Evening star., 1938-11-13
Avenue beautifitation
In Southeast Area
Is Sought
Trees and Sodding for
Center Parkway Held
Greet Need

Identification of historic Pennsyl-
vania avenue Sc. between the Lii
brary of Congress and the Anacostia
River is being urged by a number
of Southeast civic organizations led
by the Summit Park Citizens As
sociation.
They are asking that hedges be
planted between the double rows
of trees down the center parkway
and that the gaps in the tree rows
be filled by planting new trees. They
are also asking that the center grass
plats be re-seeded and that an artis-
tically designed fence be placed
around the plats.
Years ago, Mrs. Leila Marshall,
president of the Summit Park Citi-
zens' Association recalled yesterday,
the Avenue was one of the most
beautiful streets in the world. Then
an ivy-festooned chain was stretched
along the center parkway on either
side of the street car tracks. The
rows Of trees were unbroken and
a heavy sod covered the ground.
Chain and Hedge Removed.
The businessmen along the Avenue
opposed the chain and a hedge
which grew along most of the Avenue
and at length were successful in
having them removed. Six years
ago the drought killed a number
of the trees and they have never
been replaced. A proposal has now
been made to cut down the remain
ing trees and pave the center strip
to make it like Pennsylvania avenue
NV. now is.
IF the condition of the street con-
tinues to go down and the trees are
removed" Mrs. Marshall said, lit
will become one of the ugliest streets
IN the city" She explained that
there were no beautiful buildings
along the thoroughfare to enhance it.
Two large squares, at North Caro-
lima and South Carolina avenues, one
circle, Barney Circle at the end OF
the parkway, and a smaller circle
at the intersection of Potomac ave-
nue. Sc. intersect 1t. The plan of
the street, with strips of grass and
rows Of trees along the parking and
street car tracks, makes improve
ment relatively easy.
Identification would eliminate
some traffic hazards, Mrs. Marshall
asserted, raise property values
throughout the whole Southeast Sec
ton and would be only fitting in
view of the extensive changes to be
made at Barney Circle at the west
end Of the Pennsylvania Avenue
Bridge when the new bridge is
completed.
One Of Old Streets.
Pennsylvania avenue between the
Library OF Congress and the Anacos-
tia River is one of the oldest streets
IN the city. Included in the L'Enfant
plan, 1t was laid out and, a hundred
years ago, number of pretentious
homes adorned it, particularly along
the western part and around Seward
Square. However, it later developed
as a business street for some of the
smaller stores, much as it is now.
A number of old landmarks still
Adorn it. The old United States
Naval Hospital, built in 1861, stands
between Ninth and Tenth streets
Sc. Nearby filling station occupies
the site of the Eastern Branch Hotel,
which was, at the time of its razing
In 1922, the oldest building in the
original city limits.
Wallach Public School, built dur
ing the Civil War and still in use,
stands on the square at the inter-
section of South Carolina avenue
Sc. At Seward. Square is Trinity
Methodist Episcopal Church. AS sue
cessor to the Ebenezer Methodist
Episcopal Church organized in 1902,
1t has the Oldest Methodist congre-
cation in the District of Columbia.