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119-641: The United Brick Corporation Brick Complex , also known as the New York Avenue Brickworks, is a historic industrial site. It is located on the 2800 block of New York Avenue, NE in Washington, D.C. on the grounds of the United States National Arboretum . The site sits on federal land, and access by the public is restricted. The kilns represent the only remaining brickyard in Washington, D.C. , and one of

238-418: A siding onto the property to facilitate trains delivering patrons to the racetrack. This included a passenger platform 1,747-foot (532 m) long, and a small telegraph office. The National Fair Grounds opened on October 28, 1879. President Hayes declared a holiday in the city so workers could attend, and Hayes spoke at the opening to a crowd estimated to be between 10,000 and 15,000 strong. Buildings on

357-754: A "national fair" and building a horse racing track in the District of Columbia. The following year, on August 30, 1879, Charles Stewart and Mrs. Louis Fethervitch sold their parcels of land (both of which were adjacent to Ivy City) to the National Fair Grounds Association (NFGA). On September 2, President Rutherford B. Hayes broke ground for a horse racing track on the site. About September 14, NFGA purchased Lots 1, 2, and 3 in Square 1 and Lots 1 through 10 in Square 9 in Ivy City from

476-557: A 1717 patent known as The Gleaning in 1786. Young combined Chance, The Gleaning, and several other smaller purchases (parts of Allison's Forest Enlarged, Allison's Forest Enlarged Resurveyed, and The Inclosure) into a single new tract—which he called Youngsborough—in 1793. Over time, others purchased small portions of Youngsborough from the Notleys and Fenwicks. On February 21, 1871, the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871 expanded

595-599: A 50-foot (15 m) roadway 2.125 miles (3.420 km) long from Florida Avenue NE to Bladensburg Road NE. There were no intersections with side streets, and only 4th Street NE merged with it. New York Avenue Extended opened on November 2, 1931. The final section of New York Avenue NE (known as New York Avenue Extended), from Bladensburg Road to the District-Maryland border and the connection with U.S. Route 50 , opened in October 1954. The construction of Route 50

714-425: A close, Ivy City's infrastructure was also beginning to deteriorate. Residents complained about poorly-paved streets, a lack of sidewalks, no street lighting, crumbling and trash-filled alleys and a complete lack of stormwater drainage. (Until the 2000s, Ivy City continued to be particularly hard-hit by stormwater flooding. The intersection of West Virginia Avenue NE and Mt. Olivet Road NE was inundated every time there

833-490: A cost of $ 35,000 ($ 1,187,000 in 2023 dollars) in 1908, but Congress refused to approve the expenditure. A year later, DCPS again proposed construction of a four-room elementary school, although by this time the school's size had expanded to six rooms and the amount of the required land to 32,000 square feet (3,000 m ). This time, Congress approved the new school. The DCPS board of trustees agreed in November 1910 to name

952-524: A day. The two-year, $ 40 million ($ 56,807,818 in 2023 dollars) project replaced two-lane, 44-foot (13 m) wide span with a four-lane, 52-foot (16 m) wide structure. Sidewalks were widened from 5-foot (1.5 m) to 9-foot (2.7 m) in width, a median was added, and new crash-resistant railings installed. Delays in other New York Avenue projects allowed the 9th Street NE bridge to begin replacement sooner than expected, and to proceed faster toward completion. Work on New York Avenue occurred again in

1071-617: A few hundred feet westward, New York Avenue narrowed from three lanes to two, creating major back-ups. The fate of New York Avenue NE was sealed with the cancellation of the Northeast Freeway in 1977, which was intended to provide a more direct route for traffic between downtown Washington and Baltimore along the Interstate 95 corridor. The loss of the Northeast Freeway left New York Avenue NE, U.S. Route 50, and

1190-477: A few weeks, was provided by the agency to which the child was assigned (such as St. Elizabeths Psychiatric Hospital , the city youth detention center , or a foster home ). Originally located on the 800 block of Potomac Avenue SE, the Receiving Home moved several times over the next two decades. The agency generally leased former homes, office buildings, or warehouses for use, renovating them as needed, but

1309-416: A large meeting tent at Ivy City, and surrounded it with smaller sleeping tents for the men. Dubbing their tent city "Camp Wine View", the men armed themselves with clubs and began picketing the new B&O rail yard at Ivy City. There was no violence, and the strike largely ended by July 17 as workers went back to work without a contract. A portion of the Ivy City rail yard was electrified in 1934, reducing

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1428-491: A major new intersection and grade separation from the railroad tracks there; and a major new interchange where West Virginia Avenue, Montana Avenue, and New York Avenue NE meet. The Brentwood Road realignment (essentially, the creation of 9th Street NE and Brentwood Parkway NE, to connect Brentwood Road NE with 6th Street NE Extended) was complete in September 1942 with the opening of the 9th Street NE Bridge. Ivy City became

1547-460: A master plan for the capital published in 1901, strongly endorsed extension of the street. But although many portions of the plan were acted on, no road construction occurred. Plans were drawn up in 1903 to extend the street about 1-mile (1.6 km) beyond the "city limits" to reach the Ivy City development, but these, too, fell through. In 1907, as construction of Union Station was under way,

1666-451: A minute. The tracks throughout the rail yard were lined with numerous inspection pits (where workers in a pit low the tracks could inspect the lower and underside portions of an engine quickly) and ash pits (pits where engines could quickly dump their coal ash for later retrieval and disposal). The Ivy City rail yard also contained a coal-powered steam generating plant. This plant provided steam heat for railroad buildings at Ivy City as well as

1785-434: A number of tracks were demolished in early 1954, and by 1956 the coal wharf and ash pits were also gone. As the railroad laid off workers, Ivy City also declined as a neighborhood. As unemployed residents began leaving Ivy City and housing stock declined due to disrepair, city planners considered the neighborhood expendable. In 1959, the government of the District of Columbia proposed building an interstate highway through

