Evening star., 1940-09-29
A. D. A. Project
Is Dedicated
In Southeast
Program Marks Stort
Of Work on Douglass
Homes in Southeast

A little band of 200 colored and
white people stood on a hill in
Southeast Washington yesterday
and dedicated to the memory of a
former slave a project of better
houses for his race.
1t was a program to mark the be-
ginning of construction of the Fred
erlck Douglass dwellings at Twenty
first street and Alabama avenue Sc.
The project, costing S1,198, ,000 is
an Alley Dwelling Authority de-
velopment. 1t calls for 313 GTeH-
ings.
The man after whom the dey-lop-
ment is named was the United
States marshal for the District un-
der President Garfield and later
was recorder of deeds. He died in
1895 AS a young man, he was q
slave in Maryland. His grandson,
Haley G. Douglass, spoke briefly
yesterday.
Ihlder Praised.
John 1hlder, executive officer OF
the A. D. A., was praised by nearly
every speaker for his "unselfsh in
terest' and his sympathetic under.
standing in seeing the money al.
located for the project. Low-in.
come families will occupy the
houses, to be two stories high with
four to six rooms.
Mr.. Ihlder reminded his audience
that there was still much to do be.
fore the colored people of the Dis
trict had adequate housing. How
ever, he said that the present pro-
gram Of the A. D. A. calls for con-
struction of about 5000 dwelling
units, 2,400 of which will be for
colored people, because the colored
people need them most"
Looking ahead, Mr.. Ihlder en-.
visoned the day when the A. D. A.
will have built 10000 homes Of
which the people can be proud"
Our work as I see it," he con-
tinued, is to furnish an adequate
supply of good, decent dwellings for
people regardless of how poor they
| are
Architect Speaks.
Hillyard R. Robinson, colored ar
/ chitect for the houses. directed his
remarks to the colored children
present.
Its going to be a grand place for
you to live and grow up and become
proud of your homes" he said.
DR.. Garnett c. Wilkinson, first
assistant superintendent Of schools,
emphasized that the development
will lead to increased educational
facilities for the section. The Gar
field School will be expanded to care
for the larger number Of children,
he said.
Touching on the fact that the
residents of the houses will be
brought from the "slums and alleys"
DR.. Wilkinson said: What this
means at present can hardly be
visualized but in the years ahead
will come to mean a spiritual and
moral elevation for the people OF
the District"
Among those introduced was
Franklin Thorne, manager OF the
Langston project. who will also take
care of the Douglass dwellings.
Covers 30 Acres.
Walter S. Burke, chairman OF the
Executive Committee of the Barry
Farms Citizens Association, which
was in charge of the program, pre-
sided as master of ceremonies.
Among those he called on for brief
remarks were Levi G. Brown, secre-
tary of the association; u j. Banks,
chairman of the Legislation Com
mittee: DR.. E. E. Richardson, presi-
dent of the Congress Heights Pro-
gressive Citizens Association, Charles
M. Thomas, president of the Fedora
ton of Civic Associations; Harry
Wender. president of the South
west Citizens Association; Ellie s.
Hoffman, president of the Barry
Farms Association, and Mrs. Daniel
Murray.
The project, which covers 80 acres.
is on a hill commanding view OF
Washington and surrounding terri
tory 1t is one of the highest eleva-
tions in the District
Officials said that the houses,
which will be completed in about
nine months, are planned so that
there will be no crowolng and they
will not have row house" appear
ance. They will be of number
of different designs Each house
will have its own individual lot.
The Bureau of Engraving EN-
ployes' Band played several selec-