Evening star., 1934-06-17
S|X-YEAR-OLD UNIT
FORMED TO OBTAIN
PROPERTY RIGHTS
Glover Park Citizens Get
Many Improvements in
Their Area.

zens brought the Glover Park Citi-
Eens' Association into being.
Meeting for the first time on jan
uary 20, 1928, az the home Of J. E.
Hardy, 2730 Benton street, citizens of
Glover Park drew up a constitution
which also had as its objectives prop
erly paved streets, sidewalks, shade
trees, water, gas, electricity, street car
and bus service, practically all Of
which have been secured by the as
sociation despite its comparative
youth.
Only two citizens have held the
executive chair of the organization.
Gen. H Ogden Lake was elected
president at the first meeting and
served in that office until December
18, 1881, at which time Myron r.
Walker, the present incumbent. was
elected. H. o. Kephart was elected
treasurer at the first meeting and has
served in this capacity ever since.
Other officers elected at the first
meeting we're: Mr. Hardy. first vice
president; E. I. Baldwin, second vice
president; Carl F. Mayer, secretary,
and T. r. INLAY, sergeant at arms.
Appropriations have been voted by
members every year to furnish Christ
mas entertainment for the children
of the institution. Members volun-
tarily paid up their membership fees
in advance on December Is last year
so that $25 could be appropriated for
this Christmas fund. This was neces-
sary because the associations money
was tied up in the Franklin National
Bank, and the celebration would have
had to be omitted had this action
not been taken.
Six resolutions were adopted IN
October, 1928. They called for i'm
proved facilities for the education Of
crippled children, asked an appropria-
ton of 100000 for a new business
high school, protested the new loca-
tion Of the house OF detention at 908
B street southwest, indorsed rezoning
of the area, asked that Benton street
be cut through from Tunlaw road to
Wisconsin avenue and urged extern
sion Of bus service from Thirty-sev-
enth and T streets. The latter pur-
pose was accomplished the next year.
Street car service also was declared
insufficient at this meeting. and a
complaint was made to the Public
Utilities Commission to secure ex-
tension of the bus line into Glover
Park. This extension was secured in
the early part Of 1880.
Calvert Street Improved.
Ever since the first meeting of the
body, the opening and paving of CAL
vert street had been fought for. This
was accomplished in the early part of
1880, and September 10, of the same
year, the group went on record as
favoring the widening and paving of
what was then known as Schneider S
lane and the extension of the lane
into Calvert street At It's November
meeting the group asked that the
name of Schneider's lane be changed
to Calvert street. At that time it was
only 20 feet wide and members asked
that it be widened so that cars could
be parked on both sides with room
left for moving traffic to pass in the
center
The District Commissioners notified
the group on February 20, 1881, that
the property necessary for the WIDEN
work was to start early that Spring.
AT meeting on March 20. it was an
nounced that the project had been
renamed Calvert street and work was
already under way to widen the street
to so feet. This ended one of the
major fights of the body to secure an
outlet for traffic from Glover Park
The Identification of Glover Park
Is another aim which the association
has fought for since its inception.
The group has been addressed from
time to time by many landscaping ex-
perts. Garden contests have been
held by the group on several occa-
sions. Mr.. Walker was chairman of
the Committee on Lawns and Gar
dens during 1880 and now when he
heads the group continues to main
tain an active interest in the land
scaping Of the entire territory.
Oppose Tax Boost.
The raising Of taxes in the District
has always been opposed by the
Glover Park Association. In No.
vember, 1880, as in later times, the
body went on record as opposed to
a proposed increase in gasoline taxes
from 2 to cents.
The Schools Committee reported
at the meeting on February 20, 1881,
that the body had been successful in
obtaining an elementary school for
the neighborhood. The school, en-
bracing the first eight grades, was to
be named the Benjamin Stoddert
School and was to be located at
Forty-frst and Calvert streets. The
site was purchased from c. c. Glover,
jr., whose father donated the land
for Glover Park. In October 1882,
the group manifested its continued
interest In the school by an appro-
priation Of s25 for the purchase Of a
portrait of Benjamin Stoddert to
hang in the school building
Membership in the association has
always represented a large percentage
Of the residents of the area. The
Membership Committee has always
been active, having reported at the
November 20, 1881, meeting, a 100
per cent membership of the residents
of Glover Park. The group had as
many as 246 members in its second
year Of existence. 1t now has slightly
less than 400 members.
William D. Harris, who has been
a delegate to the Federation of Citi-
zens' Associations ever since the elec-
tion Of officers in December, 1881,
set forth the following future aims
and objectives of the group:
To secure public branch library
in the area. Action was first taken
on this question in May, 1882, when
1t adopted a resolution favoring an
inclusion in the D. c. appropriation
bill for such library to be located
at Wisconsin avenue and r street.
To secure swimming pool. Action
was started on this In January last
year.
It was pointed out that the city
owns the Glover-Archbold Parkway
and no apparent effort was being
made to improve the land. Plans were
discussed for securing the aid of
nearby associations in this endeavor.