1904-433: A police raid, and Engeman halted racing until a court could rule on the issue. U.S. District Attorney Arthur A. Birney refused to allow a "test case", and demanded that racing end. Racing and betting resumed on December 26. But police arrested bookmakers after the first race, and no further betting occurred. The December 26 races were the last for the season. Although jockeys continued to race for their own enjoyment over

2023-556: A racetrack in the Benning neighborhood east of the Anacostia River. Racing began on November 22 at both tracks, Both city and federal officials declared the resumption of horse racing at Ivy City in violation of the 1891 law. At issue was whether the Ivy City track was within the one-mile limit. The city argued that distance to the track should be measured in a straight line, while track officials said it should be measured by

2142-459: A study released in 2005 by the government of the District of Columbia, five of the ten most crash-prone intersections in the city are along New York Avenue. The most crash-prone intersection in the city is at New York Avenue NE and Bladensburg Road NE. Another major bridge, carrying 9th Street NE over New York Avenue, began replacement in April 2009. The 70-year-old structure carried 26,000 vehicles

2261-539: A trash incinerator in 1928 at the junction of Mt. Olivet Road and West Virginia Avenue NE. As of 1931, only a single road (West Virginia Avenue NE) gave access to Ivy City. Industrial development in Ivy City began in the 1930s. The District of Columbia was only the second municipality in the United States (after New York City) to adopt a zoning code. With the Zoning Act of March 1, 1920, Congress authorized

2380-450: A year later, the District of Columbia Public Schools board of trustees approved plans to spend $ 4,500 ($ 152,600 in 2023 dollars) to purchase land at 1900 Gallaudet Street NE and build a two-room schoolhouse. At that time, Congress had complete control over the city's budget, and it cut the estimated cost of the school to $ 4,000 ($ 146,500 in 2023 dollars) in June 1895. The land for the school

2499-563: Is located in Ward 5. The neighborhood is outside the boundaries of the L'Enfant Plan for the city of Washington within the District of Columbia. In 1831, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) received approval for a plan to build its Washington Branch , and passenger train service between Baltimore and Washington began in 1835. The track was built from the District border with Maryland to Boundary Avenue (now Florida Avenue ) along

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2618-417: Is more than twice as far for the two next best alternative routes, MD 650 and MD 500 / MD 410 . New York Avenue NW and NE within the boundary of the old Federal City has generally remained in good to excellent condition. The city rebuilt New York Avenue between 9th and 15th Streets NW from 1992 to 1994. New York Avenue NE beyond Florida Avenue NE, however, has had serious degradation issues. This section of

2737-538: The Anacostia River . The southern boundary of this "patent" (as title to land was called) began about where East Capitol Street meets the river, and ran north-northwest to about Trinidad Avenue NE. Clarke called this patent Meurs. In 1734, Thomas Evans purchased 414 acres (1,680,000 m ) of Meurs from Clarke, and renamed the patent Chance. Notley Young purchased 217 acres (880,000 m ) of Chance in 1771, and then purchased 158.5 acres (641,000 m ) of

2856-553: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) created a diversion track (beginning at Ivy City) so that its passenger trains could reach the new station. As part of this effort, the B&;O was required to build a bridge to carry New York Avenue over its new track route, extending New York Avenue to Fourth Street NE. The B&O built the bridge and extension, but the bridge remained unused for decades. Extensions to Bladensburg Road were debated again in 1908, and failed. The right of way

2975-616: The John Hanson Highway ( U.S. Route 50 in Maryland ). On the east side of Mount Vernon Square , New York Avenue crosses 7th Street NW . At Mount Vernon Square, traffic on New York Avenue mixes with traffic on Massachusetts Avenue NW and K Street NW . East of Mount Vernon Square, New York Avenue is part of the National Highway System . While the main line of New York Avenue extends northeast of

3094-607: The Streamline Moderne architectural style. The six-story building made extensive use of glass brick along its exterior walls, culminating in a seventh-story glass brick tower which was brilliantly lit at night. During World War II, Ivy City became a backwater. Little attention was paid to the neighborhood, and the war effort meant that the railroad's needs took precedence over that of the average resident. Industrial buildings, warehouses, vehicle storage lots, and junkyards proliferated in Ivy City. As World War II came to

3213-566: The Trinidad and Ivy City neighborhoods. It would follow the rail line north to Missouri Avenue NW, then cut west along Military Road NW before reaching Nebraska Avenue NW. Then it would turn south down Nebraska Avenue NW and New Mexico Avenue NW before terminating in Georgetown . The third highway would encircle the District of Columbia at various points some miles outside the city limits. Two additional highways were included in this plan. One

3332-699: The United States Department of State ), and an associated park (since January 1959, known as Edward J. Kelly Park) from 1940 to 1941 destroyed the lower three blocks of New York Avenue. Construction of the Theodore Roosevelt Building (which now houses the United States Office of Personnel Management ) in 1963 eliminated another block between 19th and 20th Streets NW. This left a single block of New York Avenue NW, between 17th and 18th Streets NW, southeast of

3451-524: The "original patentees" (original landowners) of the District of Columbia. The land that became the District of Columbia was originally given to George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore , by King Charles I in 1632 (ignoring claims to the land held by Native Americans ). Beginning in 1664, Calvert's heir, Leonard Calvert , began subdividing this claim and issuing title to various sized parcels to buyers. On September 24, 1685, Andrew Clarke purchased from Calvert 500 acres (2,000,000 m ) of land fronting on

