Evening star., 1933-12-24
CIVIC UNIT SEEKS
TOCONT|NUEPA PAST
NOTABLE RECORD
Cathedral Heights Cleveland
Park Body Wants New
Junior High School.

Busy with vigorous membership
campaign, the Cathedral Heights -Cleve-
land Park Citizens Association surveys
Q history replete with achievement.
Francis p. Sullivan, prominent local
architect, Is the newly-chosen president
of the group. John w. Townsend, at
torney. is vice president, and Paul G.
Burton Is treasurer. with Benjamin >.
Taylor the new secretary. J: r. Van
FOssen Is the new delegate to the Fed
Grafton Of Citizens Associations, and
Mrs. Clara Wright Smith, who has been
delegate to the federation for two
years, viii continue in that capacity.
The territory covered by the associa-
ton extends from Edmunds street and
Observatory circle on the south, to Ne
braska avenue on the west: on the east,
Thirty-fourth street, from Massachu-
sets avenue to Woodley road and down
Klingle Valley to Connecticut avenue to
Porter street. The present membership
numbers about ITS. but the association
is not content with that, sensing that
this is to be one Of the most important
years in the history Of the District. With
the citizenry paying more attention
than ever to public affairs. the associa-
ton is now taking steps to enlarge its
rolls.
This association was among the first
to advocate coming the area as purely
residential. Now 1t is A restricted area.
The old Cathedral Heights Citizens
Association was formed in the early
years of the present century, when H.
L. Rust, prominent real estate man, and
DR.. L. w. Eugster, dentist, got together
and gave life to the enterprise. DR..
Eugster recalls that he was its first
secretary and that the first president
| was a pre-eminent lawyer, j. Nota
McGill.
Successful Early Projects.
A prominent attorney, H. K. Colds
boro, was q leading spirit In the aSso-
| ciation in its earlier days. The pioneers
recall there was no Massachusetts, ave-
nue. then. Woodley road and Newark
street, from Wisconsin to Connecticut
avenues, were the only east and west
thoroughfares. The citizens banded TO-
eether, persuaded the authorities to
build suitable streets and equip them
with appropriate lighting systems and
got Wisconsin avenue widened. A dele
| gate to the federation for number o.
years from that section was the lawyer
Hugh M. Frampton, who later moved
into nearby Maryland.
Mr.. Burton was the combined asso-
ciation's president last year. Preceding
who served from 1930-31 to 1882. A
| former incumbent was Mrs. Harriet w
Saunders. For several years Maj. Gen
Eli A. Helmick, U. S. A., retired, welded
the gavel as president. =.
Pre-eminent in the associations al
| fairs and serving for many years as 9
| delegate to the Federation was the late
| George r. Wales, the civil service COM
| missioner.
The amalgamation of the Cathedra
Heights and Cleveland Park Citizens
Associations took place in 1928 or 1929
| During the presidency of Mrs. Saun.
| ders the association insured the COM
bined gymnasium and auditorium fol
Townsend the location OF the Macomt
Street Playground at Thirty-fourth
street was achieved. as was the loca-
ton and development Of the Phoebe
Hearst School at Thirty-sixth and TIL
leadership as president the association
with the aid of Mr.. Wales and Mr.
Frampton, secured the widening anc
improvement of Wisconsin avenue ano
| the Strengthening out Of the zontne
regulations for the region.
| Junior High School Sought.
Mr.. Townsend, the associations vict
president, surveying Its work for tht
past few years, said: "All our street.
are paved All our sidewalks have beer
| created and there are trees to shade.
the city which is situated any more
favorably, from a civic viewpoint. thar
Is ours. The truth Is that there Il
scarcely anything more left to figh,
about"
The association, Mr.. Townsend de-
clared. is going after a new junior high
school in the vicinity of Wisconsin ave-
| nue. and Macomb street. This project
he recalled, was i'll the estimates Of the
District Commissioners. but was elimi-
mated in the last fiscal year.
Until the Pafent-T Association
was organized the Citizens Association
functioned as one of the strongest In
the city, said Mr.. Townsend. It's wors
for schools brought about the John
Eaton School, which is one of the finest
| in the city. and It's Parent-Teacher As
sociation is one Of the most virile, he
declared, with an average attendance
of $50. The Parent Teacher Associ-
alton took over all the school work
| formerly handled by the Citizens As
| sociation. and thus it was that interest
in the latter declined, Mr.. Townsend
points out.
The Cleveland Park Citizens AsSoci.
alton was not as active as it had beer
| formerly, and so it was merged with
the Cathedral Heights Association, and
the unified body operates In the same
territory.