East Potomac Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
East Potomac Park
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
 |
|
 Location in Washington, D.C.
|
|
| Location | 14th Street, Washington Channel, Potomac River, SW Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| Area | 394.9 acres (159.8 ha) |
| Built | 1917 |
| Part of | East and West Potomac Parks Historic District (ID73000217) |
| Designated CP | November 30, 1973 |
East Potomac Park is a fun park in Washington, D.C., United States. It's built on a special island that people made in the Potomac River. This island sits between the Washington Channel and the Potomac River. You can find the park southeast of the Jefferson Memorial and the 14th Street Bridge.
East Potomac Park has lots of cool things to do! You can play at the East Potomac Park Golf Course or try a miniature golf course. There's also a public swimming pool, tennis courts, and many sports fields. Some fields are for baseball and softball, while others are for soccer, rugby, or football. The park is a great spot for fishing. Plus, many people enjoy cycling, walking, inline skating, and running on the park's roads and paths. A part of Ohio Drive SW goes all around the park.
You can usually get to East Potomac Park by car using Ohio Drive SW. The DC Circulator bus, which started in 2015, is a good way to get there by public transport. The closest Circulator stop is near the Jefferson Memorial. From there, it's an easy walk to the park. Other public transport like Metrobus and Washington Metro don't have stops very close to the park. The nearest Metro station is the Smithsonian station, about six blocks away.
Contents
How East Potomac Park Was Built
Long ago, the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., had many muddy areas and sandbars. In 1834, the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers found huge muddy areas near where the 14th Street Bridge is now. These areas were sometimes as big as 100 acres (400,000 m2) when the water was low. By 1881, these muddy spots stretched far along the river. The city's sewer system also drained into a large muddy area, which smelled very bad when it was exposed to the air.
The southern part of Washington, D.C., flooded many times in the late 1800s. Big floods happened in 1870, 1881, 1887, and 1889. The water was so high that people used rowboats on the streets! After a terrible flood in 1881, the United States Army Corps of Engineers decided to fix the problem. They dug a deep channel in the Potomac River. They used the dirt and mud they dug up to fill in the river and create new land. This new land raised parts of the city near the White House by almost 6 feet (1.8 m).
Much of this dug-up material was used to build up the muddy areas and sandbars in the Potomac River. This land creation happened in three main parts. One part became West Potomac Park. Another part became the area around the Tidal Basin. The third part became East Potomac Park. In 1897, Congress officially named these areas "Potomac Park."
To stop the new island from washing away, workers planted poplar and willow trees along its edges. For the next 20 years, most of East Potomac Park was left alone, and thick trees and bushes grew there. Even after East Potomac Park was mostly finished, more material was added to the island from 1900 to 1907.
In 1907, a bridge was built across the Tidal Basin Outlet Channel. This bridge carried a streetcar line over the Washington Channel and the Long Bridge into Virginia. More material was added to the island in 1909, 1911, and 1912.
In 1900, the United States Senate created the Senate Park Commission. This group was formed to help decide how Washington, D.C., and its parks should be developed. The commission, led by Senator James McMillan, released a plan in 1902 called the McMillan Plan. This plan suggested turning the undeveloped land into a proper park with many recreational facilities.
Park History and Development
Even after East Potomac Park was mostly created, more land was added. In 1906, there was a large dip in the middle of the island. A company filled it in for free in 1908 because they had extra material. By 1910, a part of the park was used as a nursery. This nursery grew trees, shrubs, and flowers for Congress, the White House, and other government buildings.
Congress allowed East Potomac Park to open to the public in August 1912. In September 1912, the Army Corps of Engineers started building a 30-foot-wide (9.1 m) road along the Potomac River side of the park. This road was finished in 1915.
In 1914, Congress put East Potomac Park under the control of the District of Columbia. At that time, the Army Corps of Engineers managed public works in D.C. So, the park was effectively under their care.
In spring 1915, the Corps of Engineers planted many trees and plants in East Potomac Park. They planted 46,650 shrubs and flowers. They also planted 203 Japanese cherry trees (or sakura). Another 133 cherry trees were planted in spring 1916.
One of the first buildings in the park was the National Park Service (NPS) lodge. This lodge was originally built in Franklin Square around 1867. It was moved to the north end of East Potomac Park between 1913 and 1915. The National Park Service used it for different things until 1965. Since then, it has been the headquarters for the National Mall and Memorial Parks (NAMA).