3570-631: The 21st century, the area has undergone some gentrification , although people living in the residential core of Ivy City remain very poor and unemployment is high. Ivy City is on a triangular strip of land in the central part of the Northeast quadrant, bounded by New York Avenue to the northwest, West Virginia Avenue to the east, and Mt. Olivet Road to the south. The neighborhood is surrounded by Gallaudet University (across Mt. Olivet Rd.), Mount Olivet Cemetery (across West Virginia Ave.), and Amtrak 's Ivy City yard (across New York Avenue). Ivy City

3689-614: The B&O's Eckington rail yard more than 0.5-mile (0.80 km) away. Steam was also used to prime locomotive engines and preheat passenger cars before use. The plant generated a large amount of smoke and ash, which polluted the Ivy City neighborhood. Unbuilt land in Ivy City became the site of another tent city in the summer of 1908. This time, machinists overhauling locomotives for the B&O went on strike for higher wages (they demanded 32 cents an hour) on July 10. The railroad immediately locked them out and hired strikebreakers and permanent replacements. The striking workers set up

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3808-496: The Baltimore-Washington Parkway as the best route to get in and out of downtown Washington from the northeast. The main advantage of New York Avenue NE is that drivers need only put up with about two-and-a-half miles (4 km) of traffic lights between downtown Washington and the last traffic light at Bladensburg Road, while the distance between downtown Washington and the closest controlled-access freeway

3927-476: The Benning racecourse for the next several years. In 1899, Lansburgh sold the rest of his land to developers. The Ivy City track continued to be used for stables and racing at least into the spring 1901 season. Their last known use was for the winter 1901 racing season, when they were ready for use but not needed due to the few number of horses running at Benning. By 1903, only a single small brick building and

4046-674: The City of Washington so it encompassed the entire District of Columbia. This brought the Youngsborough tract under the jurisdiction of the city. On April 3, 1871, landowners George Oyster and Edward Fenwick sold their property to Frederick W. Jones, a director of the Georgetown Savings Bank and a local real estate developer. Jones had the land platted , and the Ivy City Subdivision was recognized by

4165-399: The District government to establish zoning and created a District of Columbia Zoning Commission to oversee zoning rules, regulation, implementation, and enforcement. The New York Avenue Corridor and Ivy City were zoned for combined use, which meant residential, retail, and industrial uses were all permitted. Once New York Avenue NE was paved in 1931, numerous filling stations quickly lined

4284-512: The District line. The two bridges which created two-lane traffic jams were replaced and the roadway widened to three lanes in each direction. The ramps connecting South Dakota Avenue with New York Avenue were also replaced. A new roadway design, which incorporated a 10-inch (25 cm) reinforced concrete road surface, was used on this section of the street. The project also installed new street and traffic lighting and improved storm water drainage. Design and delays in obtaining federal funding kept

4403-548: The District-Maryland line. New bridges across the Potomac River (such as the proposed Three Sisters Bridge ) would feed traffic into the system. The Whitehurst Freeway portion of the Middle Loop was first proposed in 1941. The Middle Loop plan, including its passage northwest through the center of Ivy City, was first proposed in 1946 in a study of the D.C. highway system conducted by the J. E. Greiner Company for

4522-449: The F.P. May Co., a hardware retailer, opened a large warehouse at New York Avenue and West Virginia Avenue. By the end of the year, Greyhound Bus Lines had constructed a bus station at 1900 New York Avenue NE, occupying 400 feet (120 m) of the street. The Youngsborough Syndicate, a group of real estate investors, also purchased a large number of parcels along New York Avenue, Fairview Avenue, Gallaudet Street, and Fenwick Street with

4641-551: The Federal City limits, included two 100-foot (30 m) long roundhouses , each surrounded by 25 short tracks leading to train sheds where engines could be stores or worked on. Each shed had a pit below the track, allowing the engine to be worked on from below. The rail yard also contained a "coal wharf", a coal storage facility which could load an engine's tender in under 30 seconds, and two gigantic water spouts which could fill an engine's water tank from above in less than

4760-457: The Freedman's Savings and Trust Company. This allowed the race track to extend southwest into Ivy City proper. On September 15, NFGA cut Gallaudet Street and Patterson Avenue (the latter no longer exists) to provide access to the track. The firm also sought permission from Gallaudet University to cut Mount Olivet Road NE from the railroad tracks up to Brentwood Road. The B&O Railroad built

4879-502: The Ivy City Racetrack, a horse racing facility. Construction on the rail yard began in 1907 and was complete within a year; many of its facilities were demolished in 1953 and 1954 as railroads switched from coal-fired locomotives to diesel-fueled or electric engines. The Alexander Crummell School, a community focal point, opened in 1911. After some years of enrollment decline, it closed in 1972 but has not been demolished. In

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4998-531: The New York Ave-Florida Ave-Gallaudet U station. Seven years later, Metro gave the stop a new name, NoMa-Gallaudet U, in an effort to broaden the subway station's appeal. (NoMa stands for "North of Massachusetts", an area city officials hoped to transform into a hip arts and retail area.) Locations of interest on or near New York Avenue include Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms at 99 New York Avenue NE (which opened in 2008),

5117-484: The Receiving Home for Children continued to be used, and continued to provide substandard housing and care for its wards. By 1955, an average of 100 to 110 children were staying in the Receiving Home each night. The facility continued to exist into the 2010s. Now known as the Youth Services Center, the facility had expanded to 88 beds, although it still often housed more children than intended. After

5236-404: The Receiving Home. Security was minimal, and escapes were frequent. In 1954, Congress appropriated $ 550,000 ($ 6,240,000 in 2023 dollars) to finish the Receiving Home for Children. But the city refused to spend the money, arguing that the structure had so deteriorated since 1949 that it should be condemned and a far greater sum of money spent on building a much larger facility elsewhere. This meant

