The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1916-08-25

to the building and operation Of the
Panama canal.
Only small portion, however, lie
built on the former swamp and this
is made up Of what might be termed
the civic center. On Ancon hill, be-
hind the handsome new administration
building is really the best and pret-
test section. Here are the official resi-
denceS clustered about the governors !
the community in time to come will re-
volve. Across the former swamp to-
ward the west In Sosa hill on which
many of the new concrete two and
four-family houses have been built. At
the foot of Sosa hill and facing the ad.
ministration building are the huge Y.
NJ. G. A.. the new commissary and its
companion refrigerating plant.
When the town was planned it was
the intention to so construct the build
ings that all would harmonic in archi-
lecture. This has been carried out
with so rigid a resolve that perhaps
the uniformity in a measure spoils the
effect of the whole. There is moth
ing along the Prado, for instance, to re-
lieve the eye of the sameness of the
eight concrete houses that face .he
central parkway. They are all alike,
in design. in size and interior furnish
ing. They were cast in the same con-
crete mold. There is stilted formal
ity about them that jars, but which
undoubtedly prevents the jealousy
which would be aroused were there q
possibility of choice.
Balboa Heights Attractive.
The town of Balboa is virtually d.
vided into four sections. East of the
new administration building, which
naturally dominates the business life
of the town, on the sloping side of An
con hill, is the official residence quar-.
ter. This section is frequently referred
to as Balboa Heights. It is here that
the real beauty of the village is to be
seen. In time, no doubt when nature
has completed it's work, the other sec
tions will equal and, perhaps, surpass
it In attractiveness. It's present ad-
vantages are due to having been
planned and constructed first and it's
South of Balboa Heights is another
fiat hilltop which has in recent months
become known as Quarry Heights, or
sometimes Military Heights. The lat
ter is used because it Is the site of
the large and handsome home of the
commanding general of the United
States troops and his staff officers.
Farther south still is the permanent
camp of the provost guard or military
police.
At the foot of the hill on which the
new administration building stands.
and also near the bottom of the hill
on which is the governors house, which
overlooks the tract, there is large fiat
bottom land that, too, formerly was a
huge swamp. 1t comprises about 1000
acres and was filled in by the spoil
from the dredges eXcavating the inner
harbor of Balboa. The salt water has
killed all the vegetation. which, how
ever, was neither plentiful nor valu-
able. A top dressing of rich soil will
eventually be given this tract and then
1t will grow anything. When money is
available it is planned to transform
this bottom land into a large, hand
some park.
Between Ancon hill and Sosa hill Is
Balboa Flats, so called from the fact
that it was built on the only level part
of the new town. A part of the flats.
however, is on the slope of Sosa hill
and overlooks the Prado and flats
proper from the west The central fea-
ture of the flats is the Prado, which
forms Il wide double roadway down
the center. On it are the commissary,
the Y. NJ. G. A, the dispensary. fire.
and police stations and the high school.
Also there are eight four-family houses.
A large part of the flats is to be util-
lied for the magnificent new athletic
field now under construction.