Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-09
Progress Is the Keyword at Marshall Heights
As Areo Pulls Itself Slowly Up to Standard
BY DON s. WARREN
star star Writer

star star writer
Marshall Heights, that area
Of self-built, unplanned homes
at the eastern tip Of the Dis
trict, once slated for razing and
redevelopmeht, is pulling itself
slowly UP to standard.
How long it will take is a
matter Of conjecture, financ-
ing and even the weather. But
there is no doubt but that this
community Of individualistic
home owners-that seven years
ago kicked into discard an Of
fetal plan for redevelopment-
is on the road to approved
fitness.
You can't miss it on a tour
through the area, south of
East Capitol street and bound
ed by Central and Southern
avenues and 49th, st. Louis
and Fitch streets Sc.
Spirit Now Cooperative
The home owners are help
ing themselves, but today there
is a big bit Of cooperation
from the city government.
Streets are being laid, though
Of secondary character, along
with sewer and water mains
and there is a drive on now to
force compliance with the city's
new housing code. Best of all
there is an apparent spirit of
cooperation between the city
government and the home own
ers to work out mutual prob
lens.
During the past seven years
there has been a dramatic up
lift to the whole area, as evil
denced by personal inspection
and reports on things done.
Wiped out are a number of
tin and wood shacks that
home-site buyers one erected.
Gone also are collections Of
trash, debris and abandoned
cars. Seen today are some new
homes and new apartments.
that pass all inspection tests.
And one of the brightests
spots in the whole area is the
j. C. Male elementary school
at Fiftieth and Bass place Sc,
built in 1850. that is as spic
and span as anything to be
found in Washington, and filled
with bright-eyed, well-dressed
pupils.
Regrets Defeat
But all this is q matter Of
doing things the hard way, ac-
cording to city officials. includ-
ing 1t. Col. Robert E. Mathe,
assistant engineer commission
err for urban renewal, who still
regrets the defeat of that 1850
redevelopment plan.
On the other hand, veteran
residents Of the area take pride
in insisting that it was done
the right way because we were
able to hold onto our own
homes, many of them built
with our own labors."
The struggle over Marshall
Heights has roots that run deep.
Home building in this area
started in earnest during World
War I when the land owner be-
gan selling of relatively cheap
housing sites. Most Of the buy
ers were Negroes. They did
what they could to provide
housing. Some built their own
dwellings and some Of the later
additions still are unfinished.
Then came the Districts
Redevelopment Act. Marshall
Heights, along with Barry
Farms near st. Elizabeths Hos
pital, was selected for redevel-
opment. That meant razing Of
what was there and grading Of
the steep hill and valley acre.
age. This raised the question of
relocation Of the residents.
Appropriation Killed
Marshall Heights, or at least
some of its most vocal citizens,
rebelled. They went to Congress
and won enough support to kill
of appropriations for the areas
remaking.
So then they were on their
own, with little resources or
financial backing. Professional
architects or engineers were
something that other people
could hire.
In many Marshall Heights
areas there we're no paved
streets. no water or sewer con-
nections. The prospect looked
dismal.
Things drifted for a while
but at last came the adoption
Of the Districts new housing
code. Last October a real drive
was started to bring conditions
UP to par. Marshall Heights
was one Of the FIRST points Of
attack.
This led to the assumption