Paths for horseback riding were built in the park in 1913 and expanded in 1915 and 1916. The first three baseball fields were set up in early 1915. Many walking paths were also built in 1915 and 1916. In 1916 and 1917, the Corps prepared 88 acres (360,000 m2) of land in the park's center for sports fields. However, this land was given to the Boy Scouts of America to use as a victory garden during World War I.
Golf Course and Fieldhouses
Most of the park stayed undeveloped until 1913. That year, a "fieldhouse" with lockers and showers was suggested for the park's center. No money was given for it then. But the next year, the Corps of Engineers got approval to build a golf course on the lower two-thirds of the park.
Work on the golf course started in January 1917. Golf course designer Walter Travis visited to plan the course. Construction was delayed during World War I because temporary soldier barracks and victory gardens were built in the park. The first nine holes opened on July 7, 1920. A practice course opened in 1922 and was expanded in 1923. The final nine holes opened in late September 1924.
The fieldhouses were built at the same time as the golf course. Construction began in June 1917. What was planned as one fieldhouse became two. They were connected by a covered walkway. World War I slowed down their completion. One fieldhouse was ready by June 1919, and the second was finished by December 1921.
In the 1920s, a teahouse, a campground for tourists, and horse stables were added to the park. A four-mile-long walking path was built around the park's edge in 1935.
Park Pool
A pool was first suggested for East Potomac Park in 1927. It was planned to be between the two fieldhouses. But no work started. In April 1935, the government approved and funded a pool. Construction began in 1936. By this time, a separate bathhouse was planned for pool users. This meant the fieldhouses could stay for golf players. A big flood damaged the pool construction in July 1936. The pool finally opened on June 4, 1937.
Sometime between the 1950s and 1970s, the eastern fieldhouse was closed to the public. It became the U.S. Park Police District 1 Station.
The pool and bathhouse stayed mostly the same until 1976. Then, the old concrete pool was replaced with a new one made of aluminum and fiberglass. The bathhouse was also replaced. However, the original pool deck and underground structures from 1936 remained.
Mission 66 Buildings
In 1956, the National Park Service (NPS) started a plan called Mission 66. This plan aimed to update all NPS facilities across the country and build new ones. Mission 66 suggested building three new structures in East Potomac Park. The first was the headquarters for the NPS's National Capital Region (NCR). It was built in the northern part of the park and finished in 1963. The second was the headquarters for the United States Park Police (USPP). It was built next to the NCR Headquarters and finished in 1964.
In 2014, the 1913 lodge and the two fieldhouses were suggested to be added to the National Register of Historic Places. These buildings were praised as great examples of the "Mission 66" style of architecture.
In 2015, the National Park Service planned a big change for the federal government offices in the Mission 66 buildings. These changes were needed because the NAMA and USPP District 1 headquarters were in a floodplain. This means they could have a serious flood once every 100 years. Also, the USPP District 1 headquarters needed better security after the 9/11 events.
Officials planned to upgrade the heating and cooling systems in the NCR headquarters. They also wanted to make the building accessible for people with disabilities. The inside would be changed to an open workspace, making better use of the space. A new 13,000-square-foot (1,200 m2) USPP District 1 station would be built where temporary offices were. This would allow the fieldhouse to be used by the public again. This project cost $28 million.
Other Park History
From 1971, the United States lightship Chesapeake was docked near East Potomac Park in the Washington Channel. About 25,000 visitors came to see the ship each year. It was moved to Baltimore Harbor in 1982.
The bridge that carries the 14th Street Bridge over the Washington Channel and East Potomac Park was rebuilt in 1980.
In 1988, Congress chose Hains Point, the southern tip of the park, as the spot for a National Peace Garden. But the plan for this memorial ended without anything being built.
In 2003, the United States Navy fenced off 4 acres (16,000 m2) of the park. They built a large steel shed there. This construction happened without the usual public review. People thought it was related to national security. The Navy only said it was for "utility assessment and upgrade." They said only a small utility shed would remain after the work, and the area would look as it did before.
By 2015, parts of East Potomac Park needed repairs. The 5-mile (8.0 km) long riprap seawall was falling apart. Sidewalks throughout the park were cracked. The miniature golf course was worn out. A part of the seawall and sidewalk at the park's southern tip was so bad that the National Park Service closed it to walkers in 2014.
Images for kids
-
East Potomac Park sign
See also
In Spanish: Parque East Potomac para niños
