Evening star., 1922-10-01
Fifty Years Ago
i'm The Star

Washingtop's street railway system
was started in 1862. with the con-
struetion OF the
New Street Car Washington and
r.: p,-, Georgetown line
S-enue and 7th street. For the first
ten years thereafter there was some
development. but tho city was grow
ing SO rapidly that other lines were
needed. This demand came to it's
peak in 1872. In The Star Of Septem-
Der 27. OF that year. is an article
setting forth the various projects Of
street railway extension end new con-
struction then contemplated. It says:
1T may not be generally known, but
such is the fact that within q few
months at least four or ive additional
unes OF street railway will be in full
operation. Seven are at present pro-
1ected and all of them will without
circumstances may delay the con-
struction OF two or three of these
roads until next year. but 1t is con-
hdently expected that most OF them
will be in operation before winter
sets in"
y
The Metropolitan road, which then
ran on F street. had under construc-
tion an extension from the terminus
on North A street, Capitol Hill. along
1st street to East Capitol. down East
Capitol to l1th street. and south Oh
1lth to the Navy yard bridge. The
charter for the extension provided for
for 9Th street line from East Cap
itol but II was expected that Congress
would amend 1t to meet a popular de-
mand. This line was built to Lincoln
Park at 11th street. but was never
turned south on either 11th or 9Th.
Long afterward the tracks were eX-
tended around Lincoln Park and east
ward on East Capitol.
:: !:
Another branch proposed by the
Metropolitan company was double
track line from the junction Of New
] Jersey avenue and B street. along
New Jersey avenue to Massachusetts
avenue, thence to X street TO a con-
nection with the sth street line. This
branch was never built.
The same company had a charter.
granted in 1865. for double-track
road To run from the city hall. in
connection with the Metropolitan
road. to the Arsenal gate by way Of
An street. Nor was this line ever
built. the arsenal being reached by
way Of 9:h. b and AZ streets.
At the time the article in The Star
was printed the eth street line was
well under way toward completion.
II was planned to place turntahle
81 9th and + streets. 50 tina; cars mlZti.
shift from 9tN street TO be run with
out change either to Georgetown OF
the navy yard. II was contemplated
that the road would be extended from
the southern terminus at 9Th and b
to reach the Baltimore and Potomac
railroad station at 6th and B streets.
That was accomplished. and the road
then was extended along the present
route southwark.
A new line called the Connecticut
Avenue & Park railway had been
started to run from 18th and Pennsyl-
vania avenue to the boundary. or
Kalorama Heights. by way OF Con-
necticut avenue. 1t was to join the
Metropolitan line and for a short dis
tancc use it's tracks. Eventually this
became an integral part of the; Me
tropolitan" system.
Dissatisfaction with the service rem
dered by the Washington and George
town company caused a movement for
line on P street, originally independ-
ent. but eventually consolidated
with the Metropolitan and now the
GEORGETOWN branch of the Washing
ton Railway and Electric system. The
same company. the Metropolitan. had
4 charter for road to run from NJ
street down 18th to the Long bridge.
This was never built. About twenty
miles Of single track embraced
in these projected roads. the total
cost Of which is estimated at over
soG0 or0 ,- &, hon. s1O Ipn q mile