BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Columbia Heights -- Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park)

DC -- Columbia Heights -- Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park):

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. MERID_140131_001.JPG: A Hilltop for Heroes and Horse Thieves -- Meridian Hill Park National Historic Landmark -- It is perhaps no surprise that Commodore David Porter, hero of the War of 1812, chose Meridian Hill on which to build his estate. From this knoll, Porter had a direct line of sight to the President's mansion. Though no match for the grand buildings it looked down upon, Porter's manor house was a handsome brick and stucco structure with a large front portico. Years later, while in use as an Army hospital, Porter's mansion burned to the ground. It was never rebuilt. The grand vistas of Meridian Hill would later attract another colorful character. Joaquin Miller, lawyer, poet, and by some accounts horse thief, built a cabin on this site. The "finest view in Washington" did not satisfy Miller for long, however. He wandered frequently, taking his poetry to Europe, Alaska, and California before settling in Oregon. In a seeming reflection of this restless tenant, the cabin was moved to a new location in 1912. Today it rests on a serene bank of Rock Creek, a setting that would surely have appealed to Miller's poetic nature. For more information go to: www.nps.gov/mehi
2. MERID_140131_024.JPG: Park Designers Meridan Hill Park, National Historic Landmark Noted landscape architects George Burnap and Horace Peaslee, who worked in the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, designed Meridian Hill Park under the guidance of the Commission of Fine Arts. By 1914, Burnap had completed his basic design: a linear series of elements that included the Mall, the Great Terrace, the Hillside Gardens with Cascades, and the Lower Plaza with the memorial to President Buchanan. After Burnap returned to private practice in 1917, Peaslee submitted revisions that greatly simplified the Mall. As automobiles were rapidly replacing horse-drawn carriages in the city, he eliminated vehicular access into the park. He added a pedestrian entrance on 15th Street and shifted the Buchanan Memorial off the main axis to the east of the plaza. When park construction began in 1918, landscape designer Ferrruccio Vitale was hired to develop a planting plan for Meridian Hill Park. Following Peaselee's lead, Vitale greatly simplified the lower park. He eliminated the 16th Street entrance to the Great Terrace, the bridge over the Cascades and the oval amphitheater, and simplified the pathways to the Hillside Gardens. For more information go to: www.nps.gov/mehi
3. MERID_140131_029.JPG: Design model of the Hillside Gardens, Cascades and Lower Plaza
4. MERID_140131_033.JPG: Design Challenges -- Meridian Hill Park, National Historic Landmark -- Limited funds and dramatic change in elevation at the Meridian Hill Park site -- falling 75 feet from north to south -- challenged the Commission of Fine Arts and their designers. The 16th Street edge required massive retaining walls to transition from the upper park to the sidewalk at street level. Budget constraints meant the designers could not specify natural stone for the desired Renaissance forms. To find a solution, the park's architect in charge, Horace Peaslee, turned to the Earley Studio in Arlington Virginia, renowned for its artistry and craftsmanship. "For John Earley, Meridian Hill Park was the beginning of an involvement with concrete that was to last nearly thirty years. Eventually, he became the world's foremost expert on the practical aspects of concrete making, and under his direction the Earley Studio executed works of such unusual complexity and beauty that they have never been equalled. " -- Frederick Cron, historian For more information go to: www.nps.gov/mehi
5. MERID_140131_038.JPG: Creating the "City Beautiful" -- Meridian Hill Park, National Historic Landmark -- At the beginning of its second century, the nation's capital was changing dramatically. In 1902, the United States Senate adopted a number of recommendations from the Senate Park Commission, popularly known as the McMillan Commission. By 1910, a federally appointed group of architects and designers, the Commission of Fine Arts, was directing the rehabilitation of the National Mall. Under their supervision, construction began on several new buildings near the Capitol, including monuments to Lincoln and Jefferson, and on a series of new parks. Two principles guided both commissions. The first was Pierre L'Enfant's 1792 plan of the city, which had never been fully realized and had nearly been lost during the 19th century. The second was creation and maintenance of grand public spaces, as endorsed by the proponents of the City Beautiful movement of the 1890s, and exemplified by the Beaux Arts designs of the French and Italian Renaissance revivals. Serving as a "monumental entrance to Washington," Meridian Hill Park demonstrates both principles. According to Meridian Hill Park's National Historic Landmark nomination (1994), "the creation of a Renaissance villa landscape in the midst of an American city to serve as a public park has no true parallel." For more information go to: www.nps.gov/mehi
