Evening star., 1934-05-06
Michigan Pmk Citizens Group Formed
In 1917 to Obtain Street Impr0uemen
Better Conditions in
Schools Also Of
Prime Interest.
association Seeking to
Keep Its Section
Residential.

11ANAIGO ~ years dBO, eiic
II Michigan Park Citizens As
~ sociation has accomplished
much toward betterment of
both community and city
conditions.
Instigated by the late B. B. Pettus.
who was the first president. meet.
ing was called by the residents liv-
ing in the territory bounded by
Quincy street on the south, Queens
Chapel road on the east. the District
Line on the north and the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad tracks on the west,
| to consider the forming Of citizens
association, a territory northeast and
east of the beautiful Catholic Uni
versity of America. A permanent
body was soon formed to deal pri-
marily with the construction and con-
| dftioning of streets in that vicinity.
Among the first projects that in
| terested the association were the ex-
tension of the street cars north on
Twelfth street, northeast instead of
easterly on Monroe street, and the
paving Of Twelfth street north from
Michigan avenue to Varnum street.
From its inception, Michigan Park
has been a homecoming community,
and hence has always been interested
in civic development. Set of and to
some extent isolated from the city
proper by tracks of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad. 1t has not received
some Of the municipal improvements
to which its members think it
entitled.
Want School Replacement.
Early in its history, this group
fought to secure the Bunker Hill
School for the children of the COM
munity, and while the Board Of Edu-
cation saw the need and recommend
ed a new school in the original
building program, and the local prin-
cipals have persistently included this
item in their annual list of building
needs, the desires of the community
have remained unanswered. This
community feels no school In Wash
ington has as inadequate facilities or
is so i'll adapted for school purposes
houses over 100 pupils in two class
rooms. The corridor Of the building
has been turned into kindergarten,
and two sections of each of the first
three grades occupy a room.
With the other progressive citizen
groups in this area, 1t fought for and
helped secure the location Of the Taft
Junior High School in a centrally
located site, and with adequate space
for future expansion.
The association in its early days
turned its attention to the establish
ment of a playground in its area. In
1928 it succeeded In inducing the Ma
tional Park and Planning Commis-
sion to acquire the ground on Michi-
gan avenue between Perry and Ran
dolph streets for this purpose. This
is the Turkey Thicket Playground. It
fourth celebrations and the encamp-
ment site of the Boys Scout troops.
The community holds several an
nual contests that help to express the
cooperation so essential in the devel-
opment of civic pride and wholesome
neighborhood competition. In the
bicentennial garden contests 1t mer-
tied commendation for its individual
gardens and its community appear
ance. Each year it has its own gar
den and lawn contests under super
vision of the association and arrange
ments are now under way for active
participation in The Evening Star
Better Homes Contest.
There is also noticeable a spirit of
community cooperation in the annual
Christmas tree which the associa-
ton erects in the public park at
Twelfth and Shepherd streets and
Michigan avenue. The tree with its
hundreds of electric lights forms
beautiful center. Many homes join
in this celebration by Illuminating
their porches and front lawns in holi-
day array.
Viaduct Now Sought.
A long and as yet unsuccessful fight
has been waged over the erection OF
viaduct over the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad tracks to come in on
Michigan avenue between Otis and
Perry streets. They succeeded In get
ting authorization legislation in 1927.
but this was subsequently found in
adequate. This improvement has been
promised by the District Commis-
sioners' office as an item to be in
cluded in the next annual budget. The
association also favors erection OF
bridges over Franklin street and the
two necessary bridges over the rail-
road tracks from Rhode Island ave-
nue. to New York avenue northeast.
This association has been jealous
in its endeavor to retain its strictly
residential atmosphere and has con-
sistently fought against the encroach-
ment of commercial and industrial
enterprises in its area. It feels its
greatest achievement in recent years
has been the successful opposition to
the placing of huge gas holders
within its territory; 1t even opposed
the erection of gas holder in the ad-
jacent Maryland territory.
Mr.. Pettus. as the first president,
was followed in office by S. H. Hod-
dinott. Joseph w. Connolly, Robert
r. Faulkner, Lewis S. Trundel, Will
liam M. Deviny, Ralph Endicott, E. j.
Brennan and DR.. Herbert Wright, the
incumbent.
The other officers are c. E. S. Rich,
vice president; Jerome S. Murray,
secretary; Franklin E. Adams, treas
urer; E. j. Brennan and William M.
Deviny. delegates to the Federation
Of Citizens Associations.
PRESIDENT CRITICIZES