Thomas Circle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thomas Circle |
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John Russell Pope's National City Christian Church stands in the northwest corner of Thomas Circle
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| Location | |
| Logan Circle, Northwest, Washington, D.C. | |
| Coordinates: | 38°54′20″N 77°01′55″W / 38.90566°N 77.03196°W |
| Roads at junction: |
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Vermont Avenue NW, 14th Street NW, and M Street NW |
| Construction | |
| Type: | Traffic circle |
| Maintained by: | DDOT |
| Map | |
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Thomas Circle is a special kind of traffic circle in Northwest Washington, D.C., in the United States. It's like a big, circular intersection where several streets meet. These streets include Massachusetts Avenue NW, Vermont Avenue NW, 14th Street NW, and M Street NW. The circle is named after George Henry Thomas, who was a general for the Union Army during the American Civil War.
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The Story of Thomas Circle
Thomas Circle was built as a traffic circle a long time ago. It was part of the first plan for Washington, D.C., called the L'Enfant Plan. This plan was created to design the city's layout. The circle was named to honor American Civil War General George Henry Thomas.
Early Development
In the mid-1860s, a horse-drawn railway was added around the circle. This helped the area to the north grow and develop. Soon after, paved roads and sewers were built. Because of these improvements, many wealthy people wanted to live there. A famous church, Luther Place Memorial Church, was built in 1874.
Changes for Traffic
In December 1938, work began on a big tunnel. This tunnel cost $680,000. It allowed cars on Massachusetts Avenue to drive *under* the circle. This helped traffic move more smoothly. The tunnel opened on March 14, 1940. Later, special lanes were added through the center of the circle. These lanes helped cars driving north and south get through faster.
Modern Updates
In October 2006, the D.C. Department of Transportation finished a major update to Thomas Circle. This project took two and a half years and cost $6 million. Many new things were added to make it better for everyone.
The updates included new bike lanes for cyclists. Pedestrian crosswalks were added in the middle of the circle, which weren't there before. New traffic lights and better street lighting were installed. The sidewalks and plants around the circle were also improved.
The biggest change was removing the 14th Street lanes that cut through the center. This brought the circle back to its original design from the L'Enfant Plan. It also made the green area inside the circle much larger. The work on Thomas Circle even won an award for its design and how it helped preserve history.
A Gateway to Neighborhoods
Today, Thomas Circle is next to the southern part of a historic area. This area includes the Greater 14th Street and Logan Circle Historic District. The circle acts like a dividing line between "downtown 14th Street" and "uptown 14th Street." The uptown area is a lively neighborhood that is changing quickly. City officials now see Thomas Circle as an important "gateway." It leads to popular neighborhoods like Logan Circle, Shaw, and the U Street Corridor.
In April 2014, Thomas Circle became the starting point for the M Street Cycle Track. This special bike lane is about 1.4 miles (2.3 km) long. It's only for bikes going west and stretches to 28th Street NW.
The Statue of General Thomas
There is a large statue of General George Henry Thomas in the center of Thomas Circle. It was created by an artist named John Quincy Adams Ward. The statue was put in place in 1879.
Pictures of Thomas Circle
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Thomas Circle, around 1922
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The bronze statue of Major General George Henry Thomas in its city setting
