Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-07
That Troublesome
Name of woodbridge


The recent successful fight conducted
by one individual against the use of
the name woodbridge" as the destina-
ton sign of one Of the bus lines is an
excellent example of the misuse OF time
and energy which might better have
been applied to furthering some objective
of Importance to the community.
In a recent letter to your paper the
aforesaid individual states that the
boundaries of Woodbridge are established
by law" This statement IS not only
untrue. but is ridiculous. There is no
law which establishes the limits OF
subdivisions, or copyrights their names:
ANY individual who owns a plot OIL
ground is privileged to call 1t by any
nama he pleases. So may any other IN
diyidual owning a different plot use
the same name If he wishes. In the
DAYS before the adoption of the Per
manent System of HIGHWAYS II was
customary for subdivider TO use some
distinguishing name for his SUBDIVISION,
largely for purposes OF identl1catlon IN
conveyancing 1t was customary 10 de-
scribe a lot in such a subdivision as
Lot number in square NUMBER -
in So-and-So's subdivision called Some
thing-or -other. as recorded In lslosr -
at folio IN the surveyors once rec
ords" In order 20 avoid confusion the
surveyors ONCE usually endeavored to
avoid duplication OF subdivision names
After adoption of the permanent nlsh-
way plan the Use OF such names BE-
came unnecessary, because the Whole
District of Columbia was plotted INTO
blocks with a consecutive system OF num-
hers. so that A deed conveying simply
Lot - In square -" Is sufficient. The
addition of a subdivision name and the
ljber and folio number of the surveyor S
Office record may clarity the instrument,
but adds nothing to its legality.
1t happens that one of the early
subdivisions in OH suburban northeast
section was called woodbridge II
was q small subdivision, with irregu-
lar streets and large lots. Later 1t be-
came surrounded by .other subdivisions
with various names-West Woodridge,
Terrace. Langdon. Park. Clark Mills
Subdivision, Fort Saratoga Addition.
Sherwood's Addition to Brookland, and
later Sherwood. Villa Park and Villa
Park Heights Still newer subdivisions
were named, because the permanent
highway plan made distinguishing
names unnecessary.
A business center developed along
Rhode Island avenue. Part OF it is in
the West Woodbridge Subdivision, and
other parts in Ellaston Terrace. Fort
Saratoga, Clark Mills Subdivision and
Sherwood. Obviously, this business
center needed a name, and. OF all the
old subdivision names in its vicinity
that of woodbridge was the most
euphonious, and became generally used.
1t would have been silly to attempt to
use half q dozen names to describe one
business center. When the territory
tributary to this business center became
sufficiently built up to require branch
postal station, the station was. verv
naturally. called Woodbridge" 1t
name like the Northumberland
Bank. or a new name might have been
coined for it. but the people OF the
locality liked the name Woodbridge, and
the business district was known by that
name, so why not call 1t woodbridge?
Also very naturally the territory served
by this post office was known as Wood
ridge. regardless of the smaller sub
division names, most of which were
forgotten by all but real estate convey
ancers and title examiners.
When the buses first came to this
locality their signs read 'Brookland'
because they passed through another
and older business center known as
BrookIand. But 1t was soon thought
desirable to use some means Of indicat-
ing the fact that they went beyond
Brookland into the newer territory
within the delivery limits of the Wood
ridge postal station. so the name WoGd-
ridge was added to the sign. True, they
did not go to the business center known
as woodbridge, but they came within a
few squares of it. There was nothing
misleading in the name.
When an appropriation was secured
for the rental of quarters for branch
library, it was the obvious intent OF
those active in securing the appropria-
ton, as well as of the Congress which
made it, that these quarters should be
located in or near the business center
commonly known as Woodbridge. Any
other location would have been insult
able for the majority of persons who
would be served by this library. When
an appropriation was made for junior
high school for the Brookland- Wood
ridge section, it was intended that IL
should be located at some point equally
accessible to the general neighborhoodS
broadly known as "Brookland" and as
woodbridge" and it was so located, in
neither of the old subdivisions, known
by those names, but about midway be-
tween the business centerS OF those
sections.
The attempt to limit the name Wood
ridge to the small area originally called
by that name for subdivision identifi-
cation purposes, an area which has no
business zones and no street car or bus
lines, is foolish, and the Public Utilities
Commission would have shown better
judgment to Aave ignored the persistent
protests of the one individual who has
such peculiar ideas about the legality OF
location names in the District of Column
bia, and attempts to put them on par
with the names of incorporated towns
and villages in State. If there were any
legality to such names, the writer and
others would like to have the northern
part of the territory served by the
woodbridge postal station officially desig-
mated as Burroughs" by which name
the new business center at Eighteenth
and Monroe streets northeast is now
coming to be- known. Then perhaps we
could have the buses signed up Brook
d-Burroughs," as has been suggested
by the Burroughs Citizens Association,
but which suggestion the Public Utilt-
ties Commission failed to adopt.
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