Preserving DC Stables

Darryl Carter’s stable is being restored and preserved

2012-01-27T06:22:00.001-05:00

The little yellow stable in the alley behind Darryl Carter’s property is being restored in concert with the primary buildings in front of it. (the original story was reported in earlier posts in 2009 here and here) Photos show the bricks in the process of being nicely repointed. This stable is typical of late 1800’s alley stables. The hayloft beam was replaced by an “I” beam at some point in the past. Very few of the original wooden beams still exist in stables because of the wear and tear of their heavy use and their exposure to the elements since the original wood was untreated.

While the precise future use of this stable is uncertain at this point, the beauty of these structures is their utilitarian nature and enormous flexibility for adaptive reuse. It’s wonderful to see the spirit of the 1990 National Registry of Historic Places recognition being honored in this alley in this way.

Stable ads in Washington D.C. from 1887

2012-01-26T06:29:00.000-05:00

HPO to document alley structures in Washington

2012-01-24T06:32:00.000-05:00

The announcement below is wonderful news because it will bring the rich legacy of the Washington DC alley culture into fine focus. This work is a welcome undertaking! Below is the announcement from HPO about the alley survey.

***

January 19, 2012

Historic District Alley Survey Underway

Historic Preservation Office embarks on extensive effort to document alley structures in the District.

The Historic Preservation Office embarks on an extensive effort to document alley structures in the District.

The Historic Preservation Office has embarked on an extensive effort to survey and document alley structures in Washington’s historic districts. Past surveys – particularly those associated with early historic district designations – did not comprehensively cover alley buildings. As a result, data on the city’s historic alley structures is not well documented or easily accessible. In fact, many alley buildings have been demolished, particularly within the past decade.

In 2011, HPO staff began gathering information on alleys through field documentation and photography of important buildings and features as well as research on historic building permits and maps. The information is being catalogued in a database, and will eventually be mapped through the Geographic Information System (GIS). This information will be valuable in better understanding the rich history of the city’s alleys, considering preservation strategies and appropriate alterations for alley buildings, and designing new alley structures that are compatible with the character of historic alleyscapes.

Initial survey efforts have been focused on historic rowhouse neighborhoods, which feature the largest number of alley dwellings, carriage houses, stables, warehouses, and garages. Survey work is already underway in the alleys in Dupont Circle, Capitol Hill, Shaw, LeDroit Park, Mount Vernon Square, Mount Vernon Triangle, Greater Fourteenth Street, and U Street. HPO has collected data on over 500 alley buildings so far, with plans to continue the survey work already in progress and to expand its survey to other historic districts during 2012.

HPO Announcement online

They Paved Paradise

2011-10-06T14:35:00.002-04:00

According to Baist’s Maps of Naylor Court in 1924, there were two alley stables living on the lot at 1322 9^th Street NW. It is now vacant, and languishing as a “blighted D.C. property”. The stables and associated 9^th Street NW Victorian homes were razed or collapsed from neglect long ago. How do holes appear in city squares like #0367? Often, it’s a matter of greed. Speculators “sit on a property” – like a stock – in the anticipation that it will eventually make them very rich. When economies tank and ready money suddenly dries up, property values plummet. The forces to continue to hold onto the languishing properties increase. The speculators then double down with renewed tenacity, figuring that they had lost a fortune (a theoretical loss since the full price valuation had never been achieved in the first place) and need to make up for their losses. That's where it gets interesting.

The pressures to do something more than putting up a “for sale sign” mount, so rather than sell or creatively construct, the owners opt to pave, privatize and promote. Now they have cash flow, a diminished tax burden (commercial versus blighted property tax) and can continue to hold what they think will be a winning hand.

In her 1970 album (Ladies of the Canyon) Joni Mitchell (http://jonimitchell.com/) railed against the progressive loss of civility in cities through ruthless “urban planning.” Indeed, rather than saying “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” she could as easily said: - “you don’t know what you could have done till you can’t.”

“Soon after Harriet Tregoning became D.C. planning director in 2007, the developers of a proposed building for a prime downtown spot at Connecticut Avenue and K Street NW suggested opening a parking lot on their site until construction could begin. She cringed. “I grew up in St. Louis, and I know what a parking lot means, a surface parking lot,” Tregoning said. “If there’s an indicator species for distress, it’s a surface parking lot.” Jonathan O’Connell in the Washington Business Journal discussed the principles of “temporary urbanism” with Ms. Tregoning “as a means to bring dead construction zones and storefronts alive with active, temporary uses O'Connell points out that developers are often lukewarm to the idea of temporary uses as they are concerned that when the time for development does arrive the public will object to displacement of the temporary amenity. When the stopgap for every stalled development is a parking lot it stifles livability. The district has made strides in this regard under Tregoning's tenure but other cities show that much more is possible. But with the recession stalling plans for new construction around the city, she also knew the request was likely to be the first of many. So Tregoning began pushing a new concept — “temporary urbanism” — to bring dead construction zones and storefronts alive with active, temporary uses.”

(References: - http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/11/16/story6.html "WBJ discusses Temporary Urbanism with Harriet Tregoning" and from The Triangle, not just parking lots anymore... by fourthandeye@gmail.com)

You often hear long time Shaw residents say: - “Surely a paved-over empty lot is better than nothing.” or “You should have seen this place 20 years ago.” Well, think again! Profitable paved parking projects have an evil way of promoting their own permanence. These lots leave nasty dead zones in the city. Parking lots are nationally recognized by urban planners as properties that create opportunities for crime to flourish. They neither improve nor inspire a residential neighborhood. They only contribute to the feelings of neglect, danger and decay. "Obviously, nobody cares around here, so anything goes."

(Naylor Ct. parking lot circa 1989 - photo courtesy of Roger Theil )

By comparing these two maps (Baist’s 1924 and 1989) you will see “holes” in the block density appearing like the lost teeth of urban decay. The paved-over vacant lots represent lost opportunities to increase housing density in downtown D.C. by constructing something creative and exciting for people. Washington is rapidly growing up in terms of thinking about urban planning. It’s actually quietly becoming quite a hip and vibrant town for young people. The time to think of alleys as useful for only trash and services (like parking lots) is finished in the enlightened circles of national discussion about alleys.

A surplus of parking really can be too much of a good thing for any city. Each lot creates a new ‘dead zone’ in the middle of what ought to be a bustling commercial district or residential neighborhood. These dead zones block new growth and mean there is less room for the offices and homes that would supply a steady stream of office workers and residents who might patronize local businesses - and less room to cluster other businesses that would in turn attract more foot traffic.

Harriet Tregoning is right to push “temporary urbanism” as a way to temporarily use seemingly useless spaces. If you can't swim somewhere positive, at least tread water for a little while. Don't drown opportunities under a sea of asphalt so that they have a difficult time ever recovering.

The neighborhood will aggressively block creating a parking lot on this vacant land at 1322 9^th Street NW. It’s one thing to create something from nothing but why on earth should the community accept creating nothing from something! It shouldn’t and won't.

The MOOD Out on the Street

2011-09-17T11:41:00.003-04:00

Video Journalism Documents the “MOOD” After Closing

Warning … this video may cause dizziness if watched too closely. It is meant as documentation of the troublesome mayhem that occurs in the neighborhood as a direct result of the MOOD Lounge business. Turn up your speakers to get a fuller experience of the nocturnal neighborhood noises!

“The MOOD Lounge, after closing for the night late in the evening on Saturday, September 10th / early in the morning about 3:20 am on Sunday, September 11th. To show the noise the neighborhood puts up with. Filmed with a low-tech iPhone 3Gs.”

This property is belongs to the collection of buildings – stables, residences and artisan shops in the alley that were awarded the status of National Register Historic Property recognition in 1990. The MOOD Lounge behavior not only disrespectfully violates the restrictive covenants of this coveted national recognition, but they also continuously and lawlessly violate their own voluntary agreement with the community.

The owner of the property (1318 9^th Street LLC) has filed for bankruptcy. The MOOD Lounge business is under investigation by the AG’s office.