6. MERID_140131_043.JPG: The site as it appeared in 1914 when design of the park began
7. MERID_140131_046.JPG: The rendering of Neo-classical and French Renaissance forms in 20th century architectural concrete make the park uniquely American. In the Cascades recirculating water flows down through thirteen basins and into the reflecting pool of the Lower Plaza.
8. MERID_140131_050.JPG: Visionary and Park Champion -- Meridian Hill Park, National Historic Landmark -- Meridian Hill Park might never have been built had it not been for the determination of Mary Foote Henderson (1846 - 1931). For 22 years, she lobbied Congress for funds to buy the land and build the park. Congress's 1910 vote to authorize construction of Meridian Hill Park is a testimony to her resolve. Henderson's efforts in urban development weren't limited to promoting Meridian Hill Park. She engaged the services of some of the country's foremost architects for her grand schemes, including an enormous new presidential mansion and two Lincoln memorials, none of which were ever built. Henderson had nearly a dozen elaborate residences built on 15th and 16th Streets for use as embassies and other diplomatic missions. She then planned to line 16th Street with the busts of former presidents and change the name of the street to "Avenue of the Presidents." Although she succeeded in getting the street renamed for a short time, her grand vision for 16th Street was never realized. For more information go to: www.nps.gov/mehi
9. MERID_140131_056.JPG: The French Commission to the United States parades up 16th Street past the Henderson mansion in 1917 as spectators gather along the street an atop Meridian Hill. Today, all that remains of the Henderson mansion is a part of the red sandstone retaining wall at 16th and W Streets.
10. MERID_140131_062.JPG: An American Meridian Thomas Jefferson Believed the surveyor's of the nation's capital city should set a new American Meridian, a north-south line running through both poles and the American continent. This reference line, longitude 0� 0�, would aid navigation, mapmaking, and the development of property boundaries, all key to settling the capital and new western territories. But most of all, Jefferson wanted to reinforce America's Independence from Britain, where the Prime Meridian was established to serve the Royal Navy's global navigation. Today, while there are many meridian lines running through many continents, the internationally recognized Prime Meridian passes through Greenwich, England, not Washington D.C. For more Information go to: www.nps.gov/mehi
11. MERID_140131_068.JPG: Today this American meridian is commemorated in the park by finials on the Euclid Street fence posts and a plaque at the 16th Street entrance. This plaque was presented by the American Daughters of the American Revolution to memorialize the location of the original marker.
12. MERID_140131_109.JPG: Art for the People Congress ordered sculptures installed at Meridian Hill Park long before the park's completion. So many sculptures were authorized that Horace Peaslee, the park's architect, called for a moratorium on installations. He told the Commission of the Fine Arts that the park's master plan was in jeopardy unless future memorials were restricted to decorative urns designed for that purpose. Nature, vandals, and thieves have long threatened the park's public art. For years, Joan of Arc did not wield her sword. Serenity lost her nose, a toe, and a hand. The Armillary Sphere, which was once located south of the reflecting pool beyond cascades, was removed after it was vandalized. For more Information go to: www.nps.gov/mehi On January 6, 1922, the bronze statue of Joan of Arc, sculpted by Paul Dubois, was dedicated in the center of the Great Terrace. This gift from the French people celebrated both the history of the alliance between the United States and France and the suffrage of American Women, who won the right to vote in 1920. On December 1, 1921, a statue of Dante Alighieri, author of the epic poem, The Divine Comedy, was dedicated in the park's Italian hillside garden area on the 600th anniversary of the poet's birth. The statue was a gift of Carlo Barsotti editor of an Italian American newspaper, in the name of all immigrants from Italy. The bronze figure is a replica of the original, unveiled in New York City that same year and sculpted by Ettore Ximenes of Rome. Jose Clara's marble figure, Serenity, was dedicated in the Grotto on March 12, 1925. Charles Deering, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, donated the sculpture to honor the career of his friend and classmate, Lieutenant Commander William Henry Schuetze. Shuetze is remembered for his part in the 1882 expedition to Russia to retrieve the bodies from the ill-fated USS Jeannette, and later for his service aboard the USS Iowa in the Spanish American War.
