Evening star., 1951-01-15
By George Kennedy


when Washington stopped there
By George Kennedy
Bladensburg is Washington
suburb whose name is known to
high school students across the
land.
The Battle of Bladensburg has
a way of impressing the name on
memory. It was a defeat far worse
than Pearl Harbor. in that the
American Government which had
declared war had ample warning
Of the enemy's approach but was
unable to prevent force of 1000
British from knocking out an
American army of almost 5000 at
the District line.
Before the day of August "a,
1914 was over the torch had been
applied to the Capitol and the
White House and President Madi-
son and his wife, Dolly, were flee
ing across the Virginia hills in
little escape drama memorialized
IN verses as the "Bladensburg
Races" a recitation that was pop
ular on American stages for years.
Bladensburg is one of those
places where the automobile is
always going too fast for the
motorist even to become curious
about the towns obvious antiquity.
Those bound for Baltimore take
the left turn at the Peace Cross.
The highway narrows between old
buildings. Large lettering on the
side of white-painted brick
building says George Washington
Inn, 1882" It was called the "In-
dian Queen" when Washington
once stayed there overnight.
Tavern Over 100 Years Old.
Further on, to the right, is the
Palo Alto, a tavern which also
claims to have started in 1882.
It is a frame building. well over
100 years old, which replaced an
earlier structure.
Those bound for Annapolis turn
right at the Peace Cross and pass
booming shopping centers and new
apartment developments.
Bladensburg, which always knew
that it had past, has awakened
to the fact that it has a present
and future.
c. Howard Brown, Bladensburg's
postmaster, like his father before
him, shakes his head a little sadly
about it all.
II couldn't see my nose before
my face" he says. 1.-THE popula-
tion of this town was only a little
over 300 less than 10 years ago.
Now it's over 5000. I own a cor
ner which I lease for a gasoline
station. It brings in a good in
come, but nothing like the rentals
OF these shopping centers."
His is one of the Is original
post Offices established by the Con-
tlnental Congress in IT'S. Bla-
densburg, it must be remembered,
is the Oldest town of this section,
older than Alexandria or George
town. 1t was started in 1742 when
property was subdivided into so
one-acre lots at Garrison's land
ing at the head of navigation on
the Eastern Branch of the Po-
tomac (the Anacostia River) lust
about where the Peace Cross now
stands.
There is nothing historic look
ing about the Bladensburg post
office today. 1t occupies a store
space in a brand-new shopping
center dominated by Giant Food
Store on the north side of the
Defense Highway.
New High School.
Further out the Defense High
way on the same side is a string
of buildings under construction
so modern they look like a new
defense factory. That is the new
$1.5 million Bladensburg High
School. 1t will be ready for stu
dents in September. Then the
present Bladensburg High School
building on the other side of the
highway, a relatively new one,
will be turned over to the ele-
mentary school. Both have been
bursting their seams.
The valley where the new high
school is being built is filled with
little houses of white-shingled
sides and green-shingled roofs
that looks like a toy town-Sun-
nybrook. And just beyond the
Bladensburg boundary, on a red
clay bank behind the Chev-
erly moving-picture theater, the
Charles E. Smith Co. is building
an apartment development with
315 dwelling units that will house
more than 1000.
Until this postwar surge of new
housing, Bladensburg's business
men favored the location of COM
mercial and industrial establish
ments in their community. Among
the new commercial establish
ments were night spots and the
industrial establishments were
mostly cinder block factories and
junk yards. Every metropolis has
to have place to throw it's junked
automobiles and the Bladensburg
area of the upper AnacoStia valley
has been found handy for this
purpose.
This disturbs some of BladefG-