Evening star., 1951-05-04
u 5. Park Police
And dParks0ffice
To Be Shifted
Ordered by Chapman
To Vocote Quarters
In Interior Building

A surprise move by Secretary
Chapman has put the National
Capital Parks Office and United
States Park Police on notice to
vacate their quarters in the In
terror Building.
They are scheduled to become
co-tenants with the Displaced
Persons Commission, after Is
years in their present quarters.
in a wartime structure on the
Mall. This is the Escanaba Hall,
built originally for a barracks. at
Independence avenue and Ninth
street NV.
Reason given for the move is
to make room for more of the
Interior Departments employees
in other sections. The depart
ment now intends to fill Escabana
Hall with its displaced" per-
Sonnel.
To Store Lana Records.
Land records of the Districts
750 park reservations, dating to
1871, when the Capital City was
founded, also would be stored in
the -f1reproof building on the
Mall. Observers said an engineer
ing report may have to be made
before it can be certified as safe
to bear the weight of the bulky
files.
Supt. Edward j. Kelly of NCP,
under whose Office also are the
Park Police, believed an earlier
attempt to move his Offices had
been halted permanently.
Only two of the park and police
personnel, Supt. Kelly and a
secretary, will remain in the In
terror Building. a departmental
spokesman said. They would con-
stitute a liaison Office for head
quarters.
|. A total of SO employees would
be affected. including Inspector
Mark Raspberry, chief of the
Park Police.
Kelly Confirms Order.
Supt. Kelly confirmed the order
II can only say that the Secre-
tary'S Office has asked us to pre-
pare space-requirement chart
and other data with a view to
moving into Escanaba Hail." he
said.
The data, he added, would in
clude weight of files and equip
ment now stored in the wing and
half of another wing occupied
by NCP in the Interior Building
He also was asked. he said. to de-
termine what revisions would be
needed so Escanaba Hall can ac-
commodate his offices.
Other sources said all Of this
data, along with arguments OPP
posing the move. were supplied to
Assistant Secretary Vernon Nor
throp about a month ago, but an
order for the move was not issued
at that time.
Division Recently Shifted.
NCP recently transferred its
naturalist division-the men who
conduct nature walks through the
parks-to the Lincoln Museum to
make room for some defense per-
sonnel expansion. Earlier the
historical division was moved to
the museum, one of NCP's own
buildings.
The National Capital Parks
office-the Washington Office of
National Parks Service-admin-
listers probably the largest capital
city park area in the world. It's
parks spread over parts of Virginia
and Maryland. 1t handles all park
and recreational facilities not di-
rectly under control of the District
Recreation Board.
The Public Buildings Service
made $4,000 square feet available
to the Interior Department in
Escanaba Hall. The division of
geographic names, it was learned,
was directed to move there, but
has remained in the Interior
Building because of it's extensive
filing system.
Observers said parking facilities
are inadequate for official needs
in the area. An advantage pointed
out was that more space would be
available to NCP in the temporary
quarters, and that the Park Police
need more space. Officials said
lit may be some weeks, or perhops
months. before Escanaba Hall can
be readled for the move.