5355-414: The United States. About half the neighborhood is industrial or formerly industrial, dominated by warehouses. The Ivy City Yard, a railroad coach yard and maintenance facility for the passenger railroad Amtrak , is situated northwest across New York Avenue NE. Ivy City was laid out as a suburban development for African Americans in 1873. Development was slow. From 1879 to 1901, the neighborhood hosted

5474-726: The White House, the avenue resumes southwest of the White House to run one block between 17th and 18th Streets NW. At 18th Street NW, New York Avenue joins E Street NW, which leads to the E Street Expressway . That one-block segment of New York Avenue is also part of the National Highway System. New York Avenue NE is served by the NoMa – Gallaudet U Station on the Washington Metro . The $ 103.7 million ($ 167,279,281 in 2023 dollars) subway stop opened in 2004 as

5593-419: The White House. New York Avenue northeast of the White House retains its uninterrupted character. It originally terminated at Boundary Avenue (now Florida Avenue NE , as all city streets did in the L'Enfant Plan. Extensive development occurred beyond Boundary Avenue from 1870 to 1900. Extension of New York Avenue to Bladensburg Road was considered as early as 1899. But no action was taken. The McMillan Plan ,

5712-402: The age of 80, he was lauded as one of the most capable and effective leaders the D.C. Public Schools had ever had. The 1903 addition did little to alleviate overcrowding, however, and in 1906 the city leased a room in a home 100 yards (91 m) away as a classroom. DCPS proposed purchasing an addition 25,000 square feet (2,300 m ) of land and erecting a new four-room elementary school at

5831-503: The amount of smoke coming from coal-fired locomotive engines. Even so, by the mid-1940s, the Ivy City rail yard was handling 200 coal-fed locomotives a day. In 1947, Ivy City residents made a concerted effort to complain to the city about the amount of soot, smoke, and noise coming from the rail yard. After an investigation, the city fined the B&O in February 1948 for violating anti-smoke laws. Ivy City residents began asking that

5950-538: The area and the need for streets pressing, Congress enacted legislation on December 3, 1900, requiring the railroad to give up the right of way by 1905. The act allowed the B&O to purchase land in the Eckington neighborhood for a large rail yard , and for construction of a new passenger terminal in downtown Washington. The 1900 act drew strenuous objection from citizens of Eckington. The railroad subsequently won passage of an amendment on February 12, 1901, extending

6069-597: The area's roads were ungraded ruts lacking sidewalks and street lights, there was no storm water drainage, and fresh drinking water was provided by wells (not the city water system). Although lots at Ivy City began to be sold in 1873, it was not until September 1879 that the first street, Gallaudet Street, was cut. Central Avenue followed about 1888, Corcoran Street about 1890, a portion of Kendall Street about 1891, Okie Street about 1892, Olivet Street (later Mt. Olivet Road) about 1892, Providence Street about 1895, and Fenwick Street about 1898. At some point, S Street NE

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6188-479: The area. The large ironworks at 1240 Mt. Olivet Road had closed, and was now a camera repair shop. Ivy City was in steep decline. In the past several years, only three new structures had been built in the neighborhood (one of them being Bethesda Baptist Church), and home ownership in the area was very low. Most residents rented their homes, which consisted of small apartment building, industrial structures converted to tenements and cramped rowhouses . The neighborhood

6307-799: The center of the neighborhood. This was the Inner Loop —three concentric highways centered on the National Mall . The first was planned to run in a rough oval about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Mall. The second was projected to run from the Lincoln Memorial , along Independence Avenue SW and Maine Avenue SW to the Washington Channel , where it would follow the riverbank to East Capitol Street before cutting north and then northwest (in part following Mt. Olivet Road) through

6426-420: The city build an elementary school in their neighborhood in 1893. As most of the residents were African American, and racial segregation in public education was required by law at the time, the school would have served African American children only. The need for a school was urgent, as the nearest school for black children was located in the Benning neighborhood, nearly 4 miles (6.4 km) distant. Just over

6545-682: The city government. Subsequent studies by the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) (1959), Clarkson Engineering Co. (1961), National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) (1961), National Capital Transportation Agency (NCTA) (1962), J. E. Greiner Co. (1964), NCPC (1965), and J. E. Greiner Co. (1966) appeared between 1959 and 1966. Similar studies, by the J. E. Greiner Co. (1946), by the FHA (1959), Clarkson Engineering Co. (1960), NCPC (1961), NCTA (1962), J. E. Greiner Co. (1964), NCPC (1965), and J. E. Greiner Co. (1966), appeared during

6664-636: The city on May 12, 1873. Jones laid out 205 lots in Ivy City. He envisioned the subdivision as a bucolic, rural community catering exclusively to African Americans . Many streets in the area were named for adjacent landlords ( Corcoran , Kendall , Fenwick, Gallaudet ). Lots were priced at $ 100 each ($ 2,500 in 2023 dollars), and the earliest publicly acknowledged land sale occurred in December 1873 when F.P. Blair purchased Lot 9 for $ 150. A major auction of lots occurred in May 1875, but while many lots sold there

6783-477: The city recognized that such efforts were only temporary and that a custom-built structure, with good security as well as treatment facilities, was needed for children assigned temporarily to the Receiving Home. After extensive debate among city officials and members of Congress, the D.C. Receiving Home for Children was opened in January 1949 at 1000 Mt. Olivet Road NE. Although $ 335,000 ($ 4,248,000 in 2023 dollars)

6902-512: The city to turn the school into a community center, but city officials said the structure needed at least $ 7 million in renovations (but was only worth $ 1.65 million). Ivy City elementary students were assigned to Ruth K. Webb Elementary School at 1375 Mt. Olivet Road NE, which was erected in 1958. Access to lots at Ivy City was initially limited to dirt tracks. The cutting of streets was limited until developers felt enough lots had been sold to warrant better access. For example, as late as 1895,

