Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-07
18TH STREET PARK
PROJECT RENEWED
Fine Arts Commission Urges
Development of Getaways
to Capital.

With Sixteenth street rapidly being
pushed through from Alaska avenue
to the District line under plans for
construction of monumental gate.
way to Washington from the north,
the Commission of Fine Arts last
night renewed it's recommendation for
monumental treatment of another
significant and focal point in the high.
way systematic junction Of Eastern
and Western avenues at the northern
apex of the District of Columbia. In
addition to the great portal to be con.
structed along Sixteenth street on the
heights overlooking the District line,
the commission urged that the inter.
section of Eastern and Western ave.
nues also be graced with parkway and
monumental treatment. The intersec-
ton of the two avenues now lies in an
undeveloped portion Of tho District,
north of Rock Creek Park and not far
from the intersection of Sixteenth
street with the District line.
Members of the commission view
that portion of Washington and the
surrounding territory in Maryland as
having the greatest opportunity for
providing at least two impressive en-
frances to the National Capital. An
other scheme into which the commits
sion has not gone extensively would
provide for monumental treatment of
the area near Fifteenth and II
streets northeast, thus providing a
northern and eastern gateway to the
city from Maryland. There, together
with the western approach from Vir-
GINA over the new Arlington Memoir
ial Bridge, the commission believes,
will bring Washington into line with
other world capitals in providing i'm
pressive approaches.
Under the plan for the heights
along Sixteenth street a great round
poirt Is to be developed, with a CEN
ter parkway Of trees and flower beds,
from which a boulevard at least 120
feet in width will sweep for Il mile
to the District line. From the circle
a roadway will extend into Rock
Creek Park, adjoining on the west,
and to the Army Medical Center on
the east. The commission believes
Sixteenth street should be widened.
but that if for any reason this cannot
be done, the parking should be elm
mated and the space taken into the
thoroughfare.
To carry the scheme further, the
fine arts body recommends that Six
teenth street be extended by agree.
ment with the authorities Of Mary.
land through the now virtually unoc.
cupied area north Of Washington in
that State to a junction with roads
leading to Baltimore and Gettysburg,
so that automobile travel over these
| roadways will have a direct highway
connection over improved roads with
the District of Columbia.
| From these main highways another
| road would branch off west to the
other gateway at the intersection of
the highway plan, this roadway would
connect with the Fort Drive. another
favorite project Of the Commission Of
Fine Arts, permitting travel north on
| Sixteenth street through either gate.
way onto the drive connecting the
circle of old Civil War forts around
Washington.
The fine arts body holds that
Washington is far behind other CAPT.
tails in providing encircling roadways
outside its boundaries and connecting
roads from the heart of the city of
an arterial highway nature with the
surrounding country to the north and
| east AS examples. the commission
points to the scenically beautiful
country along the Potomac River in
| Virginia and Maryland beyond Great
Falls, which cannot now be reached
| over improved automobile roads. In
addition the commission points out
that there are few roadways parallel
| ling the Potomac to the south, and
that Washington, on the whole, has
meager facilities for travel through
the surrounding country.
! Members of the fine arts body be-
lieve that il the Capital would furnish
adequate approaches from the down.
town sections of the city over ar
| terial highways, the authorities. Of
the oLjoining States would furnish
roaGl&ys TO connect with them.