✯ Capitol* Capitol Hill Hi Restorationll Restoration Society Society * ✯ www.chrs.org October 2012 11th Street Bridges: Openings and Closings By Beth Purcell and Shauna Holmes EAM T ECT hase One ($300 million) of the J RO P11th Street Bridge project is P 85% complete, with the project on RIDGE B budget, on time, and expected to be TREET substantially completed by the end S ENTH of the year. The new local bridge is V LE scheduled to open in December, and its overlooks and adjacent fishing DDOT/E piers should open in 2013. The new courtesy outbound bridge is open, and the new ramp from southbound DC-295 image onto the inbound bridge opened mid- summer. The old outbound bridge is being demolished, and the concrete and steel from the old bridge will be recycled. Now Phase Two ($90 million), the project completion phase, has been launched. Its focus is primarily in the Capitol Hill/Navy Yard area, where feet. Some of the fill will be recycled it will further improve connections concrete from the old outbound Also in this issue between the SE/SW Freeway and the bridge, and the material piled on the ARTICLES new 11th Street Bridges and reconnect south side of the westbound freeway September Preservation Café ......... 3 local streets west of the Anacostia near the Marine Barracks is also part Hill East—Wardman Rowhouses .... 6 River. This phase includes closing of the fill that will be used to create Hill East—Early Speculators............ 8 and demolishing the existing stretch Southeast Boulevard. Out and About with CHRS ........... 11 of the SE/SW Freeway between 8th Constructing this boulevard will COLUMNS Street SE and Barney Circle and then bring major changes for many Capitol President’s Column ........................ 2 replacing it with a new Southeast Hill drivers. The illegal shortcut Historic Preservation Briefs ............. 4 Boulevard between Barney Circle and from 17th Street SE to the westbound CHRS Supporters ......................... 10 11th Street and new connections with SE/SW Freeway will be phased out LOOKING AHEAD the freeway. This freeway stretch is beginning in September and will Preservation Conference ................ 4 now below grade compared to the be completely closed by November. October Preservation Café ............. 5 11th Street Bridge, so to transform Many drivers love the illegal shortcut Fun Fall Auction ............................. 7 it to an at-grade boulevard, fill will Mark Your Calendar ..................... 12 be added to raise its level about 20 Continued on page 10 President’s Column: Celebrate and Advocate By Janet Quigley ’ve been doing some research on 1848. Chester Arthur lived at the Some changes are positive, some Ithe area of our next house tour, a massive Butler House at 3 B Street, inevitable, and some detrimental. footprint just south and east of the US SE. The Fairfax House at 235 Second The key is that the local community, Capitol, and came across a delightful Street, SE was built by a Navy not external authorities, must booklet written in 1960 by Mrs. Captain, son-in-law of the builder of determine the future. The first citizen Mapheus Smith of the Capitol Hill the USS Constitution. Its beautiful associations in the District formed in Southeast Neighborhood Association chandeliers were featured on several 1887 and have been advocating for called “Places and Persons on house tours. The Bell School at 2nd their communities ever since. It is a Capitol Hill.” It shared a neighborly and D Streets SE was started in continuous effort. The Capitol Hill perspective on some of Washington’s 1807 by freed slaves who worked as Southeast Neighborhood Association oldest addresses. caulkers at the Navy Yard. had a slogan in the 1960s which still For example, according to the Presidents. Old Ironsides. rings true today: “Bring it back alive.” booklet, in 1791 Daniel Carroll built Lafayette. I set out walking one The point was not to create a museum a house south of the Capitol, but it sunny afternoon to get a first-hand neighborhood, it was to celebrate the was in the path of the future New view of this history. What do all of diversity of architectural styles and Jersey Avenue and Pierre L’Enfant these locations have in common? personalities that make up the Hill. demolished it. Carroll appealed to Those of you familiar with the area So I say, celebrate and advocate! George Washington and got the last have guessed it by now: Every one of Kudos … laugh when he received restitution those buildings is gone. to rebuild the house a few blocks The Duddington property … Are in order for the CHRS Web east and L’Enfant was fired. The new is now four pleasant residential Redesign Team, which is tuning house became Capitol Hill’s finest blocks. The Bell School site is now up the website to make it more mansion, Duddington Manor, on the “X Park” (Providence Park). user friendly. Special thanks go to grounds bounded by First, Second, Butler House has been replaced by webmaster Donna Breslin for