The Washington herald., 1922-01-01
BRGHTWOOD PROUD OF THIRTY YEAR FIGHT FOR CIVIC MPROV
-Eofty Projects Backed
By Citizens Association
: Organization Is Now Attempting to Obtain
- = School Building Adequate For
Children of Vicinity.

Thomas, Geo. W. Thomas, J. H.
Thomas, VIM. Thomas, DR.. ]. Ford
Thompson DIR. Oliver j. Waters,
Geo. w. White, Robert E. L. White,
Maj. L P. Williams, Calvin Wilmer,
W. c. Wood. George Wood and Hugo
Ziemann.
Few Houses There.
When the association was organ
lied in 1891, north of Rock Creek
Church road was mainly farm land
and comparatively few houses were
to be seen, and these Were in clust-
ers. Brightwood and Takoma Park
and the surrounding country were
without water. sewerage, gas light
and electricity. A little two-by-
four postoffice Is about all Bright
wood could boast of. This, how
ever, rendered in some respects
better service than Is afforded to-
day as will be seen from the fol-
lowing statement appearing in
print at that time: The incoming
mail arrives at Brightwood at 7
a. m, and 5 p. m; the outgoing
mail departs from Brightwood at
$40 a. m. and ITO and $50 p. M"
Today Brightwood has only two
deliveries, morning and evening,
although, through the assistance of
Postmaster Chance, 1t has a post
office equal to any branch ONCE in
the District.
After having secured an electric
railroad to Brightwood, the asso-
citation secured with considerable
effort a sewer for which a larger
and special appropriation had to
be obtained. Gnis later was en-
larged into what is now the Piney
Branch sewe; which serves a terri
| tory equally as large as the city
of Washington proper. Water for
| this vast section was next secured
from the Fort Reno reservoir,
more than four miles away. In
1897, an engine house was obtained
which today is fully equipped With
| the most modern automobile fire.
fighting apparatus and a corps OF
skilled firemen.
New school Sought.
For a time all of the street ex-
| tensions for miles around Bright
wood were urged and secured by
| this body of Jealous men. Four
| teenth street, Sixteenth street,
| New Hampshire avenue, Illinois
! avenue the "lOGnlnB, <,
matchmaking. and finally the as
phalting of Georgia avenue, rep
resent but a few Of the highway
activities of the association.
In 1891 the Brightwood School
/ was but four-room building.
| Through the energy of the school
! committee, this was early made an
eight-room structure. This has been
. 4 e.
| but at the present time has out
! grown It's usefulness and efrrots
are being made to replace 1t with
a more modern and up-to- date
/ building.
For years after the Brightwood
Association was formed there was
no other similar organization north
| of Florida avenue, and many of the
improvements enjoyed today can
be traced to its efforts. Since then
a number of other citizens asso-
! Citations have been organized
around it who have found much OF
the pioneer work already done for
them. The formation of these 9TH
er bodies has frequently brought
up the question as to Brightwood' s
boundary lines. Mr.. Cox in his ad-
dress delivered in 1897, has this to
say: Our association, under one
form of government. is the town
council of that portion of the Dis
trict extending from Florida ave-
nue. to the Maryland line, from the
beautiful Soldiers Home to still
more beautiful Rock Creek Ma
tional Park, west of US. We have
not only made plans, presented Pc
/ titions and adopted resolutions, but
we have worked hard under cir
cumstances, at times most trying
| for the welfare of the entire north
western section of the District
The first constitution provided
that the object of this association
shall be the welfare of that por-
ton of the county of Washington.
| District of Columbia, lying in the
(Wicinity of Brightwood avenue"
and the associations present con-
stitution. adopted recently, states
that the objects Of this associa-
ton shall be. primarily for the bet
tering of conditions in general for
the people residing in the territory
contiguous to- and in the vicinity of
| Brightwood. and for it's elevation
and for the promotion of its well
fare; to this end. its activity may
extend to any part of the District
| of Columbia. Its interest shall also
extend to any matter in which the