Evening star., 1934-06-24
Civic Projects
Won by Long
Campaigns.
NEEDS UNITED
CITIZENS In 1893
Better Car Service,
Schools, Streets
Obtained.

An adequate history of the Friend
ship Citizens Association would be q
fairly complete account of civic de-
velopment throughout the District.
One of the oldest associations in the
city. the group, known originally and
until 1928 as the Northwest Suburban
Citizens Association. held its first
meeting in June. 1898, in the old
Tenley School Building Since that
time it has worked constantly. not
only for the welfare of the Friendship
section. but for improvement in the
entire District.
The making of its own area one ot
the better residential sections of the
District, however, has been constant
aim of the group of citizens who saw
the need for organization So years age
and of the members now carrying or
the work. The need for organized CO.
operation and the accomplishments OF
the association since it was formeo
are best illustrated by a part of the
farewell address of Col. Charles c
Lancaster, first president of the group
delivered on the occasion of his re-
tirement from Office after 81 years OF
service.
Early Condition Cited.
"At that time Che time the associa-
ton was formedD, this section hac
neither water mains nor service sewers
and not a trunk sewer. We had no fire
department or police station. We had
no telephones nor electric light. We
had practically no graded or macad-
AIMED streets. and our suburban roads
were ancient and almost impossible
at certain seasons of the year. Mod
ern homes with sanitary conveniences
were rare and conspicuous by then
absence"
Persistent efforts put forth by the
association have had the result that
most of the improvements, lacking in
the days of which Col. Lancaster
spoke. have been obtained. New
streets have been laid out: others ex-
tended graded and paved, in the
campaign TO make all sections of the
area easily accessible
The antiquated Tenley School build
ing for years was considered, by resi-.
dents there, a disgrace to the neigh
borhood it served. 1t had outlived it,
usefulness, and parents had. in many
cases, resorted to sending their chill
dren to school at either Chevy
Chase or Cleveland Park, claim
ing the Tenley School was "un-
sanitary and otherwise objection
able" After 10 years of effort by
the Friendship organization. construc-
finy0 nf tho GahnAl
started. At the dedication of the first
half of this building, on September 10,
1925, mention was made of the volu-
minous correspondence and resolutions
on the school subject which, it was
said. if printed and bound would be
enough to start small library The
association did not stop after obtain
ing the new building, but continues to
be active in school matters.
Transportation Improved.
The transportation problem was
another which required the early and
dillgent attention of the Northwest
Suburban Citizens Association. Mem
/ bers were of the opinion other ed-
| vantages of living in the neighbor-
hood would attract residents once this
| problem was solved. 1t was charged,
at meetings of the group, that the
street car company then operating
cars out Wisconsin avenue deliber-
ately was trying to make its service
to the area unpopular by operating
"antediluvian" cars, by maintaining
no definite schedule, and it was re-
ported that often car doors were not
| opened to let on passengers at regular
stops.
Meanwhile. these citizens saw the
areas along Connecticut avenue being
built up much faster than their own
neighborhoods. due largely, they felt,
to the vast contrast in the service on
| the car lines on the two thorough
/ fares. The magnitude of the associa-
tlon's task in this matter is demon
/ strated by the four-year battle II had
to wage to have restored through car
| service to Friendship Heights. which
had been discontinued in 1920 against
almost unanimous protest All street
car riders using the Wisconsin avenue
/ lines were forced to transfer in
Georgetown to reach downtown Wash
ington, until the group was success
| full in having through cars again
| placed in operation in 1924. Efforts
| then were turned toward bettering
the schedule. Not long ago the Capt.
tai Transit Co., now operating the
lines, reported Wisconsin avenue
| lines now are operating on a To-
minute schedule
The Friendship group has made
every effort to uphold the character
of the community by maintaining a
strict stand against any change In
| the coming regulations which would
allow commercial enterprises on prop
erty claSSed as solely residential. A
recent instance was the objection
voiced to circuSes and travelling carni-
walls, which in the past have operated
on several lots in the Friendship area.
1t was maintained a number of situa-
| tions connected with these travelling
shows were detriment to the neigh
borhood.
Protection Obtained.
Early lack of fire and police pro-
lection has been overcome InStalla-
ton of fire stations and of what then
was No. IA police precinct was speeded
Dy the association. As the use of the
automobile increased, the group took
| up the problem OF traffic regulation,
and has offered many valuable sug-
gestions to the District Government
| for regulating traffic in the area. A
! traffic light at the intersection OF
Wisconsin avenue and Albemarle
street now is being sought by the as.
sociation, both as protection for schoo
children, and as an aid in reducing
unsafe high speeds in Wisconsin
avenue.
Other accomplishments of the or
| gsnization include the procurement
of branch library, improvement ano
enlargement Of the branch post office
service, and the persuasion of the
Government to issue a charter for
bank in the area.
Boundaries of The organization, a.
| set forth in the minutes of January