Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-04-13
Mount Vernon Avenue-The Claims
of Alexandria.


Mount Vernon Avenue-The Claims
of Alexandria.
Now that Congress- has made al ample
appropriation for the survey OF route for
the proposed avenue to Mount Vernon
we think the citizens Of Alexandria will do
we'll to take timely measures to insure the
selection of Washington street of their city
as l. section Of the greet national highway.
Alexandria was emphatically Washington's
town. He had ever an abiding inter est in
Its growth and prosperity, and il contains
many objects which are intimately associated
with and which remind of his honoring
presence and perpetuate fond remembrance5
of him. Here he voted and came for his
farm supplies. Here he attended public
worship and here he commenced his great
military career. 30, it would seem eminent
ly fitting that the road which is TO connect
the national capital with his home and last
resting place should traverse the street
which he laid out and which bears his name.
Not to secure, il possible, this important OBJ
ject and to allow by neglect OF timely and
we'll directed efforts the .oad to pass by
route q mile or more west OF The limits OF
the old town, with Its many interesting his
toric land marks, merely to subserve the
private interests of combinations and syRdi-
Gates, would be mistake forever after to be
deplored, not only by the people of Alexan-
dria but by all travellers.
This road was not proposed as specula.
tive venture in any sense of the term. Con-
gress did not make their liberal appropria-
ton for Its survey TO merely enrich any in
dividual or corporation, and there should be
no such unwarrsnted perversions of plans
and purposes, as are sought to be made, as
every body il Interested in having broad,
we'll graded and smooth highway for easy
and expeditions travel, worthy alike of the
great parsonage whose revered name and
fame it is designed to commemorate, the
American people who are to construct 1t and
the throngs of way farers from all climes of
the earth who will in the generations to come
pass over it. So wa think every body should be
az much interested in having it laid so as
not only to command sights of as many as
possible of the old colonial and other his
toric land marks of the intervening country,
particularly OF such as are linked with the
life of the first President, but also TO secure
the most attractive views OF natural scenery.
Washington street has width of 100
feet. 1t is almost level from end TO end and
would be mile of the road bed already
constructed and fit for travel without cost
to the government II is we'll built with
slightly dwellings and would give the way
farer view of old Christ Church where
Washington was q frequent attendant
With the national capital, which is fast be-
coming, through the muniGcent provisions
of successive Congresses, one OF tho finest
and most attractive cities of the world, al.
exandria ought to be connected by q grand
roadway or boulevard equal to that of Penn.
sylyania avenue Such boulevard would
naturally attract to the building by capital
lists along its entire course of handsome resi-.
dences with beautiful surroundings, and be
the means of bringing to our old Virginia
town large influx of permanent dwellers
and visitors So much, briefly, in regard to
the route of the first half or division of the
avenue. In regard to the route of the lower
half or division from Alexandria to Mount
Vernon, we think there can be but one opn-
ion with competent judges, whether they be
practical engineers or not, after the lay OF
the land shall have been carefully looked
over and all the Typographical features are
fully considered.
at the southern terminus of Washington
street lies Great Hunting creek, an arm of
the Potomac This stream has there chan
mel of lees than hundred yards in width,
and might be spanned by memorial bridge
and a beautiful connection be made with the
opposite Virginia shore.
From Hunting creek on down to Mount
Vernon. a distance of seven miles, route
has already been surveyed and mapped out
bv Mr.. J. E. Sickels, the chief of the sur
yevors of the Association" which, while 1t
ia very direct, and lies over nearly level
and sufficiently elevated lands, aboundiDg
iu sand, gravel, and rnbble for the coDstruc-
tion of the road, affords an almost contiDu-
GUS view of the Potomac and passes through
four miles of the old Mount Vernon posses
sions.
A dozen different routes might be select
ed for the Avenue and by each one OF them
q broad. hard and smooth wheeling surface
could be constructed, but beside these es-
sentsls, important as they are, something
more ia desirable for this great National
Memorial Highway Its way unquestion.
sbly should lie so az to afford to the curious
multitudes of wsyfsrers who will throng 1t
from ell the regions OF the earth, sights OF
az mspy historic landmarks as possible of
the great chieftain who is to be honored by
the enterprise, and of as many pleasing
views of diversified patural and rural see
nary as can be commanded. If these deai-
rabIe features can be combined with easy
cradiaots and broad, hard, smooth, wheel
inr surface, we shall have highway de-
lrbtful to the traveller and creditsble to
the muniicence of our national govern
ment W. 81. SNoWDEN.
Andalusis, Va.