Evening star., 1949-05-29
Committee Asks
Dennison School
For Playground
Juvenile Court Group
Cites Delinquency
In U Street Areu
Nv fo;t Han1lSv L.
By Colt Hendley, Jr.

Rising juvenile delinquency In
the area around Fourteenth and
U streets NV makes 1t imperative
that the old Dennison School
property in that section be turned
into a playground. the Juvenile
Court Advisory Committee de-
clared yesterday.
In a report analyzing the sit
uation in that neighborhood. the
committee recommended that the
Commissioners turn the land over
to the District Recreation Board
for colored playground.
The old Dennison School is To-
Gated on S street between Thir-
teenth and Fourteenth streets
NV.
1t was abandoned for classroom
purposes In 1888 and has been
used as field Offices of the school
system since then, with the ex-
ception of the war period when
the War Production Board took
1t over. School officials intend to
abandon 1t by next September
and have recommended that the
Commissioners raze the building
Two Pleas Already Refused.
The Commissioners have re-
fused two requests for the proper
ty from the Recreation Board on
the ground that it would be an
ALLEY playground" and not suit
able.
The advisory committees report
will be discussed at the next meet
ing Of the Recreation Board and
will give impetus to a new at
tempt to persuade the Commits
sioners to allow a playground on
the Dennison property.
The committee. which is q
group Of volunteer citizens inter-
ested In the work of the Juvenile
Court. Is headed by G. Rowland
Shaw. 1t acts strictly In an ad-
visory capacity.
60 Juvenile Complaints Cited.
The report said so delinquency
complaints from the immediate
area Of the Dennison property
were received by the Juvenile
Court In the six-months period
from last July to December.
OF that number. IS complaints
were on juveniles IL years and
older while Is were on children
under IA. Seven were white chill
dren. The population In the area
Is 80 per cent colored.
1.-THE volume of complaints
coming from this area is re-
latively heavy and warrants
|evaluation of the resources avail
able in that area the report
stated. Prom a study OF the COM
plants, it is apparent that rec
reational facilities for colored
children are sharply indicated in
this area"
The report pointed out that in
the area, lone of the most highly
icongested population areas in the
city" there are no public recrea-
tional opportunities. The entire
job is being done without out
door facilities by private, COM
mercial. church and semipublic
agencies.
Only 2 Small Outdoor Areas.
Only two small areas, both less
than 100 square feet. were found
that could be classified as out
door areas, the report stated. One
is the ground adjacent to the
Twelfth street YMCA and the
other is in the rear of st. Angus
tines Church, Fifteenth and r
streets NV.
The Recreation Board has de-
veloped three possible plans for
development Of the Dennison
property into a playground. All
contemplate razing of seven
houses located next to the Den
nison School from 1913 to 1925 S
street NV. Two of the three
would raze the school itself.
The houses are owned by the
District. as the Dennison property
once was considered as a possible
new school site. Six of the seven
have been condemned by the Dis
trict Health Department as unfit
for human habitation," the report
pointed out. Removal of these
houses would give the property a
broad front on S street and do
away with the "alley playground"