A petition to close the business is circulating through the community. The neighborhood, city council members, the ANC and many others are really tired of the bad mood being created by MOOD Lounge!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaqcSRD7kqg

MOOD turning the tables

2011-09-07T17:56:00.000-04:00

3:00 a.m. vandalized tables around the corner from the

MOOD Lounge (Azi's) after an evening of drinking and

partying spills into the neighborhood. Police called 4 X.

(cell phone photo from a neighbor who could not sleep because of the noise!)

The MOOD might be changing at last

2011-09-07T16:47:00.001-04:00

HOPEFULLY!

"By virtue of a certain Purchase Money Deed of Trust, Assignment of Rents and Leases, and Security Agreement duly recorded December 29, 2005 as Instrument No. 2005185789(the "Deed of Trust") among the Land Records of the District of Columbia (the "Land Records"), and in accordance with Public Law 90-566 notice filed July 27, 2011 a default having occurred in the payment of the indebtedness secured thereby and the covenants contained therein, and at the request of the party secured thereby (the "Noteholder"), the undersigned Substitute Trustees, will sell, at public auction, within the office of ALEX COOPER AUCTIONEERS, INC., 5301 WISCONSIN AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 750, WASHINGTON, D.C. on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 11:00 am the following described land and premises Lot numbered Fifty-eight (58) in the subdivision made by the heirs of John Davidson of Square numbered Three Hundred Sixty-seven (367), as per plat recorded in the Office of the Surveyor for t he District of Columbia in Liber N.K. at folio 103."

(source http://realestate.alexcooper.com/featured/details/1732/ )

[Editor's note: - while the sale of 1318 9th Street did not go through because the owner's filed for bankruptcy, this situation further increases the already intense public light and scrutiny on this highly questionable business]

It has been very difficult to protect the little stables in Naylor Court even though they are collectively on the National Register of Historic Properties. In fact when this stable (1316 Naylor Court) was deemed to have been "unstable" it was in fact so stable that the developer began to also rip down the party wall of the building next door into what is now the MOOD Lounge. The author's friend Orlando lived and worked comfortably in this little stable for many years refinishing furniture. It was stable.

Mind numbing sounds continue to blare through this party wall!

(check out the exposed wall speakers!)

Enjoy the video above to capture the community sentiment of 3 years ago

What can you do to help? You can sign the petition!

Please seriously consider signing the petition to close the MOOD Lounge. Naylor Court stables need to be protected from this sanctioned destruction and disrespect. They are all listed as National Historic Properties and protected by restrictive covenants. The direct link to the petition is http://www.change.org/petitions/dc-alcoholic-beverage-control-board-revoke-mood-lounges-alcohol-beverage-license

The case hearing against the MOOD Lounge comes before ABRA through the attorney general's office on Sept 21st 2011.

Let's hope that the MOOD changes and disappears. The neighborhood has had enough headaches already!

Is the MOOD right?

2011-08-12T17:21:00.003-04:00

The MOOD Lounge is pissing ~~on/~~off the neighborhood

The building that houses the MOOD Lounge at 1318 9th Street NW in Washington (formerly the EFN Lounge and Motley Bar and formerly the Be-Bar and formerly the Salvation Army) was built in 1926 for the owner (D.D. Condon) as a “heating store”. His name as can be seen on the original signage in the photo as the far right building. (permit # 5767 – from the Kraft Database photo courtesy of http://www.shorpy.com).

An older structure on this site including a rear stable in the alley would have been torn down to make way for the heating store. Neighboring buildings (such as the adjacent historically protected buildings that were aggressively torn down a couple of years ago by a developer to create The Nine Condo at 1316 9^th Street) date back to the Civil War years.

These days, the heat is being turned up in the old heating store! After many months of illegal behavior fueled by the MOOD Lounge owners and committed by its patrons, the community is no longer into the MOOD. You might even say, that with a pending legal case against them in the Attorney General’s office, investigations through Council Member Evans’ Office (see below), ABRA, the DC police force and sanctions by the neighborhood associations, the MOOD is becoming ugly.

Horses used to urinate in this alley, but they couldn’t help it and we forgave them.

People know better and it’s unforgivable. (Courtesy ODC)

There is now even a new sign in the Naylor Court alley posted by the MOOD Lounge requesting that people not urinate in the alley. And this was necessary … why? The presence of the management’s sign clearly signals the management’s implicit acknowledgment that public urination (and of course the inescapable accompanying public indecent exposure delinquency) is a serious problem for them. Signs like this are ironically appropriate for the exterior of a business that claims it’s not responsible for the behavior of its patrons and that any “disruption” in the community is not their fault. Yet through their signage they readily admit to trying to “police” this activity even as they swear repeatedly at public meetings that they are not responsible. The owners of The MOOD Lounge unhesitatingly accepted the previous owners’ voluntary agreement in which they vowed to in essence “be good and responsible neighbors”. To date, they have dishonored this agreement. They have also dishonored the alley that has been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places - a designation that demands respect.

Now, curious minds in the community are waiting to see companion signs posted alongside the MOOD Lounge no urination sign that say: - PLEASE DO NOT FORNICATE IN THE ALLEY. PLEASE DO NOT DISCARD USED CONDOMS IN THE ALLEY. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE THE CITY NOISE ORDINANCE IN THE ALLEY. PLEASE DO NOT SELL OR BUY DRUGS IN THE ALLEY. PLEASE DO NOT DESTROY PROPERTY IN THE ALLEY. PLEASE DO NOT FIGHT IN THE ALLEY. PLEASE DO NOT SOLICT OR PURCHASE SEX IN THE ALLEY. PLEASE DO NOT BREAK INTO CARS IN THE ALLEY. PLEASE DO NOT DISCHARGE FIREARMS IN THE ALLEY.

Maybe the MOOD Lounge owners are having their new companion signs custom made (since the need to exhort civilized behavior in public is pretty uncommon and these signs are in low demand). Maybe the signs just haven’t arrived yet to be posted.

Actual decibel reading on June 27th 2011 at 2:00 a.m. outside the MOOD - courtesy ODC

More important signs that are allegedly absent on the inside of this business are permits that allow the MOOD Lounge to operate as a nightclub. If there is any question in anyone’s mind about what sort of business is being run in this former heating store just check out the video. If a picture paints a thousand words then a video is an art gallery.

There is no food advertised on the web site menu (the author couldn’t find a beer menu either) but you can always buy a $5,000 bottle of booze should you somehow feel the urge!

(from the office of Ward 2 City Council Member Mr. Jack Evans)

“I will continue to stay on top of this, and do whatever we can, legally, to see that this business operates within the law, or is closed.

With that, I ask Fred Moosally: why has this license, which was issued for a bar, located in a neighborhood, been permitted to turn into a nightclub? They do not have the license to operate as a nightclub, which clearly they are—that is evident to anyone, and therefore, they should be closed immediately.

Jack” (Evans)

The Prince of Petworth recently ran a blog article titled: - “Neighbors having serious problems with MOOD Lounge in Shaw Prince of Petworth article

(Photo from Prince of Petworth Article referenced above)
While the community leadership enthusiastically encourages responsible business development along 9^th Street and throughout the Shaw, they are universally (publically and privately) condemning the behavior of MOOD Lounge whose past and current behavior makes its future existence questionable. Stay tuned. The MOOD may change.

The Dog Washed Out

2011-08-04T15:07:00.002-04:00

The little white bandy-legged building affectionately known in the neighborhood as simply “the dog wash” spent its last few years as an art warehouse. Previously, it had been an active, dog washing and grooming operation with an intricate series of claw-foot cast iron tubs for canine comfort. Before that, it had been an auto body shop run by Harry Terrell and Bernard James. Before that, doubtless there were many other past lives, but it was never a stable. Architecturally it was always configured as a garage unlike the 1863 stable that was torn down beside it (rear 1316 9^th Street – now The Nine condo) in July 2009.

A fragile wall, beaten by years of various vicious vehicular encounters finally

sustained one blow too many and is quickly rebuilt before the building collapses.

