Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-07
STREET NAME SYSTEM
New Plan Believed to Be Mis-
understood.
REVIEW OF TIE CONDITIONS
Thoroughfares Formerly Known by
Variety Of Names.
EFFORT TO CORRECT ERRORS
The Changes Authorized Now Matter
OF Record and Cannot Be
Altered.

OF street names which has been ADOPTED by
the Commissioners for those streets in the
District of Columbia outside of the city of
Washington it is alleged that the plan
adopted is not generally understood. Prior
to the year 1893 persons owning land in the
District outside of the city of Washington
had the right to subdivlde their land. dedi-
eating streets and alleys and giving the
streets such names as might suit their
fancy. The consequence of this was that
subdivisions adjoining one another in such
manner that a street ran continuously
through several subdivisions had a diff
ferent name as it passed through each
subdivision.
There were many fragrant instances of
this in various subdivisions where streets
only few blocks in length had different
names as they ran through each block
The following are some instances:
In Brookland the streets now called Ham
lin street, and only a few blocks in length
was formerly known Austin, Galveston
Fulton and Hartford streets. Newton
street was formerly known as Providence
and Milwaukee.
There was also another street called Mil
waukee, Lansing and Lowell. This street
is now known as Monroe.
Lowell street was further duplicated in
one street that variously called Lowell
Hartford, Keokull and Jackson. 1t is
known as Lawrence street. One street
vaTiousiy named Joliet, Dover. Indianap-
Oils and Hamlln street is now known
Jackson street Many other instances
might be cited in this section.
Similar Condition.
In Columbia Heights similar condition
existed, the continuous street known as
Yale street west of 18th street and Bis
marck street east of 18th street. A prac-
ticaily continuous street now known as
Euclid street was named Erie, Roanoke and
Irving. Columbia road was known as Steu-
ben street on the east side of 11th street
What is now known under the present sys-
tenn as Irving street was a continuous
street formerly called variousy Kenesaw
Wallach and Mcclellan street. Numerous
other instances might be mentioned in this
section.
Again, there We're numerous Implications
of names throughout the District. For in
stance, there were three Oak streets, three
Joliet streets, two Philadelphia streets two
Baltimore streets, three Lowell streets and
various other Implications
In Georgetown the streets which We're
combinations of the streets in the city of
washington had different names when
Rock creek was crossed. In a similar man
ner in Columbia Heights and Columbian
University subdivisions, which subdivisions
lay on either side of 14th street the names
of the streets were selected at the pleasure
of the parties subdividing, and though these
had different names, those in Columbia
Heights being named generally after the
principal colleges and those in Columbian
University subdivision being named after
former presidents of Columbian University
and others. For instance, Yale street and
Huntington place were practically a con-
tlnuoHs street with different names on
each side of 18th street and under the
new system the thoroughfare has been
called Fairmont street.
Relating to Avenues.
Another case of misnaming was the use
of the word avenue" In the city of Wash
ington the avenues are broad diagonal
highways named after the states of the
Union, and they fulfill in all respects the
definition of the word avenue" In the
laying out of certain subdivisions in Wash
1ngton Heights and other places the word
avenue was given to narrow streets but
one block In length, which was clear mis-
naming of such streets, which were not ave
nues in any sense of the word Under the
new system these so-called avenues have
peen changed to streets where they con-
form with the general layout of streets or
roads where they do not run in such
manner as to conform to the streets For
instance, Belmont and Kalorama avenues
have been called Belmont and Kalorama
roads, and California avenue has been
called street because it was in the line
of V street in the city limits
Where certain short streets or ,nipor
streets occurred between blocks they were
given the designation place" and a name
was given them beginning with the initial
letter of the streets lying just south of the
place. For instance, former Dearborn
street. lying between Grard and Harvard
streets, was called Gresham place
System as Adopted.
The general system as adopted by the
commissioners was to extend the CITY
streets running north and south and To
use the numbers the same are used in
the city. Also, to extend the lettered
streets of the city running east and west
as far as the letter wv" This carried the
single-lettered system to the most north
erly portion of Florida avenue the old city
boundary and the ne,.t street above This
was given a name of two syllabes begin
ming with the letter "a - namely. Adams
street. The next street going north wac
Iorlnerly called Staughton street, and this
name was changed to Belmont street The
alphabet was then followed with two
syllable names until 1t was exhausted with
the name Webster street, in Petwortb.
After this three syllable names. aIphabet
lcally arranged. were used, the first name
OF this arrangement being ALLISON This
aIphapet1cal system Of three syliables was
followed until it was exhausted in tba
neighborhood of Takoma Park whore The
names OF trees We're used, arranged Alpha
beticaily, the first name under This ar
rangement being Aspen street
Where streets existed which did NOT cop
form with this system the names were
changed. Where 1t did conform the names
We're retained. and in cases where pres
enr names did not interfere with the sys-
tenn these We're also retained-such as Co.
lumbia road; Park street which was
changed to Park road. as it did not con-
form with the street plan, and HoImead
avenue which was changed to HoImead
place Also s.le names of Chaplin, Clifton
Harvard and Kenyon streets were retained
as being In conformity with the system.
Sections Named Separately.
AS the streets to be named We're partly
existing streets and partly streets laid
down in the permanent system of highway
planned This plan was used in giving
the names, and the plan was made up into
four sections, these sections were named 4
separately. so that although the system is
applied to each section. the distinction be-
tween these sections and the fact that the
same streets were not continuous entirely
through each section made some little
change in the names necessary, although
most of the names of the streets where
continuous through each section bear the
same name. For instance, in the Section
living east and west of North Capitol street