13. MERID_140131_112.JPG: On January 6, 1922, the bronze statue of Joan of Arc, sculpted by Paul Dubois, was dedicated in the center of the Great Terrace. This gift from the French people celebrated both the history of the alliance between the United States and France and the suffrage of American Women, who won the right to vote in 1920. Jose Clara's marble figure, Serenity, was dedicated in the Grotto on March 12, 1925. Charles Deering, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, donated the sculpture to honor the career of his friend and classmate, Lieutenant Commander William Henry Schuetze. Shuetze is remembered for his part in the 1882 expedition to Russia to retrieve the bodies from the ill-fated USS Jeannette, and later for his service aboard the USS Iowa in the Spanish American War.
14. MERID_140131_120.JPG: On January 6, 1922, the bronze statue of Joan of Arc, sculpted by Paul Dubois, was dedicated in the center of the Great Terrace. This gift from the French people celebrated both the history of the alliance between the United States and France and the suffrage of American Women, who won the right to vote in 1920.
15. MERID_140131_138.JPG: Offert par "Le Lyceum" Societe des femmes de France A New York Le 6 Janvier 1922
16. MERID_140131_187.JPG: On December 1, 1921, a statue of Dante Alighieri, author of the epic poem, The Divine Comedy, was dedicated in the park's Italian hillside garden area on the 600th anniversary of the poet's birth. The statue was a gift of Carlo Barsotti editor of an Italian American newspaper, in the name of all immigrants from Italy. The bronze figure is a replica of the original, unveiled in New York City that same year and sculpted by Ettore Ximenes of Rome.
17. MERID_140131_293.JPG: The incorruptible statesman whose walk was upon the mountain ranges of the law
18. MERID_140131_322.JPG: I reminded this skateboarder that he wasn't actually allowed to skateboard in the park. He blew me off. I asked if it didn't bother him that he was basically vandalizing the park by doing his thing. Nope. He said I had a problem.
19. MERID_140131_374.JPG: James Buchanan Diplomat, Statesman, and Fifteenth President of the United States -- Meridian Hill Park, National Historic Landmark -- Buchanan was our only bachelor president and relied upon his orphaned niece, Harriet Lane, to act as his First Lady during his years in the White House (1857 to 1861). In her estate, Harriet Lane Johnson made a bequest to fund a memorial to her uncle. Designed by architect William Gordon Beecher and sculpted by Maryland artist Hans Schuler, the memorial was dedicated on June 26, 1930. It features a bronze statue of Buchanan with stone figures of Law and Diplomacy at each end, representing Buchanan's career in public service. Before becoming president, Buchanan served in the House of Representatives for nearly 18 years. He was Minister to Russia from 1832 to 1834, then a Senator until 1845. He declined an appointment to the Supreme Court by President Polk in 1844, serving instead as Polk's Secretary of State. In that post, helped negotiate the 1846 Oregon Treaty, which established the 49th parallel as the northern boundary of the western United States. Hostilities in Congress over slavery, abolition, and secession made Buchanan's presidency difficult. His was plagued by financial panic and then a revolt of Mormons in 1857, which the press called the Utah War. On Buchanan's final day as president, March 4, 1861, he remarked to the incoming Lincoln, "If you are as happy entering the White House as I shall feel returning to Wheatland you are a happy man."
20. MERID_140131_381.JPG: A Gathering Place for Washingtonians -- Meridian Hill Park, National Historic Landmark -- Since Meridian Hill Park opened in 1936, Washingtonians from diverse neighborhoods surrounding the park have gathered here for performances, community events, and political protest. When tens of thousands of people flocked to Washington D.C. in the late 1930s and 40s for federal jobs created by the New Deal and World War II, government agencies created a series of "Starlight" concerts in the park. From 1941 to 1944, Washingtonians lined the cascades and reflecting pool on summer evenings to hear classical music, including a performance by the Von Trappe Family Singers. When Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in April 1968, Washington D. C. erupted in riots. Both the 14th Street business corridor north and east of the park and the U Street corridor south of the park were devastated. To help heal and unify the city, the "Summer in the Parks" concert series was created. The Inaugural performance was held at Meridian Hill Park, featuring Broadway and film star Pearl Bailey. Twenty-thousand people attended. Since 1969, the park has unofficially been called "Malcolm X Park" by the local community. As the site of the memorial to President Buchanan, Meridian Hill cannot officially be named for another person. For more information go to: www.nps.gov/mehi
Wikipedia Description: Meridian Hill Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Meridian Hill Park, also known unofficially as Malcolm X Park, is located in the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Columbia Heights. The 12 acres (49,000 m�) of landscaped grounds are maintained by the National Park Service as part of Rock Creek Park, but are not contiguous with the main part of that park. Meridian Hill Park is bordered by 15th, 16th, W, and Euclid Streets NW.