7021-640: The company into bankruptcy. It sold the property at public auction to James Lansburgh , one of its directors, in July 1890 for $ 133,500 ($ 4,530,000 in 2023 dollars). On January 7, 1891, Lansburgh sold 109.53 acres (443,300 m ) of the parcel to Howard P. Marshall for $ 180,000 ($ 6,104,000 in 2023 dollars), who sold it for the same sum on September 10 to the Ivy City Brick Company. On March 2, 1891, Congress enacted legislation prohibiting lotteries and bookmaking within 1 mile (1.6 km) of

7140-543: The end of the year, almost no coal-fed locomotives were using the Ivy City rail yard. Although coal-fueled engines required frequent refueling, a diesel train could go for as many as three days without needing more diesel fuel. Steam-powered locomotives required almost daily tune-up and repair, but diesel-fueled engines rarely did. Significant layoffs at the Ivy City Yard occurred, deeply affecting Ivy City itself where many of these workers lived. The eastern roundhouse and

7259-402: The establishment of the B&O rail yard, Ivy City attracted a large number of rail yard workers as residents. This allowed the neighborhood to thrive. Nonetheless, Ivy City received few services from the city. In the 1920s, there was a single fire alarm callbox in the entire neighborhood, and the city had installed only a second main sewer line. But residents were dismayed when the city built

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7378-457: The few extant examples of the rounded "beehive" kiln style. The structures are constructed of red common brick, lined with heat-resistant firebrick and capped with arched, brick roofs. The complex also contained eight exhaust stacks. There is a small gauge rail system, with a standard rail siding. A factory building and drying shed, which contains 38 drying tunnels, are also still visible on the site. Rectangular brick kilns were originally built on

7497-641: The general elected held in November 1994. Barry announced his second effort to redevelop the New York Avenue Extended corridor in July 1995. A more thorough analysis of the corridor found several problems: The roadway was poorly maintained and traffic was far too heavy; the intersection of New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road was a confusing mass of exit and on ramps, medians, and underpasses; poor zoning laws had allowed businesses to erect bright, visually distracting signs; and an excessive number of curb cuts permitted too many motorists to access

7616-555: The ground housed hundreds of exhibits featuring local products, services, and foods, and artworks and sporting events were held every day. The fair itself closed on November 8. Beginning in the spring of 1880, the NFGA continued to operate the horse racing track near Ivy City. The B&O Railroad removed its passenger platform in 1886, hindering public access to the site for a time, but rebuilt 700-foot (210 m) of it in 1887. Heavy debts and competition from racetracks in Maryland forced

7735-484: The grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory , but the construction of Rawlins Park in 1873 destroyed a block of New York Avenue between 18th and 19th Streets NW. New York Avenue's consolidation with Triangle Park and three other parklets into a small mall in 1937 consumed another block between 20th and 21st Streets NW. Construction of the United States Department of War Building (now the Harry S Truman Building , housing

7854-401: The highway. The housing was too dilapidated and the crime too severe, these residents said. Nevertheless, protests and pressure on Congress to end the program continued until the entire all unbuilt highways were cancelled in 1977. By the mid-1960s, Ivy City was one of only a few industrially zoned spaces left in the District of Columbia. Just a few years later, even light industry was leaving

7973-464: The intention of creating an industrial park . The Miller Casket Co., a coffin manufacturer, also opened a factory on New York Avenue between Kendall Street and Fenwick Avenue. In 1937, the Hecht Company constructed a warehouse at 1401 New York Avenue NE. Described by The Washington Post as the pinnacle of industrial design , the 400,000-square-foot (37,000 m ) structure was built in

8092-409: The location of the District of Columbia Receiving Home for Children in 1949. The city began operating a facility for the temporary housing of mentally ill, violent, abandoned, addicted, or criminal children in 1928. The Receiving Home was charged with taking temporary care of individuals under the age of 18 who had become wards of the state . Long-term housing and care, defined as anything longer than

8211-994: The main entrance of the National Arboretum (including four relocated U.S. Capitol Gateposts and the National Capitol Columns ), the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at New York Avenue and 7th Street NW (which opened in 2003), the National Museum of Women in the Arts , the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church , and the Corcoran Gallery of Art . Ivy City Ivy City is a small neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C. , in

8330-404: The neighborhoods of Ivy City, Trinidad, Shaw , and Stanton Park . The goal was to renovate distressed housing and turn it into federally subsidized low-income housing. Ivy City was chosen because the neighborhood had seen a severe decline of 20,000 residents since 1960, leaving just 80,000 people living there. This meant there was a good deal of unoccupied housing to renovate. Low-income housing

8449-400: The new Ivy City rail yard, because the tracks to the new station would begin at Ivy City. By this time, the former racetrack site at Ivy City had significantly declined. The track had subsided, and rains filled the old track—turning it into a deep pond. In June 1903, a local African American boy drowned in the pond. Initially, city officials declined to order landowner Daniel McCarthy to fill in

8568-442: The next several weeks, a grand jury indicted Engeman and several bookmakers on December 29, 1893. Trial began before Judge Cole of the D.C. Criminal Court on January 4, and on January 16 the court convicted all the defendants. The sentences were appealed, but the appellate court declined to overturn them in 1895. The Ivy City stables and track continued to be used for stabling, training, and training races for horses running at

8687-550: The northernmost block of Kendall Street NE, which was cut and paved in 1933, allowing the street to connect with New York Avenue NE. In April 1941, city engineers proposed a master plan for improving roads and interchanges in the city. The master plan proposed widening West Virginia Avenue NE (two lanes to three) between Mt. Olivet Road and Montana Avenue NE; widening Mt. Olivet Rd. (two lanes to four) from Bladensburg Road to New York Avenue NE; realigning Brentwood Road into an S-curve so it meets Mt. Olivet Road at New York Avenue NE, with

