Evening star., 1934-02-04
CONGRESS HEIGHTS
GROUP ORGANIZED
TO HELP ITS AREA
Playground Now Is Sought
BY Unit Active for
35 Years.

Since its origin IS years ago the
Congress Heights Citizens Association
has been steered by that famous motto
of Candide. Cultivate your own gar
den." Virtually all its efforts in the
last three and one-half decades have
been bent toward the acquisition of
comforts necessities and Improvements
for the citizens Of its territory.
Originally known as the Congress
Heights Public Improvement Associa-
ton, the organization was founded
specifically to obtain extensions to
Congress Heights Of benefits enjoyed
by the Anacostia area. Through the
years 1t waged successful fights for
street car service, water, light and
sewer systems. More recently cam
paigns to get Nichols avenue paved
and the Congress Heights School en-
larged were terminated with achieve
ment Of their goals.
playground Now Sought,
Never content with past accomplish
ments alone, the civic body has now
set as its objective a playground for
children of the neighborhood and con-
struction Of storm sewers to avert
damage done by standing water after
heavy rains. Another issue backed
by the group Is the Gasque plan for
an elective School Board for the Dis
trict OF Columbia, which appeals TO
the citizens of Congress Heights be-
cause they contend their district and
Anacostia never have been represent
ed adequately or in sufficient number
on the School Board here. OF course
the drive for more paved streets and
sidewalks in the section never Is re-
linquished from one year to the next.
Only small number Of persons re-
sided IN Congress Heights when It's
association was formed but those who
have remained there since have seen
the population of the association s
territory alone grow to almost 5000,
increasing hand in hand with the ad-
vent OF community Improvements.
Paved streets. sidewalks. water, light.
f1re engine house, a school growing
from rooms to Is rooms and an
assembly hall, appeared simultane-
ously with the growth of population.
and each gave impetus TO the other.
Two Men Prominent.
Two executives have dominated
most of the history Of the Congress
Heights association. They are the
late w. w. Price. who served as
president for more than a decade and
won many of the important battles for
betterment recorded in the organiza-
tion's history, and Dr.. E. E Richard
son, present incumbent of the chair.
who has been in that Office for almost
IS years Pastor of the Congress
Heights Baptist Church for 20 YEAR
long an instructor in philosophy p
George Washington University. q for
mer member of the Citizens Advisory
Council and ex-president OF the Cen
tral Union Mission, DR.. Richardson
has been a moving spirit OF the asso-
citation throughout its postwar his
tory. He holds the B. S. M S. NJ. D.
and PhD. degrees from George Wash
irgton University, and at one time
taught medicine there
Another veteran officer OF the asso-
citation was Gustav Bender, long its
treasurer until his retirement q few
years ago
Present officers Of the association
are: DR.. Richardson. for another term
as president; Harold Costello. first
vice president: Harold H. Slaughter,
second vice president; Mrs. Alfred
Davidson. secretary: j. B. Mcdonald.
financial secretary: E. j. Read treas
urer, and Benson Taylor and j. Louis
Goldman, delegates to the Federation
of Citizens Associations. Like their
predecessors. the current slate of Of
hcials is determined to have it said
that wherever and whenever civic
improvements are affected In Con-
gress Heights. the association will
have had strong hand in it