Georgetown Saves Stable from Destruction

(31^st Street between Dumbarton and N Streets)

According to a reliable and well placed source within Washington’s architectural preservation community, this stable (the white one on the left) was nearly destroyed several years ago. Outrage from the Georgetown citizens resulted in “a bonanza of stop work orders,” the demolition ceased after half of the building had been destroyed and the contractor was forced to restore the building to its original configuration. Parenthetically, it was unusual for a Washington D.C. stable to be built facing a main street rather than within an alley.

At a community function several months ago, the editor asked Jack Evans about the July 2008 destruction of the 1863 Historic Landmark protected Civil War stable in Naylor court (1316 rear 9^th Street). He said he couldn’t understand why it was allowed to be torn down and that if something like that had ever happened in Georgetown the outcry would be overwhelming. He’s right!

In 1954 when developers threatened to destroy the historic stables and warehouses along the canal in Georgetown, the residents of Foggy Bottom and Georgetown created a coalition to save the properties and succeeded. Today, 54 years later, this area has become a destination landmark. Small businesses – such as Blues Alley - are thriving.

“It may be a jazz world, but it looks like it’s going to be a Blues Alley universe-Blues Alley clubs everywhere, Blues Alley CDs and videos, a Blues Alley clothing collection, and even a Blues Alley crystal decanter.

Washington’s well-known jazz club-which attracts legendary jazz performers such as Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Byrd and Wynton Marsalis-has signed a $57 million licensing agreement with a group of Japanese investors to open three clubs next year in Japan, according to Blues Alley owner John T. Bunyan.

And other deals with investors in the United States, Germany and Spain are in the works to capitalize on the popular supper club’s name and knack for booking jazz …”

(Washington Post, December 13^th 1989)

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1187964&cart=780218189

1316 rear 9^th Street (originally a Civil War stable) was a home and furniture repair

shop up until a year before its destruction by a developer/investment company.

Few can see clearly into the future, but it shouldn’t be difficult for all of us to recognize and respect the past. Washington D.C. is blessed with many small alley structures that have earned the right of preservation. The history of Georgetown and Foggy Bottom preservation activism should serve to educate the rest of the city. There is no reason why these lessons cannot be used to guide other sections of the city as development continues to threaten our history one brick at a time.