Evening star., 1935-12-15
CALVERT BRIDGE
HISTORY TRACED
7. J. LIeWeIIyn Outlines Pro-
gram for Dedication in
Civic Broadcast.

Committee on Highways, Parks ana
WATERWAYS of the Federation of Citi-
zens' Associations.
The dedication will be an important
event. in which the people of the Dis
trict should take an active part, he
believes.
Generations to come no doubt, Will
view with appreciation this magnif1-
cent structure Just as the people to-
day observe the many early substan-
tial bridges of the Old World" he
declared in a radio address over Sta
tion WMAL last Thursday.
Each week a leader in civic affairs
speaks over Station WMAL on topics
of current interest. The series Is
sponsored by the Federation of Citi-
zens' Associations and is under direc-
ton of Thomas Ellis Lodge, president.
Mrs. Corbin to Talk.
This weeks speaker will be Mrs.
George A. Corbin second vice presi-
dent of the federation, who has
chosen as her topic The Elective
School Board
Mrs. Corbin has for many years
been actively interested in public
school work. She is a federation dele
gate from the District of Columbia
Congress of Parents and Teachers, a
position which she has held for the
past three years. For IL years she
has been a member Of the Park View
Parent Teacher Association and is at
present a member of similar body
of the Roosevelt High School.
In the federation she has served
on the Committee on Education and
the Welfare Committee. In the Manor
Park Citizens Association, of which
she is member, she is vice chairman
of the Laws and Legislation Com
nittee.
Although she is not native Of the
District, she moved to Washington
when she was very young, she says.
In his address last week, Llewellyn
gave a complete resume of the con-
struction of the bridge and the prepa-
rations being made for the opening
exercises, in which participation is
planned by many citizens assoca-
tions.
Shinn Heads Committee.
The Commissioners have appointed
George c. Shinn of the Committee
on Bridges of the Board of Trade
as chairman of the Committee on
Arrangements for the bridge exer-
cises. A tentative outline of the pro-
gram was listed by Llewellyn as fol-
lows:
A parade will be led by the presi-
dent, followed by colorful marching
units, commercial floats, decorated
cars of citizens groups, Girl and Boy
Scouts, schools and American Legion
units, interspersed with Boy Scouts
bearing colors and bands.
The parade route, as announced
by Llewellyn, is to be as follows:
Formation of Florida avenue between
Sixteenth and Eighteenth streets and
side streets. At 7 o'clock in the eve
ming the parade will proceed north
ward on Eighteenth street to Calvert
street, thence over Calvert across the
new bridge to Connecticut avenue;
north to Woodley road, east on Wood
ley road to Cathedral avenue, thence
TO the point in the park underneath
the bridge, where the ceremonies will
be held.
The speeches will be the shortest
part of the program, he promised.
Several Bridges Opened.
Several new bridges have been
dedicated in the past year, including
the New Hampshire Avenue, Benning
P Street and Eastern Avenue Bridges,
but the Calvert span is the largest,
most expensive and most beautiful of
them all, he believes.
The structure cost $1,175000. 1t is
constructed of reinforced concrete
faced with Indiana limestone of three
146-feet span arches-one span over
Cathedral avenue. one over the park
drive leading to the Zoo and the other
one over Rock Creek.
The roadway width on the bridge
Is the same as the approaching streets,
namely, so feet, with two 12-foot side
walks. 1t is in the exact location Of
the old bridge, being in line with Cal
vert street.
The length of the new span is about
$50 feet over all and is approximately
125 above the valley below. Work
was started on March Is, 1884 and
it is being opened one month before
contract schedule.
At q special meeting of all the
presidents of the 63 member bodies
of the federation it was decided a
decorated bus representing the feder-
alton should lead the civic unit of
the parade
Part Played by Federation.
The federation played a very i'm
portant part in securing the new
span, Llewellyn reveals. Back in 1917
many designs were prepared by order
OF the District Commissioners for
different types of bridges. The En-
glneer Commissioner took one of
these plans to the Fine Arts Com
mission, where it was approved and
the designer was instructed to draw
up detailed plans for a new Calvert
street span over Rock Creek. The
World War, however, caused con-
struction to be abandoned.
In April, 1888, the Senate Subcom-
mittee on District Appropriations in
vestigated the duplication of plans
for the bridge. After some feeling
was engendered on all sides, the sub
committee wrote into the 1884 ap-
preparations bill the following: "But
no part of said sum ($1 ,25O, ,0OO) shall
be available for expenditures in con-
nection with the construction of said
Calvert Street Bridge until the Com
nissioners of the District of Colurn-
bia shall have made a restudy and re-
investigation to determine which par
ticular type Of bridge is most eco
nomical and serviceable and best
suited to the proposed location"
Through the federation the gen.
eral public opinion was expressed in
favor of masonry bridge and the
federation indorsed this type in the
restudy ordered by the Senate COM
nittee.
Trafar al 0rJar of Eao.Inn