On April 18^th 1988 Linda Wheeler (Washington Post Staff Writer) wrote: - “The archives renovation ended a long-term unofficial policy by the city of ignoring the mechanics in Naylor Court and nearby Blagden Alley. For more than half a century, these mostly one and two-man businesses had attracted a steady flow of old cars in need of repair. Mechanics Terrell and James had a certificate of occupancy and proper licenses. Most of the others did not.” “They got the mechanics in here good,” said Terrell as he stood outside his one-room body shop, called A. Georgetown garage at the rear of 1314 Ninth St. NW. “They closed most everybody down. We are about the only ones left.”

“Naylor Court and Blagden Alley are the only courts in Shaw that still have many of their original buildings. Most of the other courts in the area such as Goat, Freeman and Madison – have been demolished and replaced with apartment complexes or stand empty.”

“Social reformers succeeded in getting Congress to ban residential living in alleys and courts in 1944 because they had become associated with crime and squalor. Although more than a thousand of the small alley dwellings and shops were demolished, a few of those that survived are now considered fashionable addresses in Foggy Bottom and Capitol Hill.” “Gone too are more than 40 abandoned cars and 20 tons of debris that clogged the alleyways.”

Last year the jocular “dog wash art connoisseur tenant” was forced to leave and seek cover elsewhere for his collection of art and artifacts because the property owners wanted to turn the former garage into a more lucrative business of some type. The old garage was about to begin a new life. Such is often the case with alley buildings whose structures are easily adaptable to new uses because of their utilitarian design. Many of the small structures in the DC alleys are in a state of flux today. But if you really think about it, when have they ever been stable over the last 50 years?

As an aside, it is incumbent on anyone who undertakes developing a property in this historically protected alley - Naylor Court - to be architecturally savvy enough to take a moment to think about the importance of integrating new development within the sensibility of the original collection of buildings. If not, the result is a collection of thematically disassociated buildings that reflect owner self interest rather than reflecting a sense of caring for a largely intact historic inner block of alleys. This alley (and its sister alley Blagden) has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990. http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/ Despite the restrictive covenant governing the management of Naylor Court, unstable-like pop-up condo-box towers are beginning to soar with HPO and HPRB approval in what was a previously homogenous historic stable alley.

1863 Stable torn down in 2009 despite restrictive historic preservation covenant

(rear 1316 9th Street - now The NINE - former home of Orlando Parks)

It turned out that the new business in 1314 rear was going to be a sandwich shop (SUNdeVICH) http://www.wtop.com/?nid=109&sid=2470062 run by Ali Bagheri with an international theme. Eleven sandwiches made that are “named after a different international city (with) ingredients and flavors of that region.”

(Photos from WTOP news)

According to WTOP DC News Bagheri had been in computer business for 10 years but left to follow his passions in the world of cuisine. There is no “hair-of-the-dog” hangover cure drink, there are no “hot dogs” or “German shepherd’s pies” on the menu. The dog wash theme has washed out and become something entirely different. A partner business, Daniel O’Brien of Seasonal Pantry in the 1887 Victorian building on 9^th Street, http://www.seasonalpantry.com/ creates a complementing “sit down” alternative at the front of the building to the “walk away” business at the back in the alley.

It's amazing, that this alley has sprouted two new gastronomic enterprises in old buildings. For most of its life, buying food for human consumption was unthinkable in this alley. Generally, food was for horses. These businesses are superb additions to the neighborhood. Each has worked very hard to integrate into the spirit of the neighborhood and to be respectful of its history. Not all new businesses in Naylor Court have been in the same MOOD but then, that’s quite another story for another, less happy dog day of summer.

New York Avenue NW Stable for Sale

2011-07-05T10:39:00.002-04:00

The Portland Stable 643- 645 NY Avenue

William Horstkamp built The Portland (643 New York Avenue, Square 0405, lot 0006) in 1887 (permit number 1818.5) for its new owner F.M. Draney. Constructed of pressed brick with a concrete foundation, it had a front of 58 feet, a depth of 105 feet and was 4 stories tall. (Source: Kraft database) The livery stable cost $8,000 ($175,000 today) to build and the open stall fee of $30 quoted in the ad below is equivalent to about $670 per month today. The building was designed and built in so that it looked much more like turn of the century row house residences than a stable. You can also see this design in the neighboring stable at 629-625 NY Ave. – which is still standing. After being in business for 4 years and having established what appears to have been a solid reputation The Portland Stable came up for sale.

“Among the livery stables of this city the Portland Stable of F.M. Draney ranks with the best. It is conveniently located on New York Avenue, near 7^th Street and can be reached by four lines of cars – the Seventh Street cable, Eckington, Ninth Street and Columbia cars. The front of this building would do credit to many dwelling –houses, being neatly built of red press brick laid in black mortar. The building is four stories in height. The first and second stories are partly used for horses and partly for carriages. The third story is for carriages, paint-shop and harness repair-room, all the painting and harness repairing being done on the premise. The fourth story is devoted to hay, grain and forage and also storage of vehicles etc. when not in use. A large carriage elevator establishes communication between the ground and top floors. An Otto gas engine supplies the motive power for running the elevator up and down. Hay is cut in the fourth story with this same power, the engine and cutting box being connected with long belts. The entire ground floor is laid in Portland cement; it has the appearance of stone being laid out in tiled squares of different sizes. It wears as hard and enduring as stone.

The stable is exceptionally well lighted, ventilated and superbly drained; hardly any objectionable odor can be detected around the building. The best evidence of the healthfulness of this stable is that during the recent epidemic of pink eye in this city not one case infected this stable. Perhaps the most convincing testimony of the healthfulness of the stable as well as the abundance of good feed are the horses themselves, all of them bearing witness to this being fat, hardy and well groomed. Despite the fact of the double advance in feed, $30 is the price charged for each horse per month for open stalls and $22.50 for box stalls.

Every class of vehicle is kept for hire – handsome landaus, luxurious broughams, stylish Kensingtons, buckboards, surreys, phaetons, horse and buggies and wagonettes for park driving or picnics – all to be had at fair and reasonable prices. To those who are looking for a first-class and reliable livery stable the Portland at 643 and 645 New York Avenue is the place.”

(Source: - Sunday Herald and Weekly National Intelligencer, February 22, 1891, page 31 and image 31)

   At a roughly 24,000 square feet, The Portland probably qualified as one of the largest livery stables (but not the largest) in the city at the turn of the century. The Portland Stable was an impressive, self-contained business, managing harnesses, carriages, feed and horses. It was multifaceted and fit the requisite balance of any successful business or portfolio. In flush times people bought carriages and horses and boarded them. In lean times, they rented them (like Zip cars). Who could have predicted “the panic of 1893” that lay two years ahead? No doubt their flexibility enabled them to survive this well. http://www.thehistorybox.com/ny_city/panics/panics_article10a.htm

Today the Warehouse Theater lives on the site of the Portland Stable (645-643 New York Avenue).
***

The largest stable in D.C. was probably the B.F. McCaully & Co’s stable (Tally Ho) at 1300 Naylor Court– now the D.C. City Archives.
   Another large historic livery stable in the Logan-Shaw neighborhood was the Mount Vernon Stables 1898 – 1908 (also known as the W.H. Penland & Co. stable (1894-97) and Proctor Alley Livery Stables) at – 1211R-1219R 13th Street. When cars rapidly replaced horses, the stable was converted into a garage for the Terminal Taxicab Company DC. In its last life before being converted into condos, it functioned for years as a successful British Sports Cars garage.

