Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-17

1
AND AvrSuEs IN wAsHIsoroS-THE GEO
GRAPHICAL NOMENCLATURE OF THE DrsrRicr-
FONTS PROM TIVE RECENT REPoRr.
THH STAR has published the recommends
lions adopted b. the Anthropological Society
respecting the names Of the city streets. The
! report to the society containing their recon-
mendstious discussed the matter at length and
contained some interesting suggestions.
| With regard to names for streets and other
city thotoughfares. said the report, there 10
an evident advantage in having the name indi-
cate tho relative position. and the most obvious
method Of accomplishing this Il by means Of q
system Of nomenclature which is uumeric or
slphabetic, or both. The numbers may run on
indefinitely. but the alphabet has . limit, SO
that IL an alphabetic system be adopted it Is
necessary 10 start q new series when the streets
40 beyond twenty-six.
The streets within the city are laid out at
right angles, crossed by avenues running d.
agonaiiy, and, BY a recent ruling OF Congress.
as the city grows these streets must be extended
upon the same lines. wherever possible, to the
limits of tho District. Therefore. whatever
system Of street nomenclature Is adopted within
the city must be one that can be adapted with
out change to the requirements of its future
growth. as here Indicated. Briefly stated, 1t is
possible for the future city of Washington. &C
cording 70 the present deimitstiuns of the Dis
trict, to extend from six to seven miles north,
east and west from the Capitol. Tho south-
west IL cut off by the river and can EXPAND no
farther, while the southeast, including Ana
costa. is capable Of a limited expansion toward
the south.
Under the present system the streets are
numbered east and west from the Capitol and
lettered north and south from the same start
ing point, while the diagonal avenues are named
from states Of the Union
On the whole. the system Is simple and con-
Venient. besides giving opportunity for future
growth, and the problem now before the Dis
trict Commissioners IL how to extend it to the
new streets to be laid out beyond the present
city limits
The numbered streets run out to Esd east
and TO 37th west Gin Georgetown), and future
parallel streets can be numbered onward con-
secutively We may consider the numbered
streets provided for In this series, however,
We lind few short streets, running each only
two OF three squares and called by fractional
names 10 indicate their relative position, IS A.
street, 1871 street
NAMES OF THE AVENUES.
The system Of naming the diagonal avenues
after states Of the Union is entirely satisfac-
tory, and as there q sufficient number Of
states to furnish names for all future avenues
We may also dismiss the avenue question. As
the avenues iutersect at all angles there can be
position. II might be better if Florida avenue
were divided ct 7th street, making two avenues
under different names instead OF one as at pres
ent, at the same time Strengthening the western
portion rs far as practicable toward 7th street
at one end and Massac husetts avenue extended
at The other, so that this portion might be ap-
FORTUNATELY parallel with New York and Rhode
Island avenues, while the eastern portion
would be approximately parallel with Massa-
ehu-es,s, Pennsylvania and Virginia avenues.
We come now to the most difficult problem
in street nomenclature-the naming Of the
present 0ettered) streets running east and
west and Of future streets to be laid out par
allel with them. Before going into this mat
ter let define the various classes Of streets as
recognized or contemplated by the Commits
sioners.
STREETS, AVENUES, PLACES AND ALLEYS.
In the first place the broad thoroughfares
running diagonally through the city are called
avenues. Next, the thoroughSares crossing
each other at regular intervals in either direc-
ton are called streets. Then we have shorter
streets, running perhaps for q square or two,
midway between the longer streets Of the reg
uiar series. Some Of these are at present called
streets, rs "Corcoran street,; others are known
as places, as Grant place" 1t is proposed by
the District Commissioners to distinguish all
these as places" giving to them at the same
time such names will indicate their position
with relation to the regular lettered series. The
r. ,.",,osls .rIp,hS Ths.;,Ia - y,
a., 4; -, .Ir,v.Si.i p'..ta go e
- ~" ,I.o ..,..e ~ ~. S w
o;r,,;ra ,s,r ~ 80. !, !. ., "a 49, oe
m. aa,,,,..ia,., 49, a..a. =; a. " naj
-. tis .aen 80 ~ VIC iNNi' ieu GU
Ennr'asa haT,- -. TS;r.a names, az
street ~ N, nigh, he caIlad .nlacas " 20 ooraa
with the nomenclature of the corresponding
short streets in the lettered series. We have
sthi fourth class OF inhabited city thorough.
lsres; VIZ, sleys, Which oy the growth OF
PoPuisuoh nave come 10 De tehahteo oy lam
mes OF tne poorer CLASS ana are no" Prac-
ucAAy smaller streets. many OF them are
no" Wen paved anu punt up with
good houses II Is proposed 10 designate
these rs courts reserviug the name alley Tor
tne smaller tnerougniares winch are given
over 10 norses Ahu slaoie purposes; IN the re-
naming most OF tnese courts VIII become place
streets, so 'hat the cnoice OF names Tor the lew
remaining VIII De simple matter 1t should
De noted that "hen Two or more place streets
are on the same nhe, even thougn the con-
uhuity u broken oy intervening soho squares,
/ They VIII be called by the same name. Within
the present city limits the initial letter OF a
place would naturally De the same as the
letter constituting the name OF the regular
street lmmediately preceding IT, Future
streets should be laid out at such convenient in
terSsis as to render shorter places unneces-
sary. Uninhabited alleys can be designated by