Evening star., 1921-03-27
Rolling Of Easter Eggs
Originated in Washington

/, rolling. AS is usual, they brought yari-colored
eggs with them and amused themselves by
rolling them down the terraces and engaging
In numerous juvenile plays.
The next year The Star published,
on April II, 1876, the following:
Girls and boys TO the number of four or five
hundred congregated about the Capitol grounds
today and amused themselves in egg-rolling
and other games incident Easter Monday.
10 great many about the Capitol the custom
WAS entirely new, and many grown persons
watched the little ones in their sport with a
great deal Of interest.
An act Of Congress was passed
April 2S. 1876. providing that no part
used as a playground. The reason
for that was that complaint mad
been that children injured the sod
terraces at the west front Of the
Capitol and Uttered the grounds with
eggshells, lunch and Iunch-wrap-
pings. For some reason the children
seem to have been permitted to use
the grounds on Easter, 1877, but on
Saturday. April 20, 1878. The Star
contained this:
No Egg Rolling in the Capitol Grounds-By
act OF Congress. approved April %, 1876. it is
made the duty 'of the Capitol police herea fter
to prevent any portion Of the Capitol grounds
and terraces from being used Fairgrounds
or otherwise. so far may be necessary to
| protect the public property. turf and grass
from destruction or injury" This law was
pAsseu u prevent the practice which had
grown up in previous years Of children rolling
Easter eggs On the Capitol grounds and ter
races.
I When the children were notified
! that they could not roll eggs at the
| Capitol they made a descent on the
! grounds at the south front of the
White House. Whether they were in
! vited there or whether they just
! agreed among. themselves to take
| possession of those grounds does not
| appear from the records. The only
| light thrown on :he matter is the
| following news paragraph in The
Evening Star. Monday. April %. 1878:
! dren advanced on the White House grounds
, today and rolled eggs down the terraces at the
/ back OF the MANSION and played among the
| shrubbcry to their hearts content.
! In the documentary history of the
Capitol and Capitol grounds there is
| but one reference TO egg-rolling, and
| that occurs under date of July "a,
i 1856, when the Senate in copmittee
| of the whole resumed consideration
| of the sundry civil bill for 1887, deal
! ing with the proposal to construct the
marble terraces and grand stairways.
/ Senator Conger said: The main argu-
| ment that l have heard for leaving
/ these grass plats or slopes was to
| afford a place for the children to roll
! their eggs down on Easter day, so
/, that it was their part of the Capitol
on that occasion for a playground: it
! was said to be convenient for that
| purpose"
| Several years ago letters were sent
| to the mayors of neighboring cities
| in an effort to learn if in those cities
| the game OF rolling eggs was played.
| The mayor of Baltimore replied that
| the practice was not unknown. but
, was very little indulged by children
/ in that city. The mayor of Richmond
j replied: I'm reply to your inquiry,
| do not think il may be said that egg
rolling is a custom with us at Easter,
although on occasion not very nu-
| merous. however, children have as
| sembled in our Capitol Square at
| Easter for that purpose just as they
| do in Washington in the White House
i grounds. ] do not remember more
| than two or three times when this
I has been DONE"