The original stable was about 12,900 square feet in size and described as having “distinguishing features (that) illustrate state-of-the-art technology for a late-19^th century stable facility; 3 stories, red brick, utilitarian design with segmental-arched windows including individual horse stall windows; metal-framed structure with sanitary concrete flooring …”

This former state-of-the-art stable has now become a state-of–the-art Ellis Denning project called the Fennessey Lofts.

http://dcmud.blogspot.com/2010/01/fennessy-lofts.htm

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mount_Vernon_Stables.jpg

Thankfully, this building was protected from demolition by virtue of having been placed on the National Register of Historic Places years ago and was thus preserved for new generations to appreciate and enjoy in what is probably its final adaptive reuse life. But one never really knows with old buildings …

Alleys as Arterioles

2011-06-18T06:55:00.000-04:00

elissa was finishing her second year of medical school at Georgetown University and one late spring afternoon she found herself meandering through one of the few reclaimed alleys in the area. She had just finished a grueling cardiovascular system pathophysiology exam, was exhausted from nights of cramming and blissfully let her mind wander aimlessly. She felt safe. The golden beams of a dying afternoon sun danced over the alley bricks and bounced randomly off the walls of stables and other century-old alley buildings.

Still flushed with images of the circulatory system swimming in her brain, she couldn’t help but think about alleys as arterioles or little arteries and streets as larger arteries and highways as the aorta. The gutters became lymphatic channels. People and cars and bicycles became red blood cells and white blood cells and platelets. She remembered one of the questions that she knew that she had gotten correct on the exam. (It’s asked every year) Q. What are the three things that result in clots in a blood vessel? A. (a) Slow blood flow (b) Damage to the walls of the blood vessel and (c) An increased tendency to have blood elements stick together (clot). Now her alley-arteriole-analogy took on a more dynamic rheological perspective. What did alleys (like blood vessels) require to stay healthy? They needed a steady flow of people and dogs and cats walking through them, attracted because they were places that were different and interesting and beckoning. They needed to be kept free of damage such as graffiti, collapsing roadbeds and buildings that were being demolished by neglect. They needed to be free of trash and overflowing dumpsters that attracted more trash and the obstruction of abandoned mattresses, abandoned cars and worn out water heaters that made alleys impassible.

It suddenly all seemed blindingly simple and clear to Melissa. As an undergraduate she had toyed with the idea of studying urban planning and had taken a couple of courses before changing her mind. She understood what professors and pundits meant when they discussed the growth and development of cities as an ecology that followed the rules of nature. She wondered why everyone couldn’t see this.

With a light heart she picked up her step and continued on her way home, wrapping her mind around large buildings as bones, bridges as appendages and traffic lights and streetlights as parts of a giant flickering nervous system. She was now discovering a human physiologic equivalent in everything she saw all around her. For this afternoon at least, through the haze of her fatigue, Washington D.C. and its alleys had become alive!

Two worlds collide in the alleys of Washington DC

2011-06-12T15:50:00.002-04:00

eb was 11 when he began working seriously in his father’s stable. He was a large boy for his age and because his mother had been “poorly” for the last few years and they needed more money to hold the family together, his dad had forcefully encouraged him to leave school to work with him. It was 1912. The stable and livery business had been slowing down ever since the “horseless carriage” had appeared on the streets of Washington about 10 years ago. Horses were reliable but required great care. These new machines were unreliable and also required great care. Jeb’s dad could not see any possible future for this recent “fad” of unreliable machines which were terrifying horses and pedestrians alike. Some were even electric (38% of the car market in 1900) like President Taft’s new car – a Baker electric. Jeb disagreed.

Jeb was a smart kid and knew he had to figure out how to make a living for more than just a few years while his mother was ill. He believed in this new “fad”.

At the end of each day after the last horse had been stabled for the night, Jeb would ask his father for permission to visit the stable in the middle of the alley where they were beginning to work on horseless carriages. His father did not exactly approve of this but knowing that his willful son would go anyway and knowing the passion and curiosity that were growing within Jeb, he reluctantly gave his blessing.

The former stable Jeb visited as a child now called itself a garage. Gone were the smells of manure, replaced by the smells of gasoline, oil and grease. The second story hayloft no longer held hay. Instead there were rows of shelves of new replacement automobile parts – leaf springs, rubber tires, spoke wheels, axles, drive shafts and a number of “odds” bin for smaller parts. The air was vibrant and Jeb was immediately captivated. How could you not be excited by this new world? It was so very different from his previous experience in his dad’s stable. The endless conversations were about what was coming next and whether this “new age” would last. In a way, nobody cared, for there was so much work at hand keeping these machines running. Most automobiles at the time actually required a chauffeur who was also a mechanic because driving and keeping them running was well beyond the capacity of the average owner. By contrast horses and carriages were so much simpler.

Model T Ford central leaf spring

Yet, there were enough similarities between the old and the new stable worlds that Jeb fit well in both. Fro example, the leaf springs of these new vehicles were almost identical to the leaf springs from carriages and replacing or repairing them was the same for each. The wheels and front axles were very similar. Everyone was learning “on the job” and sharing new information as each previously unrecognized problem was approached.

While Jeb’s dad remained skeptical about this new era, he was proud of his son who was growing in so many ways. Eventually Jeb began to work full time at the new garage and his younger brother took his place in his dad’s stable. There was always a spring in Jeb’s step over the years when he walked a couple of miles to work at 14^th and L Street each day. The alley was alive with clatter of hooves and the backfires of ill tuned cars. It was an uneasy mix of colliding transportation and service worlds.

(Notice the hayloft doors above the Ford sign and the bollard at the original carriage entrance.

The open windows are venting fumes. reference -http://www.shorpy.com/node/7035)

By 1926, the automobile was clearly winning the transportation war. Essentially no new stables had been built in DC after 1910 and gasoline stations began appearing on corners throughout the city. Jeb was now 25 years old. He had missed action in WW-I because of his age but was grateful to have a job when so many did not. While his faith in the new “fad” had paid off handsomely he was saddened that his parents had not lived to see his success. He was now the manager of a highly profitable service garage that sold and serviced Ford Lincolns, Fordson tractors and Ford trucks. His neighboring garage serviced Nash, Overland and Willys-Knight cars. There were nearly a 100 different automobile manufacturers now. Who knew where it would ultimately end?

Jane Jacobs and Alleys

2011-05-21T12:09:00.000-04:00

The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs, Vintage Books Edition 1992

A question arose several months ago at a community function during a discussion about Jane Jacob’s philosophy of urban development in the context of alleys. After it was generally agreed that Jacob’s philosophy was laid over a template of ecology, the question posed was, “how do market forces create change in the context of architectural historic preservation?” After a little reflection, my own answer was that the best change was never “complete and immediate” but incremental. Just don’t tear down what currently exists and wait for time to catch up with opportunity. Jacobs addresses this question elegantly in two rather complex chapters in her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities - Gradual money and cataclysmic money and Unslumming and slumming. Times and driving economic forces have changed since these chapters were written in the late 50’s but the principles remain rock solid. (see Reconsidering Jane Jacobs)

It takes so much more imagination to reconfigure and adaptively reuse old buildings than to tear them down and start with nothing. Scorched earth may create a nice blank slate for architects and urban planners to provide an easy short-term solution but it’s one that is sure to come back to haunt everyone in the long-term. Sometimes urban planning approaches look like burning down an old established forest with thousands of different flora and fauna inhabitants and then boastfully converting it into an instant Christmas tree farm. Fast but badly flawed. New but nasty.

Jane Jacobs didn’t write very much about alleys and the many roles they play in cities. Yet her basic philosophy about how best to “unslum” large cities could as easily apply to alleys as it did to the NY slums about which she wrote extensively. Have a look at the following two excerpts from her book “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”.

“In New York’s East Harlem there is a housing project with a conspicuous rectangular lawn which became an object of hatred to the project tenants. A social worker frequently at the project was astonished by how often the subject of the lawn came up, usually gratuitously as far as she could see, and how much the tenants despised it and urged that it be done away with. When she asked why, the answer as, “What good is it?” or “Who wants it?” Finally one day a tenant more articulate than the others made this pronouncement: “Nobody cared what we wanted when they built this place. They threw our houses down and pushed us here and pushed our friends somewhere else. We don’t have a place around here to get a cup of coffee or a newspaper even, or borrow fifty cents. Nobody cared what we need. But the big men come and look at that grass and say, ‘Isn’t it wonderful! Now the poor have everything!’” (from the Introduction)

“The apathy is abetted, also, by the comfortable thought that the problem of slums is being overcome by wiping out old slum buildings. Nothing could be less true.

