Evening star., 1933-12-10
SITE OF RESERVOIR
URGED FOR GARDEN
Civic Group Would Make
Beauty Spot of Sixteenth
Street Park Entrance.

Plans for development Of the aban-
doned Sixteenth street reservoir site on
the edge Of Rock Greek Park. Just south
Of Morrow road. into an elaborate
sunken garden and main eastern en-
trance to the park are being prepared
by members Of the Sixteenth Street
Highlands Citizens' Association under
direction Of Edgar c. Snyder, United
States marshal for the District.
The landscaping designs for the
project, prepared under direction OF
Marshal Snyder, have been submitted
to the Fine Arts Commission for ap-
proval and effort will be made ut once
to obtain either Public Works Admins
tration funds or Civil Works Admins
tratfon labor for q starting Of the
project.
Little Grading Needed.
Very little grading or conditioning
Of the site will be required to carry
out the plan, it was explained. The
design calls for cutting down the east
wall Of the reservoir and embankment
along Sixteenth street. The west wall
and embankment would be left stand
ing to separate the garden from the
tennis courts. base bali diamond and
foot ball gridiron to the west Of the
reservoir. This wall would be screened
with ivy and tall trees.
A formal paved terrace and water
terrace" or series of pools would lead
up to the wall from the main portion
of the garden. In the sunken garden
proper, the gentle slope from Morrow
road southwark along Sixteenth street
In the bottom of the present reservoir
would be used for series Of pools and
lakes. The water flow would begin at
the north end from a formal fountain
and pool and lead through series Of
less and less formal pools and gardens
to naturalistic lily pond and informal
garden at the south end. where the
garden would merge into Rock Creek
Park
A bandstand with a high "shell"
sound reflector is planned at about the
location of the present south wall Of
the purpose.
The present granite gatehouse. an
ornamental octagonal structure stand
ing on the west wall of the reservoir,
would be preserved, with broad stone
stairways leading down from it to the
sports area to the west and into the
formal area of the sunken garden.
Park Entrance Elaborate.
The plan also provides for an
elaborate formal entrance to Rock
Greek Park at the point where Morrow
road now joins Sixteenth street at the
north end of the reservoir.
A paved semicircle, at the intersec-
ton of the road and street, with low
cyclorama or formal stone arch, Is
being considered. Morrow road would
be widened with new north roadway
paralleling the present drive In the
extension of the line Of Kennedy street.
A large automobile parking area be-
tween the two portions Of the road is
planned.
The iandscaping plan for the area
was prepared by S. Wade Callahan for
Marshal Snyder and a special commit
tee of the association headed by him.
Estimates of cost have yet to be made
on the basis of present conditions.
Mr. Snyder has been requested by
the association to arrange for presenta-
ton of the proposal to the proper Dis
trict and Federal authorities at once
and to ask for public hearings II these
are deemed necessary. Other citizens
associations In the Sixteenth street and
Rock Greek areas will be asked to Co
operate in carrying out the project.
Sixteenth street reservoir was aban-
doned when the Dalecarlia reservoir and
filtration plant were completed on Con-
duit road in July. 1928. and has been
standing empty since that time. A
number of suggestions have been made
for its utilization as q bathing beach
or for other purposes, but many Of
these plans have been opposed by resi-
dents of the neighborhood. One plan
called for razing Of the west wall and
utilization of the reservoir as q
stadium.