In 1819, John Porter erected a mansion on the grounds and called it "Meridian Hill" because it was on the exact longitude of the original District of Columbia milestone marker, set down on April 15, 1791 at Jones Point, Virginia by Major Andrew Ellicott assisted by Benjamin Banneker. During the 19th century the environs of Meridian Hill became host to Columbia College, precursor to George Washington University. Prior to the Civil War, the mansion grounds became a pleasure park for the area. During the war, Union troops encamped there.

Much of the impetus for creating a public park on this portion of 16th Street came from Mary Foote Henderson, wife of Missouri senator John Brooks Henderson and local resident. She lobbied Congress with several plans for the neighborhood before getting approval for the park. The land was originally part of Columbian College, now George Washington University. In 1910, after the school moved to its current location, the federal government bought the land, and in 1914 the Interior Department hired landscape architect George Burnap to design a grand urban park modeled on parks found in European capitals. His plans, later modified by Horace Peaslee, included an Italian Renaissance-style terraced fountain in the lower half and gardens in a French Baroque style in the upper half. The walls and fountains were built with concrete aggregate, a new building material consisting of concrete mixed with small pebbles. After two decades under construction, the grounds were given park status in 1936 and have been designated a National Historic Landmark.

In the 1970s and 80s, crime became widespread in the surrounding neighborhoods. Meridian Hill Park became a haven for drug dealing and was considered unsafe, especially at night. After the murder of a local teenager near the park in 1990, a group of citizens formed "Friends of Meridian Hill Park". They organized volunteer nighttime patrols and lobbied the National Park Service to make improvements to the park. Their efforts were largely effective and today the park is considered relatively safe.

On Sunday afternoons during the warm weather months, people gather from 3:00–9:00 p.m. in the upper park to dance, participate in a drum circle, and provide food for the homeless. The activity has been held in the park since the 1950s, and attracts professional drummers from time to time.

Malcolm X Park:

Meridian Hill Park was to be renamed in 1969. DC residents overwhelmingly voted for the park to be named after Malcolm X. Constitutionally, Congress must ratify all of D.C.'s laws before they take effect. In 1969, a bill was introduced to rename the site "Malcolm X Park". The U.S. House of Representatives rejected this vote, instead voting to keep the "Meridian Hill Park" name. Although the bill failed, some locals informally refer to it by the proposed name.

Statues and features:

One of the intriguing feature of the park is the thirteen basin cascade fountains that form the center of the lower level formal garden. The fountains are designed with a recirculating water system which, through an elaborate series of pumps, supplies water to two large circular fountains on the upper level, and cascade found on the lower. Each cascade bowl flows to a larger bowl as they descend to the bottom. Water fills one bowl, overflowing into the next, until it reaches the large reflecting pool in the plaza.

Statues:

* "Serenity" by sculptor Jose Clara, dedicated to the memory of Lt. Commander William Henry Scheutze (USN);
* "Jeanne d'Arc," a gift from the "Ladies of France in Exile in New York." It is a bronze copy of a statue by Paul Dubois. The original is at the Reims Cathedral in France. In a city of many equestrian statues, this is the only one to depict a woman.
* "Dante" by Ettore Ximenes;
* A memorial to James Buchanan, the 15th president of the United States, sculpted by Hans Schuler.
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