8806-478: The organization to close these programs down. By October 1976, the Alexander Crummell School was completely vacant, and DCPS voted to close the building and seek no tenants for it in January 1977. Over the next few years, the school parking lot and land were used for a number of uses, including a parking lot for city vehicles. From 1997 to 2003, trailers for a homeless men's shelter sat on

8925-473: The original limits of the Federal City. Ivy City Brick did not immediately tear down the track and grandstand. In February 1893, a syndicate of New York City investors, led by Representative Timothy J. Campbell , ( D – New York ), attempted to revive racing at Ivy City. The clubhouse was destroyed by fire on February 23, and the B&O refused to run special trains to accommodate racegoers (significantly hindering attendance). After just three weeks,

9044-407: The path of the racetrack still existed. It is not known when the grandstands or track were actually demolished. However, by 1903 the city was already planning to extend S, U, V, and 15th Streets NE and New York Avenue NE through the former racetrack site. Federal legislation granting the B&O access to its right of way was not due to expire until 1910. But with development rapidly expanding in

9163-451: The pond, as McCarthy argued that construction on the rail yard would fill in the pond. But when another boy drowned there in July 1906, McCarthy was ordered to immediately fill in the depression. There were also numerous housing lots in Ivy City on which no construction had occurred. As excavation began on Union Station, these unoccupied lots were taken over by the B&O and used for a tent city to house workers. More than 110 men lived at

9282-767: The project because federal highway funding had not been forthcoming. DDOT also said it planned to widen the street to four lanes between Bladensburg Road and the District line, and reduce the steepness of the approaches to the overpass over the railroad tracks near Florida Avenue. Business executives said reducing congestion on the road was the key to reviving retail and industry. But once more, little revitalization occurred. In 2002, D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams announced yet another New York Avenue Extended redevelopment initiative. Transportation and economic development officials announced that they were studying plans to reduced congestion on New York Avenue by adding more public transit, such as light rail . They also said they would improve

9401-422: The project on the ground until March 1999. Traffic barriers were used to create reversible lanes, to alleviate rush hour problems. The work proved more difficult than planned, and was not complete until June 2002. For reasons which remain unclear, the bridge over the railroad tracks near South Dakota Avenue NE was not replaced, and the two-lane bottleneck continued. As the 1999 reconstruction project continued,

9520-411: The property when it rained. The old coal heating system failed to keep the school warm in winter, and covered the walls in soot. The playground was far too small to accommodate the school's growing enrollment, and there was no gymnasium or assembly hall. A $ 36,000 two-room addition was proposed in 1931, a $ 25,000 two-room addition in 1932, and a $ 10,800 doubling of the school's size in 1933. No action

9639-611: The racing effort collapsed on March 17. Racing at Ivy City resumed on May 14, 1893, under the auspices of the Chevy Chase Hunt Club. New Jersey racetrack owners George Engeman and Albert Gleason leased the Ivy City track in August 1893 with the aim of having a 25-day "winter season" of racing in November. Engeman was initially opposed by the Washington Jockey Club , which was in the process of opening

9758-458: The rail yard, some living conditions in Ivy City improved as infrastructure was upgraded to accommodate the railroad. In December 1905, the city approved construction of the first sewer main to serve the neighborhood. Construction on the rail yard began in 1907. The B&O began dismantling its rail yard at New Jersey Avenue NW and D Street NW, and began moving the equipment to Ivy City. The new rail yard, located about 1 mile (1.6 km) outside

9877-447: The road and slow traffic. Barry's plan for the street included plans to induce light manufacturing and blue-collar service businesses to return to the area, adding hundreds of trees to the streetscape to make it more appealing, and reducing traffic congestion. DDOT officials said they were ready to replace the bridge over the railroad tracks near South Dakota Avenue NE but that the city lacked the $ 16 million ($ 31,993,012 in 2023 dollars) for

9996-401: The road's first 30 years, the area around it transformed into a major industrial corridor. The economic dislocations of the 1970s, however, led to rapid deindustrialization along New York Avenue. By the late 1970s, many industrial businesses along the route were closed or abandoned, and retail was relatively nonexistent. The residents in the surrounding neighborhoods were very poor, unemployment

10115-600: The roadway saw only minor repairs until the mid 1980s, when major portions of the road began to fail. In 1987, a complete reconstruction of New York Avenue NE from Bladensburg Road to South Dakota Avenue occurred. The lower portion of the street did not receive major repairs, and by 1990 was listed by the city (along with South Capitol Street ) as one of the worst for potholes. In 1995, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) estimated that New York Avenue Extended carried 107,000 vehicles each day. By 1997, this had risen to 135,000 vehicles every day. The road

10234-577: The route of the then-unbuilt West Virginia Avenue. Much of the land surrounding the future Ivy City was owned by the Fenwick family. These were descendants of Thomas Notley , the 8th Proprietary governor of the Province of Maryland from 1676 through 1679. Mary Fenwick's father was Notley Young, one of the largest landowners in southern Maryland and who, along with David Burnes , Daniel Carroll , Samuel Davidson, and Robert Peter were later known as

10353-623: The same time period, laying out and reiterating support for the New York Avenue Industrial Freeway. By 1966, however, opposition from local residents had not only led to serious restudy of the proposed route, but had brought construction of almost all highways and interstate freeways in the city to a halt. The Inner Loop alone would have displaced 350 families and 26 businesses in Ivy City. But unlike residents in most neighborhoods, those interviewed by The Washington Post in 1967 were happy to see Ivy City destroyed by

10472-495: The school the Alexander Crummell School , after the prominent Episcopal priest who was a prominent advocate of Pan-Africanism and who founded St. Luke's Episcopal Church —the first independent black Episcopal church in the city. It was the first school in the city to be named for an African American. Plans for the new school were ready by February 1, 1911, and ground was broken on March 20. The school

