Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-11
PICTURESQUE DRIVES
The County Roads and How They Are
Kept Up.
Over One Hundred and Fifty Miles of
Road, Upon Which is Expended
About $4,000 Annually.

The county roads of the District of Co
lrmbia number about 200. and aggregate in
| length somewhat over $50 miles.
The mai ltenance of this entire list is
charged to a special appropriation desig-
| mated in the Districts books as current
| repairs to county roads" Last year the
fund for this work was $4,000, and the
same amount has been appropriated for the
next fiscal year. The work that is done
with this money consists in maintaining a
good roadway surface. constructing a bet
ter class of surface where the existing one
proves inadequate, paving necessary gut
tiers. laying drain pipe and laying and re-
pairing sidewalks, together with such light
work as is incidental to the care and main
teLance of the system of highways outside
the city limits, many of which are impor-
tant thoroughfares and accommodate a
large travel.
Among the county roads that are largely
used as thoroughfares are the Good Hope
and Giesboro' roads, leading from the Navy
Yard bridge southwark into MARYLAND. Rem
| ming road crossing the Eastern branch
about on the line of FL street and forrniDe
the principal eastern entrance into the city;
the Bladensburg road, long an important
and heavily Travelled county thoroughfara.
Lincoln avenue and its continuation bunker
Hill road, without doubt the principal road
way to the District and Maryland country
between 10Th street east and eth street west
| Travelled by brick wagons and truck farm
erS
Important Thoroughfares.
Brightwood avenue or It'll street extend
ed. Is by far the most heavily Travelled and
has the distinction of being the longest
country road in the District Its length
from the city limits to the District line is
~ miles in length. Probably second in
Importance as a thoroughfare is the Ten
ieytown road leading into the old Rockville
turnpike. and tapping a beautiful and fer
tile section of Montgomery county The
Canal road following the Chesapeake and
Ohio canal from the Aqueduct 20 the Chain
bridge brings to the city the large traffic
that comes from Virginia over the Chain
bridge.
Where mucn travel especially any large
amount of heavy travel, goes over a road
the surface Is macadamized with broken
stone. The less heavily travelled roads are
made OF gravel, which Is considered the
best OF all material for driving road OF
the total length of roads In the District
about five miles are paved. A little less
than one-third about fOrty-five miles, are
macadamized: about fifty miles are gravel
ed. ana the remaining third about fifty-five
miles, are unimproved as to roadway COW
ering. being designated as dirt roads
The driving roads in the country sur
rounding Washington are many of them
very beautiful, and their condition usually
good. The valley of Rock creek with its
tributary branches abounds in picturesque
scenery. Here are the Piney Branch Broad
Branch, Argyle Mill, Pierce Mill, Klingle
Ford. Military. Grant. and other roads
all enjoying one of the chief advantages
driving road can have-the location in a
valley of pure and wooded stream.
Beautiful Scenery.
On higher ground Woodley lane follows
beautiful course. while Loughborough lane
and the Ridge road passing the Methodist
University site AFFORD fine views of the
beautiful hills of Maryland and the Vir-
ginia shores. with the Potomac stretching
southwark.
Across the Eastern branch there are sew
eral fine driving roads notable for their
rural character, the Anacostia or River
ROAD being the best known. They all lead
to other attractive drives. Probably the
most popular driving region in the District
Is in the neighborhood of Soldiers Home
and beyond. The roads within the home
grounds are beautifully laid out and finely
kept Up. The home Is maintained by the
enlisted men of the army. 1t is not sup
ported in any sense by the general gov
ernmeLt or from any source not contrib
uted by the soldiers themselves. No ac-
count, however brief. of the driving roads
of the District would be complete without
reference and grateful one to the
privileges thus afforded the public by these
old soldiers, who throw open the grounds of
the home of their old age to Washington's
citizens and maintain therein a system of
drives so admirable to attract the larg-
est share of those who seek the delight of
country driving