Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-17
Route of Boulevard.

The route selected by the association for
the avenue from the several lines surveyed
by the government under an act of Con-
gress In 1889 is about sixteen miles long,
extending from the gates at Mount Yer
non to the south bank of the Potomac
opposite Georgetown. 1t Is to cover a
fright Of way" of 80 feet, of which the
roadbed is to be leo feet. The avenue Is to
be subdivided into as many sections as
there are states and territories which di-
visions are to be named for the respective
states and territories. The driveway, sit
uated in the center, is to be sixty feet
wide. bordered each side by a parking
ten feet wide, outside of which will be a
pedestrian pathway of equal width fianked
by another parking also measuring ten
feet across. The residSe OF the 250 feet
is TO be utilized for parking. 1t VIII serve,
also, 1t is proposed, for the erection of
statues of the distinguished men of the
respective states and for the location of
state buildings.
OF the three main lines surveyed by the
government the association has selected
what is known as the middle route Be
ginning at the south bank OF the Potomac
this passes along the old Washington and
Alexandria pike east of Arlington cemetery.
In a straight line the route extends past
the site of old Fort Albany on the heights
descending into the valley of Four Mile
run, which stream Is to be spanned by a
mason work bridge. The route passes west
turnpike, which It traverses short dis
lance, thence passing west of Fort Ellis
worth on the heights just outside of Alex
andria, and descending into the valley of
Hunting creek The stream OF consider
able volume there Is to be spanned by an
arch bridge of masonry, the largest and
prettiest on the route. This bridge is to be
a memorial to Lafayette De Kalb Rocham-
beau, Steuben and other foreigners who
fought for this country in the revolution
The course of the Accotnk pike Is then fol-
lowed to Gum Springs and thence slightly
eastward to Mount Vernon.
The Mount Vernon Avenue Association
was organized at a meeting of citizens of
AleXandri and Washington and the coun-
ties of Alexandria and Fairfax held in
Alexandria city in 1887 A year later 1t
was granted a liberal charter by the legis-
lature of Virginia, and later in the same
year the legislature transferred to the as
ISOLATION claim held by the state against
the national government for $4,000 which
sum was advanced, it is asserted. by the
state Of Virginia in 1880 and used by the
government in the erection of the first pub
lie buildings constructed In Washington
The money was disbursed by Gen. Wash
ington, and, 1t is claimed, was never re-
funded to the state The principal, with
the interest due thereon, would go a long
way toward insuring the success OF the
movement.
An appropriation OF $4,000 was unan-
imously voted by Congress In 1889 for the
purpose of making surveys for the proposed
avenue and ascertaining it's cost. The sur
veys were made under the direction of Col.
Peter c. Haines who submitted a highly
favorable report to Secretary of War Proc
tor who also Endorsed the project in his re-
port to Congress. 1t ascertained that
the highway would cost between 81, 100. 600
and 100000.