhere.
He warns that many residents
relocating from the Hill have a
false impression that they can make
a steal on nice homes in DC’s immediate
suburbs. “Yeah, you might
make pretty penny at first,” he says.
“But that’s phony good news,
because then where are you going to
move? Even if you move to somewhere
like Prince George’s County
After a decade of steady growth, the Capitol Hill real estate market has soared to new
heights in the last several years. Here are some important trends charting the
market’s growth and demographic changes in the area over the past two decades:
Real estate:
_ The total, gross volume for settlements (fee simple) on homes and condominiums on Capitol Hill shot up from $146
billion in 1995 to $494 billion in 2001, and then to over $608 billion in 2002.
_ The average sold price for a townhouse (fee simple) on Capitol Hill rose gradually from $154,000 to $199,000
between 1995 and 1999, and then skyrocketed to $373,000 in 2002.
_ The marketshare for homes sold for less than $150,000 dropped from approximately 60 percent to less than 10 percent
between 1995 and 2002, whereas the marketshare sold for greater than $500,000 went from nothing to 20 percent.
_ The average sales price for a Capitol Hill townhouse rose 142.21 percent between 1995 and 2002.
_ Between 2000 and 2001, Capitol Hill saw a 31 percent rise in the average sales price for a townhouse, whereas the
District, as whole, saw an 18 percent rise.
Demographics:
_ The Capitol Hill population dropped from approximately 47,500 in 1985 to under 35,000 in 2002.
_ The average household income for Capitol Hill rose steadily from approximately $72,000 in 1995 to just under
$100,000 in 2002, and is expected to reach $120,000 in 2007.
Charts and information courtesy of John Parker.
$400,000
$300,000
$200,000
$100,000
$0
$154,000 $154,000
$181,000
$158,000
$199,000
$229,000
$300,000
$373,000
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
MCI Center opens
Williams elected
Mayor Williamss’ 4-year term and
governing of new Control Board help
restore confidence in the District
Average Sold Price on Capitol Hill (Fee Simple)
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
www.voiceofthehill.com 19
and poor. “Rising real estate values
have left the eastern and northern
ends of Capitol Hill as places with a
very strange, split personality,”
Myers says. “On one side of the
street, you have a school where 87
percent of the kids come from lowincome
families, and, on the other
side, you have seven- and eight-hundred-
thousand dollar townhouses
going up.”
Still, many are guardedly optimistic
about such expansion. Myers
believes wealthy residents moving
into the new homes might attract
business that would circulate money
throughout the entire community,
benefiting both rich and poor. In
this mixed-income situation, publichousing
areas, like the old Kentucky
Courts and other low-income neighborhoods,
might begin to overcome
the “negative elements” of isolation
from the outside economy, he says.
Others question the effectiveness
of a mixed-income area comprised
mostly of rich and poor, and very little
middle class.
Additionally, local government is
taking steps to ensure that expanding
real estate will offer benefits to
the community, according to Nevitt.
The city demanded amenities from
the Bryant Square development
firm, requiring it to air-condition
Payne School and pay for new playground
equipment in Lincoln Park
before granting building variances.
“The city needs to say, ‘Let’s hold
their feet to the fire’ a bit more, and
get something for the privilege of
doing this profit-making activity,”
Nevitt says.
Still, many feel this is not enough.
One major question is whether the
city will intervene in the development
of Reservation 13, near
Children’s Hospital, an area recently
opened to commercial development.
Former ANC commissioner Kenan
Jarboe says local government,
although unable to regulate commerce,
can and should to do everything
in its jurisdiction to ensure
mixed-income housing in these new
areas.
Ultimately, however, Myers
believes the responsibility lies with
the residents. For him and many
others, the effect of the real estate
boom on his community will hinge
on whether new residents become
civically engaged. “We’re going to
have a lot of wealthy, new people
who might, at first, get a suspicious
eye from some of us,” he says. “But
the question is are these people really
going to become part of the community?
Are they going to get
involved in bettering it for everyone?”
Colin Gustafson is The Voice of the
Hill’s intern.
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“We’ve got new, eight-hundred-thousand-dollar homes going up where the
Kentucky Courts Crew hangs out around the corner,” Myers says. “Where there’s
a heroin market a block away, where the women from the methadone clinic are
coming and going. I mean, the needle van stops a block from the five-hundredthousand
dollar condos, where the sign says ‘Luxury with an edge.’ What kind of
‘edge’ are they talking about?”
JIM MYERS
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
20 www.voiceofthehill.com
7th and 8th Streets, alluded to a
number of problems with the ongoing
construction, including an
extremely high increase in the number
of traffic violations and questionable
parking rules.
“Ever since the construction started,
it’s been murder trying to
maneuver through the four or fiveblock
radius where the stores are
located,” Matthews said. “It’s beginning
to remind me of Georgetown
the way you have to park eight
blocks from where you want to go. It
also doesn’t help that police are on
just about every corner waiting to
ticket you.”
One problem in particular that’s
been a source of controversy is the
lack of parking resulting from the $8
million renovation occurring on
“Barracks Row,” near the Marine barracks
on 8th Street and surrounding
side streets.
The parking problems are twofold:
first, there isn’t enough parking
along 8th Street to satisfy the customer
base for stores, which leads to
many customers parking on the side
streets in front of residents’ homes,
leaving those residents trying to find
parking. Additionally, the parking
that is available on 8th Street is
sometimes improperly marked.
With that in mind, both residents
and shoppers complain that the “no
parking” signs that are required to go
up three days in advance of construction
have been late.