It is so easy to blame the decay of cities on traffic … or immigrants … or the whimsies of the middle class. The decay of cities goes much deeper and is more complicated. It goes right down to what we think we want and to our ignorance of how cities work. The forms in which money is used must be converted to instruments of regeneration – from instruments buying violent cataclysms to instruments buying continual, gradual, complex and gentler change.”

(from Chapter 17 Gradual money and cataclysmic Money)

City Hall in Washington DC, be starting to change their concept of alleys from places for trash and services to paths for people. In a recently revealed budget proposal, Tommy Wells announced that among other things, he would like to - “Fund green alleys. Many alleys have crumbling surfaces and greatly need repair, but there hasn't been much money for this in recent years. $1 million would fund a new Green Alleys program, picking some alleys to rebuild with permeable paving, energy-efficient LED lighting, trees, and more.” This is a welcome proposal indeed! Bricking the DC alleys was a great program of “unslumming” while it lasted. The time is now ripe for adding more “human touches” to draw more foot traffic, vibrant human interactions and the kind of “gentler change” to which Jane Jacobs was referring so many years ago.

Recently released

Un-stable Alleys – 2 B or not 2 B

2011-04-12T09:58:00.000-04:00

Graffiti on 9th Street at O Street DC NW

Social messaging graffiti is creeping back onto the streets and into the alleys in Shaw, reminiscent of the days of the 9^th Street anarchists a few years ago. That few seem concerned is probably because few understand the implications of graffiti as an assault on private and public property. It is also an assault on minds. BYPO (a social messaging graffiti artist with a self confessed bipolar psychiatric disorder) has been expressing himself liberally in the neighborhood through his cryptic messages that when traced, lead to his blog http://byporevolution.blogspot.com/

“In the beginning was the word

The sentence came next but that took kinda long

the process a mess

Can’t wait around for messiahs reborn

Arm yourself baby its MINDFUCK time

EVOLVE or DIE TRYING

REVOLT or LIVE LYING

from evolution to revolution

NUCOMINTERN baby: a karmic solution”

Insights into his inner passions become clearer after reading this interview posted on “brightest young things” web site: http://www.brightestyoungthings.com/articles/wall-scout-bypo-interview.htm

Public graffiti social messaging, to make a statement of conscience is one thing. To use this form of expression to instigate negativism, social unrest and hatred of any group is quite another. It is in fact illegal.

Perhaps there are some young lurking “peaceniks” in the D.C. alleys waiting to counterbalance the cyclothymic B+ or B - with their own social messaging expression of caring, inclusion and positivity that is devoid of unbalanced urban cultural code words of anger. ("Housing is a right. Gentrification is a virus.")

On the other hand, defacing others’ property is unacceptable, regardless of where you stand on any polarizing issue! This form of civil disobedience often actually accomplishes precisely the opposite of the intended goal of its creators. Today, there are many much more effective vehicles through which to exercise our freedom of speech in ways that can help us all move forward rather than oscillating in ever diminishing B+ve or B-ve circles. How boring! We all face that negative and demeaning dialectic on the news every night. People, let’s get a little more creative and a little kinder.

B+ve or B-ve Naylor Ct

Defend the District O & 9th

9th St. & O St. NW

Turning Alleys into Neighborhood Spaces

2011-03-02T08:18:00.000-05:00

Turning alleys into neighborhood spaces

Issue Date: Thu, 2009-01-01

Page Number: 13

Large American cities increasingly are trying to improve the aesthetics, environmental performance, or sociability of their alleys.

In 2007 the City of Chicago issued “The Chicago Green Alley Handbook,” which is aimed at installing permeable paving, introducing planting, and relieving flooding along many of the city’s approximately 1,900 miles of public alleys.

Recently Los Angeles has been looking at how to create park-like settings or friendly neighborhood spaces in some of that city’s 12,309 blocks of alleys, with encouragement from the University of Southern California’s Center for Sustainable Cities.

Probably the most energetic alley improvement program now under way is in Baltimore, where an organization called Community Greens is collaborating with neighborhood groups and City Hall to reclaim rundown and often crime-ridden rear passages.

Community Greens — an initiative of Ashoka, a nonprofit international “social entrepreneur” organization based in Arlington, Virginia — began working with the Patterson Park Community Development Corp. in 2003 to convert a decrepit Baltimore alley into a place where residents would feel secure and might mingle with their neighbors.

That alley, between Luzerne Avenue and Glover Street in the Patterson Park neighborhood, was outfitted with planters, potted plants, benches, and a barbecue grill. Gates were installed near the ends of the alley, and garbage collection was moved elsewhere — first to areas in front of the houses and later to the ends of the alley.

“It’s been nothing short of transformational,” says Kate Herrod, director of Community Greens. “Where there used to be pimping, crime, and drug activities, they got safety and community.” Residents “feel much more safe and committed to their block” than before, she says.

The success led Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon to sign an ordinance in May 2007 that authorizes “gating and greening” of any alley where the adjacent residents overwhelmingly request it and where there is no objection from the city departments of police, fire, sanitation, transportation, and public works. If 80 percent of the owners of the surrounding occupied houses approve it, various improvements can be made to the alley. The surrounding homeowners must consent unanimously before gates, trees, or other obstructions to vehicles can be included in the upgrading.

Patterson Park now has a reported 14 blocks carrying out alley improvements, considering them, or requesting authorization. In all, about 60 blocks in 22 Baltimore neighborhoods have expressed interest in the program.

From the perspective of New Urbanism, the conversion of alleys to communal spaces has both an upside and a downside. Over the past 20 years, new urbanists made alleys an accepted part of contemporary planning, even in suburbs that historically lacked them. Many developments — in cities, suburbs, and small towns — have introduced or reintroduced alleys as a way of upgrading the neighborhood atmosphere. Rear passages have become inconspicuous locations for garages, garbage collection, and some utilities. Baltimore’s move toward closing some of its long-established alleys goes against that trend.

If many alleys are placed off-limits to parking, that could divert parked cars to the streets. One danger in the emerging trend toward converting alleys into private or gated neighborhood spaces is that it could end up reinforcing the conventional practice of putting driveways or garages in front of houses. That very pattern undermined the attractiveness of many American residential streets during the past six decades. However, in Baltimore’s program, off-street parking is sometimes installed at the ends of the alleys.

The specifics vary widely. In a redeveloped portion of Patterson Park known as Dexter Walk, the area behind the houses has been designed to be fairly open to the alley and the neighbors. Residents can drive in and park their cars behind the homes. When the cars are removed, however, the unobstructed expanse of space becomes a good spot for block parties and other neighborly activities. The houses were built without fences between properties, so that the alley and the rest of the rear area could be used at times for community events.

Baltimore’s experiment with new treatments for alleys stems largely from the city’s severe crime problems. The greening and gating of alleys can be “a way for people to create defensible space,” Herrod says. Many alleys have become no-man’s-lands, she observes. “This initiative is really to help residents take ownership over spaces where there are issues of crime, dumping, and vandalism,” Nathanson confirms.

Reposted from NewUrbanNetwork

Alleys were not always places of unhappiness, crime, disease and despair. Borchert wrote “Alley children displayed few signs of disorder and delinquency – on the contrary, they appear to be well integrated into the alley community. … Through music and other forms of entertainment alley children created their own amusements; and more important, by working through traditional forms they maintained key integrating experiences."
From "Alley Life in Washington" by Borchert, 1980 page 165

Stable for Sale - 211 R 11th St SE

2011-02-04T07:11:00.000-05:00

A stable built in 1893 (permit #0312) at the rear of 211 11th Street SE is on the market for $425,000.

http://www.postlets.com/res/4959503

Child's Play in the Alley

2011-02-02T07:50:00.001-05:00

Alleys have long been stigmatized as places of poverty, pestilence, pissing, puking, pugilism, putrefaction, procreation, panhandling, prostitution and porn just to mention a few appellations. This is probably an unfair universal characterization. Many of Washington’s Alleys became daytime playgrounds filled with exuberant children inventing new toys and games. The alleys were relatively free of traffic and safer and infinitely more interesting than the surrounding sidewalks and streets. A collective of mothers and other family members and friends protectively watched over the children from second floor windows.

