Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-01-28
R. |. AVENUE UNIT
CLAIMS LARGEST
|. PAID MEMBERSHIP
Citizens Organized In 1908
"For the Good of the
Whole Community"

Organized when rabbit and QUAD
were the most numerous inhabitants a
its territory and abodes Of men were
few and far between, the Rhode Island
Avenue Citizens Association has func-
toned for more than q quarter Of Q
century In accordance with its slogan,
'For the Good Of the Whole COM
munity"
During that time its charter member.
ship Of SO has grown to more than 1000
and the association claims the largest
paid up membership in the District.
Its growth has been aided materially
by monthly publication the Neighbor.
hood News, which has helped build up
civic pride in the community.
The association also sponsored the
Woodbridge Garden Club, an organiza.
ton formed as the outgrowth Of annual
lawn and garden contests.
Charles McCauley. member Of the
White House staff and an authority on
| flowers, was elected president when the
| association was organized May 20, 1908,
under the name of the Rhode Island
Avenue Suburban Citizens Association.
Later the word suburban was dropped
in the interest of brevity.
Garden Contests Begun.
A few months after the association
was formed Schuyler S. Symons was
elected president and served until 1912.
During that time the lawn and garden
contests were inaugurated, street lights
secured, numerous sidewalks laid,
sewerage system obtained, Rhode Island
/ avenue graded and a fight begun to
| eliminate the grade crossing on South
| Dakota avenue
Bristow Adams Of the Forest Service
succeeded Mr.. SymonS as president in
! 1912 and served until he became
member of the faculty Of Cornell Uni
| versity in 1914. Acquisition of school
| facilities and improved street car service
marked his administration.
Mr. Symons was again called to the
| head of the association at the annual
meeting in 1915. He remained at the
helm during the war years, when large
part of the associations membership
! participated in the community garden
activity and many permanent improve
ments were obtained, the most i'm
portant being the acquisition of five and
| one-half acres on which the John
Burroughs School was subsequently
built.
In March, 1919, William s. Torbert
became president and it was under his
administration that the Neighborhood
News was started in May Of that year.
At first the publication was Mr.. Torberts
individual enterprise, later being donat-
ed by him to the civic body.
Features of the next two years Of the
associations life included the opening
of the Woodbridge post office station and
Of the new reinforced concrete bridge
over the railroad tracks on South Dakota
avenue. During this period also the
association succeeded in defeating
proposal to install a zone system Of
street car fares which would have
doubled the fares paid by residents OF
the Woodbridge neighborhood.
Rhode Island Avenue Extended.
After two terms Mr.. Torbert was sue
ceeded by Guy v. Thomas. Under his
direction the association co-operated In
the acquisition Of junior high school
site in lexington and maugurated q
campaign for a school site in the Wood
ridge section.
Ira B. Nutter became president In
1923 The first year of his admins
tration witnessed the opening Of Rhode
Island avenue to the District line. paved
throughout its length. and the second
year was marked by the opening OF the
new police precinct on Rhode Island
avenue at Seventeenth street. Mr..
Nutters administration also vigorously
backed the purchase of the Mount
Hamilton and Hickory Hill tracts for
a national arboretum.
The unwritten law Of the association
limiting a president to two successive
terms resulted in Mr.. Nutter's retire.
ment in 1925 in favor of Chester r:
Smith. 1t was during his term OF
office that the Woodbridge Garden Club.
over the functions of the Committee
on Lawns, Gardens and Parks, was
| formed.
Al the end of 1926 the association
became the largest of its kind in the
District with a paid up membership OF
1905. Bus service to Woodbridge was
obtained and an appropriation given
by Congress for the purchase of a site
for a Junior high school within the
associations territory while Mr.. Smith
was president.
Meredith C. Wilson. Department of
Agriculture official and former profess
sor at the University Of New Hamp-
shire. became president in 1927, a year
which proved an important one in the
associations history. Accomplishment
of that year included completion Of the
John Burroughs School, building Of the
Woodbridge School, replacement Of the
frame Langdon School. purchase Of
community park, construction OF two
large storm sewers and the paving Of
numerous streets and alleys.
Before Mr. Wilson's term expired i'll
1929 a sub-branch of the Public Lii
brary on Rhode Island avenue had
been provided for in a congressional
| appropriation.
Membership Peak Reached.
When Thomas ]. Llewellyn assumed
the presidency in 1929 the association
had reached its highest peak in men,
bership-1,759 Climaxing years Of ef-
fort the association obtained free ex-
press delivery and an appropriation for
the purchase of fire engine house on
Rhode Island avenue during Mr..
Llewellyn's tenure of Office, which also
witnessed tremendous activity in street
Improvements involving expenditures
of S226,000.
Extension of New York avenue to the
Bladensburg road. removal of trolley
poles from the center Of Rhode Island
avenue installation of traffic lights at
important intersections on that thor
oughfare, cooperation with the North
east Suburban Bi-centennial Commits.
tee and a successful fight against the
proposed erection Of gas holder In
the Northeast section featured the ad.
ministration of Edward G. Sievers.
Shortly after George L. Gee was
elected president recently the associa-
ton celebrated its silver anniversary
with appropriate exercises in Sherwood
Hail. during which Senator william H.
King of Utah, chairman Of the Dis
trict Committee, joined with District
officials in congratulating the organi-
Zation on it's accomplishments and pre-
dieting many more years of service for
one of the outstanding civic associa-
lions in the National Capital.