“I’ve lived in this area for more
than 10 years, and I’ve never seen
anything like this,” said 53-year old
Syd Kelley, who takes daily one-mile
walks up 8th Street. “I used to be
able to park in front of my house,
but now I often have to park three
blocks away during the day because
shoppers who usually park on the
meters are now parking in the residential
areas.”
The construction, which began
after a “notice to proceed” was
issued on September 16, 2002, is
scheduled to be completed and
The bumper-to-bumper traffic and
parking squabbles that are most
associated with traditionally heavy
shopping and business areas, such as
downtown D.C. and Georgetown,
have managed to become the subject
of talk in the Eastern Market portion
of Capitol Hill.
Along Eighth Street Southeast,
near Pennsylvania Avenue, a construction
project that area merchants
hope will ultimately attract
more people and add revenue to
businesses has caused local residents
and shoppers to express displeasure
with the clutter caused by construction.
Sarah Matthews, a local resident
who often frequents the shops along
their property. That’s how bad this
thing has gotten,” said Simmons.
When questioned about the parking
issues on Barracks Row, Dan
Tangherlini, Director of Department
Transportation, said that he was
aware of the parking concerns from
area residents and shoppers. He also
noted that the tardiness of the no
parking signs has been the direct
result of bad weather in the city.
“When it rains or snows, construction
crews are unable to get out and
put signs up in a timely manner
because they don’t work during
inclement weather like they do at
the site in Georgetown, which is a
larger project. This project is more of
a surface renovation and, as a result,
construction gets pushed back when
we get precipitation and people who
park under the rules of the no parking
signs are given tickets when they
don’t feel they should.”
A representative with the
Department of Motor Vehicles who
asked not to be identified said that it
is the responsibility of the Transportation
Department to make sure that
the parking signs accurately reflect
the parking restrictions or notify
DMV of any changes. If not, the representative
said that all parking regulations
would be fully enforced.
In addressing potential remedies
to the problems, Tangherlini said it
might be possible to reduce the
required notification time for hanging
the no parking signs as well as to
reduce the amount of real estate that
the construction crews are taking up.
“We’re currently looking into
changing the notification period
from three days to two hours,”
Tangherlini said. There are certain
legal channels that we must take, but
we’re working hard to correct the
problems...we’re very optimistic that
we’ll strike a balance between customers
and construction.”
In the interim, residents and business
patrons say they will continue
to deal with the parking and traffic
problems. Many believe that as long
as the Barracks Row project is in the
construction phase, these issues will
continue.
“I can’t see anything really changing,”
said Simmons. “It’s just not
going to be enough parking until the
construction is finished.”
“I just hope that the benefits of
the finished project give me the
opportunity to forget about all the
problems I went through during the
construction. The benefits won’t
take away the two tickets that I got,
but I love to shop, and if Eighth
Street is as nice as projected, I’ll be
happy,” said Matthews.
This is freelance writer Chad Clinton’s
first story for The Voice of the Hill.
undergo final review on October 16
of this year. As a result, both residents
and area business patrons are
concerned about their ability to find
parking in areas where getting tickets
won’t be a concern.
Businesses have also expressed
some reservations about the construction
despite the fact that it’s
designed to support economic development
and help make Barracks
Row/8th Street, from Pennsylvania
Avenue to M Street, a lively, exciting
commercial corridor, with special
emphasis on small business and job
development.
Adam Watson, Sales Manager at
Capitol Hill Bikes, said that sales
have dropped since the beginning of
the construction. “I don’t want to
place all of the blame on the construction,
but the lack of parking
created by the space that construction
crews are taking up has been a
concern to us because customers
aren’t comfortable with where they
park, so they don’t really take time
to shop. One lady who was buying a
bike for her grandson said repeatedly
that she hopes she doesn’t get a ticket.”
Just a few doors down, an employee
at Southeast Auto Supply said that
the turmoil created by the parking
issues could affect employees of businesses
on 8th Street more than the
customer. “Customers sometimes
catch a parking break because they
can sometimes park illegally for a
second and run into a store and not
get a ticket, but for employees, we
have to park either out back or pretty
far from our jobs,” according to
Jerome Simmons. “I don’t make
$80,000 a year, so I can’t afford to get
a bunch of $20 and $50 tickets here.
And you know, the police aren’t giving
us any breaks.”
The parking issues also have an
effect on businesses that aren’t
directly in the Barracks Row corridor.
“Even the Amoco gas station
[four blocks away] calls us complaining
about customers parking on
Parking Wars
Hill Construction Raises Motorists’
Concern, Flares Tempers
BY CHAD CLINTON
VOICE of the Hill / February 2003
www.voiceofthehill.com 21
Currently, the romance of the automobile
has soured in metropolitan
Washington. If you look at people’s
behavior today, we see that they
tend to see their car as a necessary
evil but try to spend their free time
as far away from cars as possible.
People who spend large periods of
their life stuck in traffic realize that
cars reduce the quality of both suburban
and urban life.
While the majority of us would no
doubt oppose restrictions on car use,
everyone is aware of the problems
caused by automobile consumption
— the roads aren’t free. Americans
currently drive one trillion miles a
year; and virtually nine out of every
ten travel miles in the United States
are taken in a car. According to
Harvard social scientist Robert
Putnam, 80 to 90 percent of all
Americans drive to work alone. This
figure is up from 54 percent in the
1960s.
These factors begin to weigh on
the American emotional experience
when you realize that in any metropolitan
area of the United States
today like Washington, Los Angeles,
New York or Atlanta, you may spend
44 hours of your life stuck in a traffic
jam. Furthermore, the National
Transportation Safety Board estimates
that by 2005, co