Children chatting with a blacksmith in 1900.

http://www.shorpy.com/blacksmith-c-1900

The blend of commercial and residential elements in the alleys was critical because it created a diversity of activities that offered rich interpersonal encounters for everyone.

“Dancing was not the only activity that required exertion. ‘The children in the alley engage in games which require much physical energy … Racing around the alley to the street and back is often enjoyed’ as was ‘wrestling with one another.’ The children played ‘very rough, often bruising each other in play.’ This rough physical play, of course, is functional to the adult lives they will lead, the demanding physical work of the day laborer and the equally demanding work of the washerwoman or domestic.” (Alley Life in Washington by Borchert, page 156)

Row houses in 1938 Ambridge PA

http://www.shorpy.com/node/2411?size=_original

Life was not entirely innocent for alley children. In about a quarter of cases, parents were deemed unable to look after them due to poverty, illness, death, crime, “incorrigibility” or parental neglect and abuse. Children often formed gangs and stole from stores because of hunger. The children also worked hard doing “adult chores” such as carrying coal or ice. They performed domestic duties such as ironing and cleaning. Consequently the generation gap was small and they grew up quickly. They also grew up very tough, yet there was a tight affiliation with one another in contrast to the “outside world” beyond the alley confines.

1943 East Side New York City http://www.shorpy.com/node/1303

Jane Jacobs wrote about “lively city sidewalks” with “eyes on the street” where children frolicked under the watchful gaze of storekeepers and many others in an extended community. There was a high ratio of adults to children. This was in contrast to parks that were devoid of supervision and rife with crime and danger for unattended children. Jacobs felt that sidewalks needed to sufficiently wide to accommodate child’s play. As sidewalks narrowed, rope jumping became the “first play casualty” followed by “roller skating, tricycle and bicycle riding.” Narrow sidewalks led to sedentary lives for urban children. (The Death and Life of Great American Cities) Alleys provided the ideal sidewalk being between 15 and 30 feet wide!

Above: - skipping rope, south side of Chicago http://www.shorpy.com/node/1724

Today in Washington one almost never sees groups of children spontaneously playing with each other in the alleys or on the sidewalks or in the parks. It’s a sad paradox that the world outside the home is now considered much more dangerous than ever. Perhaps some aspects of the old alley sociology were not so bad.

Easter morning outside church, Southside Chicago. April 1941

http://www.shorpy.com/node/195

The children learned and created their own “rules of the game.” They were fit and thin interacting with each other all day. They learned about leadership and loyalties. I wonder what they would think of the world in which today’s children live without “active play” and settle for being entertained by little hand held “joy boxes” and “remote clickers”? One can’t help but think that it must have been more rewarding to have been able to create your own toys and new games using the breadth of your own imagination. How is today’s child going to solve the world’s problems of the future and play with others, deprived of the experience of spontaneous enthusiasm of child’s play from the past?

Shepherd Alley Update - Razing Hope

2011-01-19T20:01:00.001-05:00

A permit is being approved by the Historic Preservation Review Board to bulldoze a one level cinderblock building in Shepherd Ally: - a building that has no historic significance. The applicant is Marriott Corporation, which is an excellent sign for progress and raises hope for potentially humanizing changes in the core of this block. The building to be razed sits on what was once the site of the Woodward and Lathrop warehouse and stable.

There is still hope for Shepherd Alley since the alley is currently a blank canvas that awaits the Marriott Corporation to fill in the shapes and colors. A dialog needs to be opened with the community so that there is a synergistic evolution of thinking and use. To quote Jane Jacobs: - "The pseudoscience of city planning and its companion, the art of city design, have not yet broken with the specious comfort of wishes, familiar superstitions, oversimplifications, and symbols, and have not yet embarked upon the adventure of probing the real world." (from the Introduction [pg. 13] of the Death and Life of Great American Cities)

Urban Development Transforms Shepherd Alley into a Stasi Prison-Like Site

2011-01-15T20:55:00.000-05:00

Shepherd Alley D.C.

Stasi Prison Germany

[http://www.livemint.com/2010/12/03203541/Cold-War-part-TWO.html

The Stasi headquarters (or the ministry of state security of the GDR), from where the dreaded secret police kept, in truly Orwellian style, an eye on “dissidents”, has been turned into an archive and museum. This anonymous block of buildings was ransacked by angry mobs in January 1990, after which the organization shut down.]

100 years ago, at the turn of the last century the planning and development picture for Shepherd Alley was complete. Over the years there were minor changes. Businesses came and went, juts like today. One major change was building a large warehouse and stable for the giant department store Woodward and Lothrop - now long vanished. (see below)

“In Shepherd Alley as many as six different families reportedly lived in the same small house; generally, however, crowding was not that severe.” The average was 1.6 households per dwelling. In this early block map it’s easy to visualize the density of dwellings and imagine the interconnected community. Shepherd Alley (the block embraced by 9^th and 10^th Streets and L and M Streets) was once the backbone of an integrated late 1880’s block. The alley was ringed by elegant Victorian row homes on the perimeter of the block. The interior had small and large stables, a few small crowded dwellings and an assortment of businesses.

(Page 85 Alley Life in Washington Family, Community, Religion and Folklife in the City 1850 – 1870, James Borchert, University of Illinois Press 1980]

As buildings on the periphery of Shepherd Alley progressively deteriorated, collapsed or were burned by homeless vagrants, large gaps began to appear in the outer shell of the block. These voids became progressively filled by parking lots. In the 70’s a Victorian home on 9^th Street was bought for $3,000 because few wanted to live in such a crime-ridden environment. Newspaper editorials proclaimed that the 9^th Street NW corridor would never, ever be rebuilt after the riots and conflagration. Parking lots became placeholders for development. It was probably not a bad thing for a community to wait until time and money had caught up to the need and capacity of the neighborhood. Developers quietly and sequentially acquired adjacent properties at bargain prices and eventually towering, massive buildings replaced the Victorian row houses and they then became the new walls of the periphery of the block.

Horses and carriages outside of Woodward and Lothrop

http://www.old-picture.com/american-legacy/014/Washington-Department-Woodward-Lothrops.htm

In the early 1860’s the city blocks in Washington were loosely populated, however this was soon to change with the post civil war population and building boom. Daniel Nairn wrote elegantly about “The Physical Evolution of Blagden Alley-Naylor Court” in Greater Greater Washington. http://greatergreaterwashington.org/tag/Shaw/

The two blocks that Nairn pictured were immediately north of Shepherd Alley and are reflective of the general progression of alleys and blocks in Washington at the time. The original lots had been laid out in the 1790’s and plats of this block still exist from 1797.

It’s easy to see the interplay between commercial, civic and residential buildings in Nairn’s creative 3-D 1888 map of Blagden Alley and Naylor Court.

There are about 170 “named alleys” in Washington D.C. Just like people, some alleys became famous, some became historical footnotes and many simply disappeared from the modern urban landscape - victims of the 1934 Alley Dwelling Elimination Act.

The alleys had provided cheap housing, small stores, large warehouses and stables following the Civil War years during a great migration of diverse people for many reasons into Washington (50,000 between 1860 and 1870). The alleys became alive and vivacious communities providing cheap housing for an impoverished population that could not find housing elsewhere in the city during these boom years. Conditions were atrocious, crime was rampant and disease was everywhere. Life was difficult for those who eked a survival in the alleys. The city planning process essentially ignored alleys and treated them as hellholes, so deterioration was self fulfilling and inevitable. Yet, the alleys managed to develop a sense of personality and community, frequently reflected in their name (e.g. Blood Alley, Pig Alley, Blues Alley, Tin Pan Alley). Some were simply possessively christened after people of historic significance in the community (e.g. Blagden’s, Cady’s, Nailor’s, Shepherd’s).

