Evening star., 1951-04-23
BY George Kennedy

For exciting scenery the Pali-
Sades of the Potomac have few
rivals in the Eastern States. The
views of the river from the wooded
cliffs on the Virginia side above
Key Bridge are of a rugged bit
of nature-more like the Niagara
Gorge than the Hudson or the
other tidewater rivers. Until very
recently it has been a remarkably
neglected area of real estate. much
of it only Is minutes drive from
Washington's business district.
The flash of the scarlet tanager
startles the Sunday hiker. The
place abounds with blue, birds.
warblers and woodpeckers of all
sizes. Quail walk across the paths
as though they had nothing to
fear. The tall tulip poplars are
the sanctuary of racoonS and in
the cliffs below are the dens of
foxes. But the magnificent views
are commanded by only a few
houses along the Virginia side Of
the river.
This remnant of forest so close
to the, city has not long to last.
The macadam roads Of the real
estate developers are coming
closer and closer to the edge of
the cliff and the face of the cliff
itself will be changed by blasting
for the extension of the George
Washington Memorial Highway.
Money for the purchase of the
land for the highway has been
appropriated by the State, county
and Federal governments.
Held Up by Roads.
The Spout Run extension of the
George Washington Highway and
the Whitehurst Freeway from Key
Bridge across the Georgetown in
dustrial area already have made
the area only few minutes drive
from Washington. With the ex-
tension, the George Washington
highway now continues under Key
Bridge and then swings to the
left up the old bed of a stream
to Lee highway.
Lack of roads held up the de-
velopment for long time. When
the first Washington commuters
moved into Alexandria (noW
Arlington) County about the turn
of the century they settled within
walking distance of the new trolley
line to Clarendon and Ballston.
They were looking for low cost
housing. not for scenery.
There were a few country places
along the heights but their occu-
pants probably did not 60 into
town to work daily. 1t would
have been a bit hard on the horses
One of them is Peakleigh, a
magnificent residence with spa
cious grounds and a, swimming
pool and a view of the river and
the Washington Monument and
the Capitol. 1t is a wide brick
house painted white with a pill
Jared portico. It was called Hook
ley when it was the residence o1
Rear Admiral Theodore S. Wilkin-
son. 1t is now owned by G. Grant
Mason. jr, It was built about 7C
years ago by a man named Bill
Kingsley. according to Mrs. Will
liam Conway Bailey, the Oldest
inhabitant of the area.
Surrounded by Houses.
Mrs. Bailey is not telling he1
age but she was born in the very
attractive stone farmhouse she
now occupies, very close to the
close of the Civil War. The house
is called Rio Vista but the trees
behind it have long since cut of
the river view. 1t is at 1927
Twenty-first street North near the
new Church of the Nazarene which
was built on land once part OF
her farm. She is almost sur
rounded by small brick houses
built on the property in the last
10 years.
At her needlework in the din.
ing room of her house which i:
furnished ideally for a movie Sc
for Louisa M. Alcott's Little
Women" she tells about the ole
days with marvellous memory. Shit
remembers when the way to gt
by carriage to Georgetown wa!
to drive over the causeway to Ana.
Ilostan (now Roosevelt) Island ans
take a ferry. She also remember
the old Aqueduct Bridge which