10591-429: The section of New York Avenue from South Dakota Avenue to Bladensburg Road was repaved to remove bumpy asphalt. All three inbound lanes were closed at the same time, as the city experimented with what it called a "full-bore approach" in repaving. Fort Myer Construction handled the $ 700,000 ($ 1,204,510 in 2023 dollars) job. The new construction method worked, and the avenue reopened on time three days later. According to

10710-408: The shortest route possible (which put it just outside the prohibited area). The Ivy City track obtained a one-month racing license while the issue was decided, but betting was prohibited during this period. Eager to provide betting, track officials set up a tent outside the one-mile limit, and accepted bets there. This was not a success, and bookmaking resumed at Ivy City. Federal officials threatened

10829-643: The site going back to at least 1909. It wasn't until 1927–1931 that nine of the now-iconic, circular beehive kilns were constructed. Three additional kilns were built at a later date. A number of companies operated at the site, including the Hudson Brick and Supply Company and the United Clay Products Company. Locally, the West Brothers Brick Company also manufactured bricks using beehive kilns, but that operation

10948-549: The site. In 1999, the Accucrete construction company offered to buy the property, but the city could not work out a deal and the offer was withdrawn in 2001. The Crummell School was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. The Washington Animal Rescue League offered to lease the school for use as an animal shelter in early 2004, but this proposal was not accepted. Community residents long pressed

11067-443: The spring of 2010. Single lane closures in both directions occurred as repaving occurred from Bladensburg Road to Florida Avenue. A far more major repair effort began 2011, when the 1907 bridge over the railroad tracks between Florida Avenue NE and Penn Street NE was replaced. The job was a complex one, as the bridge also carried electricity, telecommunication cables, and mechanical equipment critical for railroad operations. The project

11186-583: The station. New York Avenue is U.S. Route 50 from the border with Maryland and into northwest as far west as 6th Street NW. In addition, it is U.S. Route 1 Alternate from Bladensburg Road NE to 6th Street NW. The northern terminus of Interstate 395 is at a signaled intersection with New York Avenue and 4th Street NW. At that intersection, traffic from New York Avenue in either direction may turn south onto Interstate 395, but traffic on northbound Interstate 395 may turn only right (east) onto New York Avenue. At its eastern end, New York Avenue NE becomes

11305-433: The street occurred by 1911, but it is unclear just when the street was graded or paved. Other street changes occurred as well. After a study, the city eliminated S Street SE in Ivy City and closed but did not eliminate 15th Street SE. The city allowed a new street (probably the eastern half of Okie Street NW) to be cut parallel to New York Avenue NE to straighten the street lines within the development. Another change added

11424-556: The street was the anticipated rise in heavy trucks using the road, due to the presence of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center , Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms headquarters, and several anticipated big-box stores on the street. In 2004, the New York Ave–Florida Ave–Gallaudet U station opened on the Washington Metro 's Red Line , after a group of property owners formed a special assessment district, agreeing to tax themselves to fund construction of

11543-500: The street. Over the next three years, a number of industrial concerns opened in the neighborhood: a Washington Milk Bottle Exchange cleaning facility and glass factory on Fenwick Street south of New York Avenue; the offices of Mitchell & Unsinn, a construction firm, at 2006 Fenwick Street; the offices of R.E.A. Cleaning, an industrial cleaning firm, at 1925 New York Avenue; and the Nehi bottling plant at 1923 New York Avenue. In mid-1934,

11662-461: The streetscape by adding bicycle paths, widening sidewalks, and planting more trees and shrubs. The city hired six consulting firms, and paid them $ 900,000 ($ 1,524,588 in 2023 dollars) to identify additional problems, survey residents, and propose solutions. The 18-month effort was intended to create a New York Avenue master plan that would guide development in the area for the next 30 to 50 years. The most significant issue immediately identifiable facing

11781-410: The tent city, where living conditions were very poor. Most of the workers were Italian , and one worker died from pneumonia in October 1903. This led to an extensive investigation into living conditions in the tent city. Although sanitation, sewage, and trash were severe problems, the men generally were found to be well-fed and the tents warm enough to withstand winter conditions. With the arrival of

11900-429: The time for relocation of its track to February 1906, and allowing it to move its rail yard to Ivy City. On February 28, 1903, Congress passed legislation authorizing various railroads in the city to unite to build a new "union" passenger terminal to replace the four existing terminals scattered about downtown. This legislation led to the construction of Union Station , completed in 1908. This gave added importance to

12019-542: Was D.C.'s most heavily trafficked; only the 14th Street Bridge and the Southeast-Southwest Freeway (I-395) were more traveled. It was also the city's most-used commercial corridor, as semi-trailer trucks were twice as likely to use New York Avenue to enter the city than any other street. In the spring of 1998, the city announced a two-year, $ 24.7 million ($ 46,172,560 in 2023 dollars) project reconstructed New York Avenue from South Dakota Avenue to

12138-419: Was a joint effort of the state of Maryland (which built the northern half) and the federal government (which constructed the southern half). The District of Columbia paid to have New York Avenue extended to the connection. A "gateway" to the city was proposed at this time, but no gateway was built. This section of the avenue was not well-planned. At the bridge over South Dakota Avenue and the railroad track just

12257-476: Was closed in 1942 for the construction of the Pentagon . The complex permanently closed in 1972, and was transferred to the United States Department of Agriculture in 1976. On October 3, 1978 the complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places . New York Avenue (Washington, D.C.) New York Avenue was planned as one of the original streets in the L'Enfant Plan for Washington, D.C. It