The inner core of the block however, was largely ignored in the planning process of these large peripheral buildings. The street side of buildings was traditionally felt to be more important than the alley side. It’s a matter of published public record that some high visibility senior government planning officials view alleys as being of value for only two things (a) trash and (b) services. Their planning decisions throughout the city have been reflecting this mindset.

The core of Shepherd’s Alley has become a barren wasteland of garbage bins, link fencing, rows of barbed wire and large building underground garage access portals. Young new residents moving into D.C. and living in the new condos repeatedly and loudly complain about criminal activity in the alley and in their underground parking lots accessed through the alley. Street access would have eliminated this problem and created the opportunity for the interior of the block to become a more hospitable place for pedestrians, pets and cyclists.

Berlin Wall

Hundreds of yards of razor wire line high link fences, embellishing the penal appearance of Shepherd Alley. In a classification system of alley salvageability for historic preservation and development, Shepherd Alley qualifies at the very lowest level ranking (1 out of 5). There are almost no remaining intact historic buildings and the opportunity to create a pedestrian “mews” with ties to architectural artifacts of the past has vanished forever.

While the articulated mandate of the D.C. Office of Planning is to increase the density of living in Washington, neglecting the core of blocks results in lost opportunities for not only increasing density even further, but also to create a warmer human experience of living in Washington. Shepherd Alley has taken on an oppressive and depressing Karma. It’s so foreboding that few people ever walk directly through the alley. The large new developments have literally turned their backs on an opportunity to increase density and diversity of living that lies right in their own back yards. Perhaps the community can have a voice to influence the Phase II development plans of the Marriott to include some forward thinking about looking backwards into the alley as a place for pedestrians, neighborly contact and renewed vibrancy. Living today with alley codes, laws, rules and guidelines that were written for a very different world of yesterday are serving us poorly as we try to built into the future.

Glimmer of Hope: A little park on 10^th Street has been recently dedicated in this block and this is a heartening step in the right direction. Sadly, the push for this oasis came through the community with project champions like Jim Loucks ( http://www.10thstreetparkfriends.org/?page_id=2 )rather than originating spontaneously from higher levels of government planning. Various levels of DC government gradually and steadily bought into the project, and took ownership. It is now almost finished. Even though the park is part of the peripheral wall of the block and not directly a part of the alley, it nonetheless will have a remarkably humanizing effect on Shepherd Alley by drawing people into outdoor spaces. There is now a warm buzz of enthusiasm and hope for more of this sort of thinking that is percolating through the community.

To consider only the outer shell of a block in urban planning and to ignore its equally important interior elements seems wasteful and regressive. The inner and the outer elements are architecturally interconnected and functionally interdependent. There can be a graceful ecological synergy between the elements. The alley revival movement is catching fire in many cities, as the realization dawns on inhabitants and planners that overzealous development has resulted in the creation of dehumanizing, depressing and monotonous monoliths. Increased density living potential is being achieved, but the real question should be whether an environment is being created that is attractive for people to move into Washington and stay. Alleys can become the pulse of a city if properly managed. They can also lead to the death of a community if improperly managed. People will either leave the community if they are already here or they will refuse to come if they have been thinking about relocating to inner DC.

An afternoon walk through the Cady’s Alley and Blues Alley in Georgetown should reassure even hardened alley abolitionists of the great potential that alleys hold for synergistic development. The responsibility for the intelligent planning and nurturing of alleys should be a high priority in any city’s Office of Planning and Historic Preservation Office. I’m sure that Jane Jacobs would have agreed!

With such attention paid to detail and beautiful execution lavished on the outer perimeter of Shepherd Alley, (just as at the turn of the last century) it seems a sin of urban planning to create ugly an oppressive inner block through passive disregard.

Turning alleys into neighborhood spaces

2011-01-15T05:27:00.001-05:00

Large American cities increasingly are trying to improve the aesthetics, environmental performance, or sociability of their alleys.

“In 2007 the City of Chicago issued “The Chicago Green Alley Handbook,” which is aimed at installing permeable paving, introducing planting, and relieving flooding along many of the city’s approximately 1,900 miles of public alleys.

Page Number: 13 (New Urban Network)

http://www.shorpy.com/node/2362 Ambridge Alley PA: 1938

Editor’s Note: Alleys were not always places of unhappiness, crime, disease and despair. Borchert wrote [1] “Alley children displayed few signs of disorder and delinquency – on the contrary, they appear to be well integrated into the alley community. … Through music and other forms of entertainment alley children created their own amusements; and more important, by working through traditional forms they maintained key integrating experiences.”

[1] Alley Life in Washington by Borchert, 1980 page 165

Coming Soon: - How DC Alleys Become Like East Block Prison Sites

2011-01-10T08:24:00.001-05:00

Strolling through a New York Mews with Teri Tynes

2011-01-10T06:49:00.000-05:00

Teri Tynes has posted a delightful vignette about walking through MacDougal Alley and Washington Mews in New York City following the recent snowfall. These preserved horse stable alleys straddle 5th Avenue in New York and illustrate why alleys need not be considered as simply places for trash and services. Many years ago someone in one of the city development offices or more likely, within the community, was thinking ahead when this little enclave was spared the wrecking ball. Alleys like these, humanize the harsh reality that surrounds them. One's heart is warmed strolling through these inner city oases as you think about living in the alley 100 years ago when the horses and their owners struggled with blizzards like this.

Stable Fare on Folsom Street

2010-12-31T06:53:00.002-05:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenniferjeffrey/3287272912/

The Stable Café on 2128 Folsom Street in San Francisco (http://stablecafe.com) is located in what appears to be an old stable where: - “The café features a menu drawn from owner Thomas Brian's Neapolitan Agrarian roots. The aromas of baking and fresh brewing coffee make this a welcome morning spot. Lunch is a seasonal menu with daily specials which share old family recipes with a modern twist. The evening ambiance is warm and inviting with tapas, beer, and wine. All recipes start with local, sustainable, and fresh ingredients.”

The building clearly demonstrates the architectural features of a stable, best seen in the front photograph where the second story hayloft door is open, with a dog casually observing passersby below. Above the central door is a beam that would have been used with a block and tackle to haul hay into the loft. The building is constructed of wood, which would make it very old. Bylaws at the end of the 19^th Century outlawed wooden stable construction because the fire risk was extremely high. The combination of hay and open flame lighting in the mid 1800’s was clearly volatile. California may have had different building codes than D.C. at the time.

The façade has been restored at some point and adapted to its current use. Originally there would have been a large front fenestration with a heavy hinged wooden door for horses with an adjacent standard sized door for people.

http://stablecafe.com/

It is unusual for a stable to have been built on a main street, because the majority of stables were constructed in alleys. There, out of sight from the public, the attendant smell and general commotion was unheeded. While the front of the stable café has simple corbels that are appropriate for the mid 1800’s, the window and door pilasters are more elegant than generally found in stables. It is entirely possible that the “stable” element of the café is an architectural conceit. On the other hand, it is also possible that the Folsom St. Stable Café was originally a small commercial stable or livery that fronted onto the main street.

A large segment of the second floor has been removed to create an open modern “loft” appearance. The kitchen is completely modern. For many years Washington D.C. had its own “stable-restaurant” – The Iron Gate Restaurant at 1734 N St. NW– which has recently shuttered its doors and has gone out of business.

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/I-32OYNaIU4AMkUB-17fpw?select=yS4CWh0bRISLVqxkEVFXfQ

The value of architectural historic preservation is not so much a matter of hanging on to the past but more about keeping buildings and areas of historic interest intact to whatever extent is possible so that when either the era or a novel use catches up to them, they are still there to be used. Original buildings that have been adaptively reused give people a sense of “warmth” and appreciation for historic continuity that is reaching into the future.

“Old ideas can sometimes use new buildings. New ideas must use old buildings.”