her E and F Streets, SE. Over 50 years Capitol grounds. Carroll Row is now thorough research and analysis of Presidents Washington, Adams, the Library of Congress Jefferson our web needs, and for her uncanny Jefferson, Madison and Jackson were Building. Thomas Jefferson’s lodging ability to put it into plain English entertained there. is now the Longworth House Office for the rest of the team. Look for the In 1801 Thomas Jefferson Building. Joseph Holt’s house is now updated site in early 2013. ✯ lodged in the 200 block of New the Cannon House Office Building. Jersey Avenue. He walked to his The site of Fairfax House is now inauguration and back. On the same the Library of Congress Madison block President Buchanan’s Secretary Building. CHRS Combined of War, Joseph Holt, entertained The inns and houses along New Presidents Grant and Hayes over the Jersey Avenue’s west side to D Street Federal Campaign years. The George Washington Inn in are now a Congressional parking lot. Please remember CHRS the 300 block of New Jersey Avenue The view southeast from First and C as you designate your boasted white marble mantels, Streets, SE, across a scar of asphalt to payroll contributions in the a gift from Lafayette to General the point where row houses resume, is upcoming Combined Federal Washington for his North Capitol a particularly stark reminder of why Campaign (CFC #50747). Street house built in 1799. Visitors we must continue to engage planners Your contributions to CHRS welcome, said the booklet. 309, 311 at every opportunity. Thankfully, past are fully tax deductible and and 315 New Jersey Avenue were this void the community thrives with enable us to help preserve and built in 1848 by the Richards family, row after row of beautiful old houses, protect Capitol Hill’s historic which still owned # 311 in 1960. large trees and gardens. Our 2013 neighborhood’s architectural Congressman Abraham Lincoln Mother’s Day tour will feature some and residential character. and his family lived in the unit block of the best. of First Street, SE (Carroll Row) in 2 • CHRS News October 2012 Capitol Hill Restoration September Preservation Café: Society (CHRS) BOARD OF DIRECTORS Historic Window Restoration President ..................Janet Quigley 1st Vice President ........ Michelle Carroll By Donna Breslin 2nd Vice President ........Monte Edwards Secretary ...............Doriann Fengler Treasurer ..................Sharon Weiss At Large ................. Chuck Burger eil Mozer, owner of Mozer Mr. Mozer’s passion for the At Large ................ Lisa Dale Jones NWorks, Inc., shared his passion subject was evident when he sadly At Large ..................Drury Tallant and expertise for old windows at the noted that 12 million window sashes At Large ............... Maurice Walters Preservation Café on Wednesday, go into landfills every year. He At Large ................... Lisa Wilson At Large ........................Vacant September 19. In a professional collects old windows. He encouraged Immediate Past President ......Beth Purcell 45-minute presentation Mr. Mozer, CHRS members to call him whenever who has been a carpenter/builder they find a discarded window. His COMMITTEE CHAIRS for more than 25 years, explained recycling re-uses the old glass and Beth Purcell, Beyond the Boundaries Paul Cromwell, Budget & Administration why old windows are important wood and reduces landfill. Vacant, City Planning and just what it takes to undergo a There was a lively question and Barbara Eck, Communications professional restoration. answer period which included the Monty Edwards, Community Development “I want to debunk the myth following opinions: Elizabeth Nelson, Community Relations that new windows are better,” he Beth Purcell, Environment • Double-glazed windows are not Larry Pearl, Grants noted and added that sophisticated worth the effort and old window Shauna Holmes, Historic Preservation studies had shown that sealed older frames are not designed to Michelle Carroll, House & Garden Tour windows plus good storm windows Membership accommodate two panes. Michelle Carroll, are better than new, high-end Gary Peterson, Zoning replacement windows. Old windows • Storm windows have a 4–5 year NEWSLETTER were made from slow-growth trees, return on investment. Lisa Dale Jones and Kelly Vielmo, editors rather than the fast-growth used in • Usually plastic is used to insulate Jean Kohanek, design & layout modern windows. The old windows while the windows are in the WEBMASTERS stand up to the elements much better. shop; however, plywood can be Donna Breslin, Paul Cromwell, Scott Knight “A restored 100-year-old window used for security. will last another 100 years, so it’s OFFICE MANAGER • He will work with the worth the investment,” he said. Gloria Junge homeowner to do a ‘partial In addition, restored old restoration’ if a full job is To reach any of the above, please contact windows preserve the architectural the Society offices at (202) 543-0425 or unaffordable.