Evening star., 1935-10-13
BERWYN HOUSING !
. PROJECT BEGINS
1000 Workers Ready to
Start Jobs on Nearby
Development.
BY WILLIAM A. BELL. JR.,
c.a rorrssnondspt of The Star.

b1 n. oLLAs SHssS
star Correspondent Of The Star.
BERWYN HEIGHTS. Md, october
fan army of nearly 1000 laborers
from District relief rolls will come here
by train Monday to start clearing
tangled woodland around here for the
Resettlement Administrations 5000
acre low-cost housing development.
The project is regarded by authori-
ties as q solution to Washington's
transient problem as well as an ef-
fective attack on overcrowding in the
city due to lack of housing facilities.
Charles H. Stein, chairman Of the
Berwyn Heights Town Council. con-
siders it a bad influence on property
values in this area, but resettlement
officials said STEMS objections came
from misunderstanding and that the
development would enhance property
values.
All employable transients in the
District. numbering more than 1000.
will be put to work here. Commis-
sioner George E. Allen, District works
progress administrator, grateful to DR..
Rexford G. Tugwelr. agency for tax
ing this relief problem on his chest.
said work train would 60 to Berwyn
daily, carrying laborers to cut trees.
slash underbrush, build roads and
later to erect 1000 homes for an equal
number of families.
Actual work began today, when 10
tractors and a score of workmen
started uprooting trees for the edifl-
cation of Commissioner Allen and
more than a score Of Rural Resettle-
ment and Agriculture Department
officials.
Crowd at Opening.
There was everything but band
of about 100 swarmed over a hill
top and into a small valley. march,
ing unconcernedly through the brown
loan. They watched the big trees.
splashed with Autumn colors, crash
to the ground while the tractors
strained against steel cables. The
felled trees will be used for lumber
In building "Tugwelltown," or for fire.
wood. About 200 will be uprooted.
landscapes have gone over the site
and tagged with white labels trees
and bushes which must be left stand
Ing.
The Government got the land at
an average of $82 per acre. or about
S73s,oo0 for 200 tracts. 1t is rich
In historical lore. An old mine from
which came iron for George Wash
ington's cannons and cannon balls is
there, and mill race where once
was Colonial grist mill on land that
Is part of an original grant from King
George III. It used to be tobacco
land. but the soil wore out"
Resettlement officials said securing
the site required no condemnations.
although about 40 families will have
to transplant themselves. All took the
money offered and agreed to move,
1t was said. The large home of DR..
e. B. Simonds Of the Agriculture De-
partment's Bureau Of Animal Indus
try will be left intact for use as part
Of the project, possibly as a COM
munity center or school. But the
more modest farm home Of Mrs. Alice
B. Morris will have to come down.
Houses on Ridge.
Every house will be on a ridge, none
IN valleys, planners said. No house
will look quite the same and there will
be a lake of more than 100 acres,
formed by the damming Of tn esmall
he
community design is somewhat like a
four-leaf clover, with houses facing
parkways and the business district in
the center. Some dwellings are ex-
pected to be ready for occupancy next
year.
Several types Of construction are
under consideration. Tentatively IA
vored is one calling for all-concrete
structure with a special type of mate
rial known as "vibrated" concrete.
This, 1t was said, would make all
buildings fireproof, virtually damage
proof and sturdy enough to last a
century. The architects designs were
described as "modernistic," modified
to suit the surroundings"
The site is about 16 miles from
washington by road and can be
reached by automobile or bus in 40
minutes. Completion of a new high
way already projected to within two
miles Of the proposed development is
expected to bring the Capital four
miles nearer.
Sites for three similar projects else
where in the country may be an
nounced within 60 days.
Onicials at today's ceremonies in
eluded, besides Commissioner Allen,
w. w. Alexander, assistant resettle-
ment administrator; c. B. Baldwin,
assistant administrator in charge of
operations; DR.. II. A. Nelson, director
of the National Research Center at
Beltsville, Md, which will be ex-
panded to absorb some Of the new
towns population; Tom Hibben. asso-
ciate director Of the Resettlement Ad-
ministration's suburban resettlement
division; William c. Cleary, assistant
deputy administrator of District w. p.
A. projects; Ross Haworth, admins
trative assistant to the District w. p.
A. administrator. and James D. lie
Cron, assistant to Secretary of Agri-