12376-422: Was cut through the area from the west, and 15th Street NE cut in a U shape on the southeast side of West Virginia Avenue NE beginning at Fenwick Street. In January 1907, after the B&O Railroad removed its tracks from the right of way, the District government announced plans to cut and pave West Virginia Avenue NE from Florida Avenue to 16th Street NE (near the northeastern tip of Ivy City). Grading of part of

12495-553: Was designed by Snowden Ashford, the Municipal Architect for the city, and the total cost of land and construction was $ 44,000. The two-story structure was in the Renaissance Revival style , and was constructed of stone with stucco -covered walls. Large windows admitted extensive amounts of natural light, and extensive tiling decorated the interior. The school opened on October 22, 1911, even though it

12614-477: Was high, and environmental problems were severe. In 1980, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry announced a major effort to redevelop the New York Avenue Extended industrial and retail corridor. Little action was taken to implement the plan's goals. Barry's successor, Sharon Pratt Dixon , announced another redevelopment effort in late 1993. Once more, redevelopment efforts failed to materialize. Barry defeated Dixon in her attempt to win renomination for mayor, and Barry won

12733-713: Was intended to begin at the Potomac River and extend northeast toward the White House , then continue past the Executive Residence northeast to the city's boundary with Maryland . The portion of the street southwest of the White House was to give the President of the United States an uninterrupted view of the Potomac River . Construction on the State, War, and Navy Building from 1871 to 1888 blocked this view, and it remains blocked to this day. It extended to

12852-401: Was little building. Nearly all the residents were African-American, and structures consisted primarily of wooden shacks with no heat, electricity, natural gas , or sewer. The city provided drinking water from public pipes. Lots, however, were quite large compared to many of those in the Federal City. In 1878, the National Fair Grounds Association was incorporated with the purpose of hosting

12971-433: Was noisy at all times of the day and night, and fighting in the streets was common. By the 1970s, Ivy City had declined so strongly that District officials targeted it for Model City reconstruction. The Model Cities Program was a federally funded effort which allowed local residents to redesign, revitalize, and reconstruct neighborhoods most severely affected by poverty. The D.C. government focused its Model City efforts on

13090-491: Was not finished. Expansion of the Alexander Crummell School was proposed several times over the next six decades, to no avail. A six-room, $ 100,000 addition was approved the DCPS in 1924, but cut by Congress every time it was proposed from 1924 to 1927. By 1930, the school was no longer in good condition. The building was constructed on a low spot on the site, which meant that water (sometimes 3 feet (0.91 m) deep) ponded on

13209-422: Was proposed by local residents in 1902, and constructed in 1903. The Ivy City School was the launching point for the career of African American educator Alfred Kiger Savoy, who was first appointed a teacher at the school in 1903. Kiger eventually became assistant superintendent of the D.C. public school system, and oversaw all African American elementary schools in the city. he retired in 1953. At his death in 1964 at

13328-512: Was proposed in 1954 and a 12-room addition, auditorium, and modernization of the heating and lighting requested in 1957. These requests were also turned down. By 1971, the Alexander Crummell School had 397 students, but enrollment was declining rapidly as residents fled the decaying neighborhood. The school closed in 1972. The Washington Urban League leased the school in 1973 for use as a day care center, private school, and recreation center, but extensive vandalism and several burglaries caused

13447-462: Was purchased from George McKinlay in August 1895, and the George W. Barkman & Son construction company began construction on the building (whose cost was budgeted at $ 2,390 ($ 87,500 in 2023 dollars)) in September. The Ivy City School was completed in early February 1896. As Ivy City continued to grow, there were repeated calls to enlarge the school and make improvements to it. A two-room addition

13566-433: Was purchased in 1914, and property owners along the street route assessed for construction. But no construction occurred. An extension was proposed to South Dakota Avenue NE in 1925 (after land was purchased to found the United States National Arboretum ), but these proposals were not acted on. Construction on New York Avenue Extended finally began in September 1930. The $ 231,000 ($ 4,213,219 in 2023 dollars) project created

13685-404: Was ready to begin in 2010, but the complexity of the replacement led to a new replace plan which delayed work a year. Lanes closures in 2011 consisted of a single lane in one direction during rush hour, but expanded to two lanes in each direction in 2012. Originally, New York Avenue Extended passed through relatively rural areas, where farms and small, isolated developments were common. But during

13804-584: Was significant rainfall.) In 1949, the railroad announced a $ 1.2   million ($ 15   million in 2023 dollars) project to add a new roundhouse for diesel locomotives at Ivy City and improve repair shops. The project also provided for transfer of the coal-fired steam generating plant to Eckington, alleviating much of the smoke and ash problem at Ivy City. Ivy City began a significant decline in 1953. American railroads, which until this time had used coal-fueled locomotives, began switching to diesel fuel or using overhead electrical wires for powering engines. By

13923-462: Was spent constructing the facility, the cost of the Receiving Home proved much greater than the amount budgeted and the facility was only partially completed. As built, the two-story, three- wing structure contained a kitchen, several serving pantries , laundry room, recreation room, and medical treatment room. A maximum of 46 individuals could be accommodated. The medical room was only able to render first aid , and no medical staff were assigned to

14042-405: Was taken on these proposals. The Great Depression and World War II limited funding for school construction. Ivy City continued to grow in the 1930s and 1940s, and in 1949 local residents asked the city to build an eight-room addition and pool for the school as well as expand the playground. A similar request was made in 1950, with residents also demanding an assembly hall and gymnasium. An addition

14161-521: Was the "Center Leg", a new segment of Interstate 95 (now signed Interstate 395 ) to begin at about E and 2nd Streets SW and continue north through the city before joining with I-95 in Maryland. The other was the New York Avenue Industrial Freeway , four northbound and five southbound lanes of limited-access highway running along New York Avenue NE from the proposed junction with I-395 at Florida Avenue NE and running to

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