Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-06
BY WILLIAM j. WHEATLEY

BY WILLIAM 81. WHEAILEI
Restoration of the old Civil War
forts and battery emplacements sur
rounding Washington. to be a part Of
the chain along the route of the pro-
posed fort drive, has been started un-
der the direction of the Office of Pub
lie Buildings and Public Parks of the
National Capital. Some already have
been acquired by the Government,
while others are In the negotiation
stage. However, a few of the old
places have been wiped out by the
progress of building, and no effort
will be made to acquire these; first, be-
cause it would be too expensive to
take over the buildings, and secondly,
because the original breastworks
thrown up by the Union forces have
been destroyed. In all of these that
have been acquired or are to be ac-
quired the old emplacements can still
be made out, and only need little
cleaning up Of the underbrush.
Fort De Russy Picked First.
The first one selected for treatment
was that of Fort De RuSsy, in Rock
Creek Park, just north of Military
road and east of Daniel road. Few
people know that one of the old Civil
War forts is in this part of Rock
14CGh Oil hy OCC1uSC AN lECUG IldNC
been allowed to grow up and these
have been in turn covered by thick
growth of wild vines.
1t was inaccessible even to those on
foot, but force of men was started
to work cutting down the trees and
breaking a. way through the under
brush, and this work was followed by
a corps Of men constructing road
so that automObiling sightseers may
drive in and view of the old works.
Aside from a view of the old works
proper, a further cleaning up has
opened a beautiful vista from the
heights occupied by the fort, so that
the people may get a fine view of the
park to the east.
The second fort selected for i'm.
provement is that of Fort Davis, at
the head of Pennsylvania avenue
southeast and at it's junction with
Alabama avenue. It is located on the
| northwest corner of this intersection,
and it's Improvement marks the first
| step of the Federal Bureau to inn
prove the park lands for use by the
people of the Southeast. This land,
since it's requirement as a part of the
park system, has been lent to the b.
| tanic Garden as a nursery, but this
permission was recently withdrawn.
work remodeling the old house on the
place, cleaning up the land and build
| ing walks and roadways so that the
people may make use of it. At the
| same time it is to be put to other USE
| full purposes.
Nursery to Be Established.
The public buildings and public
parks Office will establish there a
nursery for high altitude trees. They
will be raised there for the parks. It
already has a nursery on the Ana
costa River, in Anacostia Park, for
growing low level trees.
Nearby is Fort Dupont, which has
| been lent to the District Of Columbia
| for nursery purposes. This includes
an 80-acre tract recently acquired. 1t
was said that the latter will not be
| improved as a park for some time, be-
cause it was the belief that the de-
mands of the Southeast and North
| east sections were great enough to
give them more park lands. How
ever, the Glover and Archbold park
ways in Georgetown are being opened
and cleaned up and walks installed sc
that the Northwest will have more &C
| cessible park lands.
Slowly, but as fast as funds will
| permit, the Park and Planning Com
mission is purchasing the sites of the
old forts, which have been selected
| to be included in the park drive
project AS in other land purchases,
some of these are held up by the re-
striction by Congress on the purchase
price, which cannot exceed Is per
cent of the assessed value of the land.
| The proposed park drive as at pres
ent laid down will start at the Dis
| trict line and Conduit road, where
three batteries were located. They
are Batteries Parrot, Kemble and
| Vermont The latter already is part
| of the Government property there in
cluded within the reservoir and Al
| tration plant.
| Fort Gaines Next.
| The next post in the line is Fort
| Gaines, which is north Of the line
| of Massachusetts avenue and east Of
| Grant road, which the drive will fol-
| low for a greater part of the distance
| In this section. 1t then goes over to
Fort Bayard, at the junction of River
road and Fessenden street, and thence
to Fort Reno, on Grant road, east of
Wisconsin avenue. Both the latter
| already are owned by the Govern
ment. BY a natural curve the drive
then will pass Fort De Russy, in Rock
Greek Park, passing through that
park reservation to Fort Stevens.
1t was at the latter place where
Preaidant LinQoln MOOD ~ the time