The Washington herald., 1921-12-04
Life of Community Centers
And Handsome New School
Organization Founded in 1908 Develops Many
improvements and Plans Greater
Future.

again elected president and II still
serving.
When the association was bsEun
in 1908 there were no streets. In
deed most of the land was q large
farm with truck gardens on II and
few houses. But as II was built UP
the progress Of the community was
held back by lack of streets. Red
clay roads with their mud or dust
led from house to house. Al soon
as the Citizens Association was
formed it took up its Tight for ma
cadamized roads. A petition was
submitted by the newly established
community organization with it's
accompanying reasons and sreu-
ments. OF course, the roads were
not given at once. But today that
entire section has macadamized
roads and is as closely built up as
II 1t were an old section of the
city.
Streets without lights is not ac-
cording to Washington custom, so
the fight for lights had its run
along with the street work, and all
those fine macadamized streets of
Park View are well-lighted today.
School Problems Taken Ua
The school program began to
loom large and vital before the
citizens of Park View about the
time this Association was we'll
under way. There were no facil-
tiles for taking care of the educa-
ton Of their children while the
population was steadily increasing.
The people of Park View had been
working for an appropriation for
a school site for eight years before
the Citizens Association was
founded but in 1908 their work
finally succeeded in its aim and
Congress granted an appropriation
for a school site on the corner of
Warder and Newton streets. The
next step was to secure appropria-
lions for q school. To have per-
suasive arguments the Park View
Citizens Association did something
which had never been done in
Washington before, yet which has
won the highest praise of school
and other off1cials in late years.
They themselves compiled a school
census.
DR.. Abram Simon. president of
the Board of Education, has declar-
ed II a most important thing and
praised 1t highly and has intro
duced its use in other places since
it's origin in Park View E. j.
Ward of the Bureau of Education
gathered all Information Of school
census of other cities as q basis
upon which the Park View Asso-
sus was made and offered to Con-
nrnnf Of he -
the Citizens Association for a
large school and it's need
At that time portable school
was granted to be put on the land
appropriated. As years went on,
the crowded conditions made more
portables necessary and while they
were given. Congress stiIl took no
action in granting appropriations
for a real school. But the Citizens
Association fought out the question
untiringly and at last Congress
was convinced of the need and ap-
propriated $4,000 for . building
Work was begun at once and in
1916 the building OF sixteen rooms
was ready for dedication.
Modern school Crowded
1t is of old tudor architecture
but also an auditorium, library
room (still unequipped) and do
nestle science and manual train
ing rooms in the basement 1t is
a thoroughly modern. first class
school building, covering half of
the lot appropriated by Congress.
From the day of it's opening the
school has been overcrowded. The
enrolment the first week was 740
until today IL is LOIS. These chill
dren can in no way be accommo-
dated in the school. The flrst port
ables had to be erected in the rear
on the ground meant for play
grounds and each year new ar
rangements. either extra portables
or half time classes. A system
called the platoon system was
worked out to meet this over
sible full time classes for higher
grades-a system which has Great
ed much praise for itself.
The school was dedicated and an
entire week was devoted to most
elaborate exercises. During the
time large crowds moved in and
out of the building.
There were long parades Of au-
tomobiles as well as childrens'
parades- Prominent speakers from
various fields made addresses.
Special programs were given each
night and throughout all there was
a general celebration.
The Citizens Association, taking
q