Evening star., 1936-03-13
MANY PARKWAY
PROJECTSF|N|SHED
Finnan's Survey of Three
Years Work Lists Mall
g., and Highways.

A three-year review Of activities In
The Washington park system under
the Roosevelt administration, mace
public today by C. Marshall Flnnan,
superintendent of the National Cap
ital Parks, shows many projects have
been brought to fruition.
Included in the improvements, Fin
nan listed these:
Creation of The Mall, with its un-
interrupted vista from the Capitol to
the Washington Monument, and its
new highways.
The development of Union Square,
just west of the Capitol, which is to
be completed this Spring.
Washington will have four new
swimming pools: one at Banneker
Recreation Center. near Howard Uni
Versity; one at Takoma Recreation
Center, Fourth and Van Buren streets
these two having been built under
the Civil Works Administration and
the Works Progress Administration
and one each at East Potomac Park
and in Anacostia Park. these to be
built with the aid of Public Works
Administration funds, and be ready
for use by the public this Summer.
Monument Grounds Improved.
The Washington Monument grounds
have been reconditioned and food
protecting embankment raised in the
vicinity of Seventeenth street and
Constitution avenue. Finnan prom
ises that drains will lbe built to prevent
the water flowing of this new en-
bankment and flooding the sidewalk
along the south side of Constitution
avenue. The Monument grounds will
d" be seeded this Spring, after top soil
has been placed, to give them fin
ished appearance. The circular road
way at the northerly side of the base
Of the Monument has been obhterated
and the highway in the line OF Six
teenth street, south of Constitution
avenue, has been filled in.
On Theodore Roosevelt Island, the
Civilian Conservation Corps has been
at work preparing this future public
recreational area and landScaping the
section. The southern portion of CO.
lumbia Island has been Handicapped
and the northern portion will be lev
|. eled off this Spring and handicapped.
At Fort Dupont, the Civilian Con-
servation Corps has been busy, Fin
nan said, turning this area, long in
public ownership, but undeveloped
into a section useful for recreational
purposes. with roads and trails and
picnic groves.
Meridian Park Nearly Done.
Meridian Hill Park is being COM
pleted and this formal garden de-
Velopment, considered one of the most
ambitious Of its kind in the world, will
soon be finished.
In the Rock Greek and Potomac
Parkway, particularly between P and
K streets, the valley has been opened
up to motor travel. through construc-
ton OF a new drive. LandScaping OF
the slopes is going forward and that
section of the parkway nearer the
Lincoln Memorial is being improved
with trees, shrubs and grass.
In Rock Creek Park, many bridges
were washed out in the flood OF
1888. These have now been rebuilt
with stronger structures, for motor,
= horse and foot travel.
In the George Washington Memorial
Parkway, on the Virginia side of the
Potomac River, between the Arlington
Memorial and Key Bridges, a new
riverside drive is being constructed
up to RoSslyn, Va.
Sherman Square, just South Of the
Treasury, has been altered to provide
added traffic facilities in that section
near the White House.
Smaller Areas Improved.
Some so of the smaller squares Of
the city and numerous circles are
being reconditioned, under the Public
Works Administration program.
Lafayette, Franklin and Folger
Parks are being rejuvenated, with
new walks, new plant material, top
Goiling, fertilizer and seeding
Tree surgery, costing some S70,000
has been accomplished and this pro-
gram is rapidly nearing fulfllment
Finnan points out that because of
this, the Washington parks have not
suffered from falling branches and
other damage to trees. The trees, he
says, are now in excellent condition" D."
This work has included the artificial
feeding of tree roots to make the
growth more healthy.
At Palisades Playground, at Weaver
Place and the Chesapeake & Ohio
Canal, a new field house will shortly
be under construction. to serve that
MI
said.
Nearly complete is the construction
of new police lodge in Rock Greek
Park.
ShackS Removed.
Storehouses and ShackS at Military
road and Beech drive in Rock Creek
Park have been taken away, present.
ing a more orderly appearance This
is also true Of the EllipSe, south of
the White House, and at Seventeenth
street and Constitution avenue. This,
Mr.. Fnnan says, has removed a num-
Der Of eyesores from the park system.
A water supply system along the
Mount Vernon Memorial Highway has
been completed. This has been very
important to the trees and plant
life located along that drive, the park
chief said. Three big slides on the
highway have been stabilized.
Constitution avenue has been
widened from Seventeenth street to
the Potomac River.
The memorial entrance to Arlington
National Cemetery, terminating the
Arlington Memorial Bridge project,
has been completed.
At Banneker and Takoma Recreation
Centers. many additional recreational
features have been added.
A final inspection of Pierce Mill
in Rock Greek Park will be made in
few days by Finnan, prior to the
Government accepting the newly in
stalled machinery and mill wheel.
The total cost of the project, which
began about year and half ago,
Is $4,000.