Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-08
S FIFTEENTH STREET
Proposed National Botanical
Park for Meridian Hill.
AN APPEAL TO CONGRESS
Mrs. Henderson Points Out the Beau
ties of Section.
FEATURE OF MODEL BOULEVARD
Why the Avenue of the Presidents
Has Not Advanced in Improve
ment in Recent Years.
FEATURE OF MODEL BOULEVARD

Mrs John B. Henderson recently pre-
scented q forceful ARGUMENT to the Senate
committee on the District of Columbia In
favor of the purchase by the government
of a parE on Meridian Hill and 18th street
to be used as national botanical garden.
Mrs Henderson spoke in behalf of the
Woman's Sixteenth Street Improvement AS
ISOLATION.
In commenting upon park Improvement
generally she stated that the Woman's
Sixteenth Street Improvement Association
would favor the purchase of every desir-
able park site in the District by the issu-
ance of bonds. But as that plan is not
practicable in view of congressional sentl-
ment 1t is necessary to consider what parks
are most important
"In our opinion" said Mrs. Henderson,
small parking spaces within the city linn
its everywhere need more immediate atten-
ton than open fields outside the city. The
chief beauty of the old city of Washington
consists in Its many small parks.
Three Reasons for Action.
There are three reasons why the especial
parking space now brought to your atten-
ton on Meridian Hill should be taken at
once First because there is no small park
near. Second. because 1t commands one of
the finest city Views in the world, compare
BILE with that of Athens from the Acroro-
lis, and of Paris from the Arc de Tri-
omphe. This site cannot be judged by driv-
ing through 1t on 10th street. 1t is then
seen underneath and in a gulch; nor either
driving further on. for the back of the
site Is at present covered with ill-kept and
unsightly buildings. To be appreciated 1t
must be seen from the top.
"A further study Of Italian and French
gardening will then impress upon one the
wonderful advantages of the site for ter
racing. for cascades. for fancy steps, etc;
also for place where in summer evenings
the town may repair to Of the coolest
spots in the District. We need interspersed
everywhere about the city more parks
within walking distance, where people may
sit down.
1.-The height of the Meridian Hill site is
double that of this capitol site, this being
ninety feet above the Potomac, and the
other 202 feet
Proper Development.
1.-THE third reason why this ground is
needed to be taken Immediately is in the
interest of the proper development of 18th
street. Now 18th street was originally in
tended to be model residence street of the
nation. The White House faces it. Sites
were offered free to foreign governments
If they would erect their legation buildings
upon them.
SIT is probably not too much to say that
there is no other residential avenue in any
city in the world which possesses the nat
ural advantages of 18th street
Thirteen reasons for 1t are as follows:
I'D Its great length and breadth, viz,
100 feet broad, seven miles long, and
stretching in an absolutely straight line
from the White House to the District line.
"(2) 1t leads most directly to the Rock
Creek Park, which 1t borders for over three
miles.
Convenient Driving Boulevard.
"(3) Like the Champs Elysee al Paris
the 9TH avenue in New York Inter den
Linden at Berlin, etc, it is centrally To-
Gated providing the most convenient driv-
ing boulevard for all the city.
go AS a driveway the surface grades
and general topography are perfect.
"(5) 1t is perfectly drained and in every
way hygienically surrounded
"(6) 1t will never need or contain railway
lines excepting at crossings.
20 On its entire length the street con-
tains vacant spaces aptly suited both for
settings for handsome residences and for
landscape decoration in the interest of the
street.
houses of any Kind which cannot easily
be removed.
90 1t has no storea
40 While the four or five other streets
of the city of a similar width are admirable
in the way of fine residences for certain
distances the possibility alone remains for
10th street to be beautiful from one end
to the other.
I'D 1t may be so affected by congress
sional legislation and private action that
It may become the model street of the coun-
try one of the greatest of national boule-
wards, lined with all that is best in archi-
tectural and landscape art.
"Q2) 1t Is easily accessible by railways
already existing.
"Q3 1t Is the avenue of the Presidents.
Two Avenues Compared.
Now. the two longest of the two broad
residence avenues of Washington are Mas
sachusetts avenue and 10th street. and I
need not mention how diligently the good
citizens of Massachusetts avenue have dis
cussed the unfortunate features of 10th
street to get in the last ten years many of
the handsomest of the new residence build
ings on Massachusetts avenue We cannot
| blame then. for that. Two years ago the
women of 10th street concluded it was
| about time to form an organization for the
| ward for what II was originally intended
| Much work has been done, especially on
/ lower 10Th street. It's dilapidated buildings
| will soon be almost entirely removed. and
| four residences of first-class architectural
| Importance will be erected there this sum
| mer. This proposed pix on Meridian Hill
| marks the entrance to upper 10Th street
and in my opinion the standard of improve
ments in this locality will fix the standard
| of what is to follow in this whole upper re-
n1 he I