Evening star., 1945-12-13
Planners Finish
Ka|oranlaP Park
Land Purchase
Property Sought =
For IS Years Is
Added to Tract

Added to Tract
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission announced to-
day that purchase of all land for
Kalorama Park has been completed.
The land has been sought for IS
years to provide play and relaxation
space for residents of the Kalorama
area.
The purchase, approved today
ADDS more than an acre to land al
ready In Government ownership at
Kalorama road, Columbia road and
Nineteenth street NV, bringing the
total now available for park to
more than three acres.
The Office of National Capital
Parks, which will have initial juris-
diction over the area, has not COM
pleted plans for it's development, but
it is understood that the area, when
improved, will include a playground
for children as well as park facili-
ties for adults.
Apartment Was Planned.
Norman C. Brown, land purchas-
ing officer for the commission, said
today the purchase had been made
at time when plans for an apart
ment house to occupy the land al
ready had been completed by the
owners and that any delay would
have permitted its construction.
The 3-acre tract, with the ex-
ception Of Temple Heights, is all
that remains undeveloped of 56h-
acre estate originally owned by Will
liam Thornton, an early architect Of
the Capitol. Later, the estate was
owned by Matthew and Christian
Hines, great-great-grand uncles of
John Clagett Proctor, Washington
historian and feature writer for The
Star. They intended to farm and
raise silkworms on it.
From the mid-30s, it was part OF
the estate of John Little, who built
a three-story frame house on the
site just purchased by the commits
sion. 1t has since been torn down.
Announcing approval of the pur-
chase, the planners said they con-
sidered it an important addition to
the city's park and playground sys-
tenn, since the only other area serv-
ing the Kalorama neighborhood is
the Happy Hollow Playground at
Eighteenth street and Kalorama
road NV.
Park Land Transferred.
The commission this morning
transferred three small sections Of
park land to the District Commis-
sioners to be made permanent parts
of the playground system:
A tract of 16 acres at Courtland
street and Devonshire place NV:
a tract of 2 acres at Eighteenth and
v streets Sc, known as the Avalon
playground, and 3.6-acre piece Of
Fort Greble Park, near Chesapeake
and Second streets Sc.
The commission transferred from
the jurisdiction of the United States
engineer for the Washington area
to the District Commissioners a sec
ton of land at the south side of
Mcmillan Reservoir for permanent
use as a fire alarm headquarters.
.Shifted, from the park Office to the
Commissioners is a strip of Fort
Drive land from South Dakota ave-
nue. to Twelfth street NE, in order
to widen Gallatin street.
Plan New Dupont Underpass.
This afternoon Maj. Gen. U. S.
Grant III, commission chairman,
was to propose the formation of an
advisory committee to assist the
Postwar Planning Committee of the
Washington Board of Trade and
other interested agencies in making
a housing market survey of WASH
ington.
A revised plan for the Dupont
Circle underpass, prepared by the
District Highway Department and
described as meeting recent objec-
tions to central underground
streetcar station and its UNDER
ground passageways, also was to be
considered.
The meeting was to be confined
to one day, due to the holiday sea-
son.
John Nolen, jr., the commissions
director of planning, said he un-
derstood the latest plan prepared
by Highway Director H. c. White
hurst for the underpass had an ex-
cellent chance of meeting the ap-
proval of all agencies concerned, as
we'll as interested civic bodies.
Mr.. Nolen was to present an out
line of the future development Of
the Anacostia River as planned by
the United States Engineer for the
Washington area. Hearings are ex-
;,ected to be held by the engineers
Office after January /.
The commission also was to con-
slider District Highway Department
plans for placing pedestrian over
passes on Fourth street NV, where
it passes through Mcmillan Park,
for the benefit of Howard Univer-
sity students walking between DORM
itories and classrooms.