Evening star., 1908-01-26

W1ludH Alu6U SItl1lll, MIS- <AlDSIl ISs-
eridge, Mrs. David ]. Brewer Mrs. Henry
B. Brown, Mrs. George Dewey. Mrs.
George F. Huff, Mrs John A. T. Hull,
Mrs. John Hay. Mrs. Mark Hanna, Mrs.
H. kirke Porter, Mrs. Truman H. New
berry, Mrs. John JOY Edison, Mrs. Hunt
Slater, Mrs Scully. Mrs. Robert s. Wood
ward, Mrs. Rudolph Kaufman. Mrs. Scott
Warder. Mrs. Archibald Oracle. Mrs.
Nichoas Anderson. Mrs. John F. Rogers,
Mrs. C. l. Harper, Mrs. Brandegee.
For "Presidents' Avenue"
Mrs. Hendersons report was read and
communication to the District ConNnis
sioners and Congress as follows, was ap-
proved.
To the Commissioners of the District and
Congress of the United States:
The Woman's Sixteenth Street I'M
provement Association sends to you pc
tition signed by majority of the resi-
dents and property owners OF the street,
asking that the name of 18th street be
| Avenue of the Presidents"
The reasons for this change of name
are as follows:
They think the street is worthy to be
| called an avenue. owing to its great
breadth and length, viz: 16O feet wide
and about seven miles long, leading from
the White House at its head to the Dis
trict line. 1t is also an important, if not
| the city's most important. driving thor
oughfare, leading most centrally and di-
| lectly to Rock Creek Park, which it bor-
ders for nearly four miles.
For many years the choice of name o.
a considerable number of the residents
Of the STREET was Executive avenue
That name, however. met with emphatic
objections on the part of nearly all offi-
cials living on the street They said that
the name might as well be Judiciary
avenue" Legislation avenue or "Execu-
ton avenue" and, moreover, 1t was not
absolutely distinctive of the presidential
residence at it's head in that an execu-
tive mansion is to be found in every state
in the Union. We have'no abandoned
that name In Difference to our respected
official residents.
Other Suggestions.
Another choice Of name appealing to
several has been white House avenue. =.
That name Is also now abandoned, as it
is found that the initials of White House
avenue and New Hampshire avenue"
are so nearly alike as to cause confusion
in post office addresses
The name Avenue of the Presidents
was first suggested by Mr.. John Hay. He
suggested that all the Presidents of the
United States (but one) had lived at the
head Of our street looking down its wide
length like patron sentinels That the
shorter name of Presidents avenue
might refer to but one President while
the name Avenue of the Presidents" re-
fers Enthusiastically to all, republicans and
democrats alike: also that in the future
it would be eminentiy proper for several
presidential memorials to be placed upon
pie suitable places. The name at first
seemed long, yet it contains no more syl-
lables than Pennsylvania avenue" and
but one more than Massachusetts ave-
riy1Cr f.liv
dignity in their length. Again in the mat
ter of writing the name Avenue of the
Presidents" the simple and short abbre-
Walton Ave. Pres" is unlike the abbre-
viations of other city avenues. And while
the official name of the street might be
avenue of the Presidents" 'Presiden-
tiaI avenue" or short, could properly be
used in speaking.
Avenue Of Ambassadors"
Mr. Macfarland tells us that in the
District Office there are certain old maps
on which 10th street is named Avenue
of the Ambassadors" At that time it
donate sites on this street to certain
designated foreign governments in case
| they would consent to soon build their
| legations and embassy buildings thereon.
| Such offers were made, but were not ac-
| cepted-
| With all due regrets for past losses and
mistakes and with hopes that our great
avenue may yet contain its share of such
| very desirable buildings, we Of the Six
| teenth Street Improvement Association,
as we'll as the Commissioners of the DIS
| trict of Columbia, feel that Avenue of
the Presidents carries also the adVan-
| tage Of great dignity of name
! (Signed) MARY F. HENDERSON,
Chairman of Committee for Changing
| Name of 18th Street.
communication to be sent to Congress
was the next order of business. 1t set
forth:
"That we of the Women's Sixteenth
Street Improvement Association request
the earnest consideration of Congress for
the passage of a bill introduced by Senator
Gallinger for the purchase of little park
| on 10th street, at the crest OF Meridian
/ Hill.
Park at Meridian Hill.
| I'VE would remind Congress that the
beauty of old Washington consists largely
| in it's little open spaces inside the city
provided for park purposes; that In new
Washington such provisions are being
| overlooked; that in the last ten years
! three-fourths Of all the building opera
tons in Washington have taken place In
an area lying above Florida avenue. be-
tween 10th and Goth streets, that there Is
| contained therein hundreds of acres of
solid buildings, and that SO far not a sin
gle provision has been made by Congress
for small park spaces: that, aside from the
| ground about the Capitol, this little pro-
posed public park will be the only one in
town with city view: that 1t is double
the height of the Capitol grounds, the lat
ter being 90 feet above the Potomac and
| the former 2u2 feet: that of the beautiful
| Gordon of hills above Florida avenue,
which once bord cred old Washington. all
have either been leveled down or built
upon. and that the one on 18th street is
pra ctically the only one left that san be
obtained at a comparatively moderate
price; that considering its southern slopes
| and commanding view. it Is probably the
best adapted of any site in town for a
| small public park; tina tit may convenient
| ly and appropriately be utilized later for
1 almost any kind of public building. Of
which future Washington will in time
need many: that we Of the Sixteenth
Street Improvement Association are also
especially Interested, In that this little
park will furnish beautiful entrance to
all upper 10th street now in process of
| deyelopment, which we hope may be
| worthy of what should be and what we
think will be one of the most magnificent
! city avenues in our whole country"
| Complaints were made about few lots
not kept in order. and about two large
signboards which were declared to be un-
slightly and unnecessary for business pur-
poses.