Evening star., 1935-01-27
PETWORTH AREA
FACES TWO PLANS
TO HAVE LIBRARY
Nurses Home RemodeIing
Proposed Instead of New
Building.

AZ SONOA Va SOAllllOllAOy AAO"
faces two proposals to have a branch
library.
One is the plan that has been sup
ported for 10 years by the Petworth
Citizens Association-the construc-
ton of library on the District-owned
property on the northwest corner of
Georgia avenue and Upshur street.
The other is a new plan proposed
by the Piney Branch Citizens Associ-
alton. This group favorS remodeling
the nurses home of the tuberculosis
Hospital on Thirteenth street, oppo-
site Roosevelt High School, after the
hospital has been moved to the Glenn
Dale Sanatorium, now under con-
struction.
Stand Is Explained.
]. H. Pellen, member of a Special
Library Committee appointed at re-
cent meeting of the Piney Branch
group, said it was with District tax
payers in mind that the group asked
for a library in structure which is
already completed. 1t would cost less
than $4,000 to remodel the nurses
home for library use. he contends.
The building is already on Gov
ernment property" Pellen declared.
"What is to become of it? 1t may be
torn down." he said, adding that its
location gives it an added advantage
of convenience to school children.
Meanwhile, Horace j. Phelps, chair
man of the Public Library Committee
rf ha Dafy-nrth onol1ol
that about year ago nearly Is civic
groups held mass meeting to arouse
support for the proposed new build
ing as branch library, as well as an
addition to Roosevelt High School
and a foot ball stadium on the
grounds.
Il thought the Piney Branch asso-
citation was with U.S." Phelps said,
because that group was represented
at this mass meeting
Pellen Explains.
Pellen explained this by declaring:
"a year ago we did not know about
the construction of the Glenn Dale
hospital and did not know the nurses
home was to be vacated and made pos
Eibly available"
Phelps still contends, however, that
It will be some time before the nurses
home will be ready for remodeling,
and that Petworth wants the library
as soon as possible and still wants an
appropriation for it included in the
1896 District appropriation bill.
At the time the Commissioners were
preparing the District budget, the
board of trustees of the Public Library
this year for the first time included an
item of S150,000 for construction of
the PetWorth Library. Representa-
tives of the association appeared be-
fore the Commissioners seeking re-
tention of this item.
After the completion of the prof.
ected Georgetown library, Raymond
E. Gable, Petworth secretary, de-
clared. the library trustees have the
Petworth unit slated for the next ad-
dition to the library system. In the
trustees report, it was pointed out,
only 38 per cent of District residents
have adequate library service.
In December when the Subcommit-
tee of the House Committee on Ap-
preparations was holding hearings on
the budget, Phelps appeared before
the body in support of the project,
after publication of the estimates re-
vealed the project had been struck
from the budget
Phelps Before Committee.
Phelps, before the committee stated
"The site is already owned by the Dis
trict. It is the only remaining un-
used portion of the large tract occu-
pied by the Mcfarland Junior High
School and the Roosevelt High School,
being on the southeast corner of that
tract and being on the northwest cor
ner of Georgia avenue and UpShur
street. Both Kansas avenue and Iowa
avenue come along there, so it is al
most like the hub of wheel the To-
cation being extremely favorable for
that use.
Ten per cent of the people of the
District live within the territory which
will be served by that branch library.
It is over mile from the Mount
Pleasant branch; it is over two miles
from the Takoma branch. 1t will
serve some II schools. The school
ROPulotIull WIIilll GlldG u4StIlCL ID
11,000."
In addition, Phelps holds that the
total number of people the project
would serve is $4,000, and that the
densely populated region has grown
rapidly and is without library facili-
ties.
This is not new matter at ALL"
Phelps testified at the budget hearing
ut is delayed matter, and the pepole
of that community have long sought
this and are undoubtedly entitled to
have it,
Serving with Pellen on the Piney
Branch Library Committee are F. c.
Merritt and R. w. Cushing.
On Phelps Petworth Library Com
mittee are Earl w. Cooper, George w.
Stose, DR.. Alfred C. NorToss and
Theodore D. Martin.
Gable, who besides being secretary
of the Petworth association is also
editor of the Petworth Citizen, official
publication of the group. has included
news of all progress on the associa-
tion's project in each issue OF the
publication.
Then. too. there is the sign erected
last Summer on the proposed site of
the branch libary-financed by $40
voted by the Petworth association on
q motion by Phelps-and which con-
tinually brings to mind the fight being
waged by Petworth citizens.