(Jane Jacobs)

Defining a "Mews"

2010-11-02T07:18:00.000-04:00

The concept of a 'mews' is somewhat foreign to Americans and can be a little difficult to articulate. In Rosen and Zuckermann’s The Mews of London[1] the concept of a mews is beautifully described as follows:-

“The mews of London,” wrote Henry Mayhew in 1851, “constitute a world of their own. They are tenanted by one class – coachmen and grooms, with their wives and families – men who are devoted to one pursuit, the care of horses and carriages; who live and associate one among another; whose talk is of horses (with something about masters and mistresses) as if to ride or to drive were the great ends of human existence.

Today, well over a hundred years later, the mews still constitute “a world of their own”. Although the horses are gone, a vast maze of former stable blocks, rich in history and architectural oddities, remains. There are over six hundred of them left in modern London, most of them having no pedestrian footpath on either side; they are lined with small cottages, mostly Victorian two-storey houses; they were almost all former stables, and many still have their original stable doors and coach-house hardware; many are hidden from the glance of the casual passerby, and are entered through arches or discrete gateways, often set unobtrusively into a building façade. Though mews are to be found occasionally in other cities, their substantial number here makes them one of the factors which distinguishes London from other great cities in the world.

The term “mews” appears to come from the Royal Mews at Charing Cross, which was built on the site where the king’s hawks were formerly “mewed”. This meant that the birds were kept in a cage or mew at moulting time, the time they shed or changed their feathers.(the word derives from the French muer, to moult which in turn comes from the Latin mutare, to change). The Royal Mews was turned into a stable for horses in the sixteenth century during the reign of Henry VIII, and its new meaning ‘a set of stabling grouped around a yard or alley’ was certainly known in the seventeenth century.”

[1] The Mews of London by Barbara Rosen and Wolfgang Zuckermann,Webb and Bower Limited, page 10

Stable for Sale in Historic Naylor Court NW

2010-08-07T23:21:00.000-04:00

Original stables rarely come up for sale in Washington D.C. The development drought in the years that followed the 1968 riots paradoxically protected many of the small commercial buildings in the alleys of Washington from destruction. The population declined and the need for “high density housing” simply did not exist during that era. The past decade however, has seen a rebirth of new construction and adaptive reuse of many old (large and small) commercial alley buildings.

This 19th Century stable (1878) is now on the market in Naylor Court. It has a lot size of 26’ x 95’ and a 40’ x 26” private walled rear garden. The building retains many of the original stable features such as the center “hayloft drop” fenestration on the second floor, original beams, flooring and bollards. Serendipitously, the adjacent property (52’ x 95’) is also for sale, creating the potential for a creative development project. The stable opens onto a 30 foot alley and one can park a car inside. It has been working as a printing business.

Original Bollard and Stable Door Hinges

The author recently met with the Director of the Office of Planning to share his view that alleys and their provenance through old buildings such as stables should be more thoughtfully considered when planning block development. Given the small size of Washington (12 mile diameter) and the considerable height restriction for buildings, the value of the core of blocks should not be dismissed as simply places for trash and services (a prevailing city sentiment). Development and urban renewal in the core of blocks is consonant with preservation of the past history. These are not mutually exclusive concepts. Indeed if done with intelligence and sensitivity, each complements the other. There are many examples throughout the world and a couple in Washington. One only needs to stroll through Blues Alley and Cady’s Alley by the C and O canal to relieve any apprehension. Naylor Court has 15 old stables in various conditions and has great potential to be one of the few remaining alleys in the city that can be salvaged through a synergistic combination of restoration and new development.

If anyone is interested in the Naylor Court stable for sale, the owner can be reached at (202) 328-3286. The City Paper’s ad description is as follows:
OLD CONSTRUCTION LOFT building. First time offered. Former livery stable built in 1870’s. Rehabbed. Unique, 1 block from the Convention Center. Full-span two floors. Large (approximately 2550 square feet). Oak floor, exposed brick, thick beams. Secluded large backyard. Parking. $895,000

Automotive Adaptive Reuse in the Farmer's Market

2010-06-30T15:29:00.001-04:00

Just beneath the pile of watermelons in the middle of the photograph is a wonderful example of automotive adaptive reuse. The Washington DC alleys have historically been full of auto repair shops and consequently used "bits and pieces" would find themselves serving novel uses. In this case a ring gear and flywheel have found themselves serving as a utility cover on the sidewalk. Few would be able to identify the "cover" and most don't even recognized that the cover is unconventional. It's a quaint reminder of another time. The original vehicle is probably long "dead" but the donated part lives on in another capacity. Much like an organ transplant.

Stables Struggle as Auto Repair Shops Today

2010-06-25T10:22:00.000-04:00

This auto repair shop in the Mt Vernon Square area was once part of a row of stables. The hayloft beam can easily be seen on the second floor.

It’s not easy to get an older car fixed in DC today by someone with both experience and integrity. Dealerships have long left the city and the heart of the auto repair and sales businesses on the 14th Street corridor now beats to a new rhythm of cash, croissants, coffee and corks.

The transition from stables and blacksmith shops to alley auto repair shops was one that many owners easily made in the early 1900’s. At the turn of this century new transitions continue to occur so that even if the lives of the business become extinguished, the lives of the buildings continue. Most small alley buildings have survived many reincarnations. In fact a music group practices above the garage shown above.

Today, rather than being nestled in “quiet alleys” they are often open and exposed. Customers are aggressively ticketed. It’s not an easy business to run.

The “Cash for Clunkers” program eliminated a generation of cars (about 675,000) many of whom had miles to go, if properly maintained and repaired. People who choose to continue to service their old faithful (paid for) family vehicle are quickly running out of economical maintenance options. To make matters worse, with Zip car costs likely rising due to parking taxation and DC meter rates and enforcement hours rising,. It looks like the value of pedal power just went up in this city!

Darryl Carter responds by protecting neglected building

2010-04-09T08:38:00.000-04:00

Note newly boarded up windows in rear

The editor recently received the following response from Darryl Carter's office. (see Dec 9th 2009 article)

"I am sending a heart felt thanks for your letter of March 9^th to Darryl Carter… I wanted to reach out your way personally since Darryl’s business travel is so intense (he’s away from DC more often than not)… in hopes of catching up with you before too much of a passage in time…

In Darryl’s absence I will see that the building(s) are properly secured from direct elements. I sincerely appreciate your intervention and the heads-up with regard to the Historic Preservation Office. I do send assurances to you and the community, that it is not our intention to “neglect” the building(s). Quite the opposite – in our field, we routinely work with historic buildings – as a matter of course. If invited, I would very much enjoy attending upcoming Blagden Alley Naylor Court Association meeting(s) – and meeting you as well as some of our new neighbors… On this note - If you have any information to share about an upcoming meeting it would be much appreciated. Until we actually meet, you have my –

Very kind regards -

Charles Grazioli Chief Operating Officer" http://www.darrylcarter.com

Snow Storms from the past

2010-03-11T23:20:00.000-05:00

"President William Howard Taft and his wife Helen during inaugural parade, March 4, 1909. A snow storm forced the inauguration to take place inside the Capitol and it took 6,000 men half the night to clear over 500 wagon loads of snow from the parade route." Library of Congress

Taft was also famous for destroying the White House stables to make room for new modes of transportation such as his 1909 Model M Steam powered automobile.

The power of five or six horses fits into Naylor Court stable

2010-01-29T22:25:00.000-05:00

In 1887 for $800, William P Lipscomb had a brick stable with a tin roof and no plumbing built behind his 920 O Street home. One could reasonably assume that he had one or two horses, but probably not a carriage, for the stable measured only 24 feet by 28 feet with a hayloft on the second floor. This was a very common size and configuration for the average stable in the city at the turn of the century. This stable, in Naylor Court is now protected on the National Register as a National Historic Landmark - as are all of the buildings in square 0367. Like all city stables, it has lived many lives. Most recently it was the home of a lovely young couple who shared broad ranging interests including photography and a passion for vintage scooters (Vespa).

“Vespa is both Latin and Italian for wasp—derived from both the high-pitched noise of the two-stroke engine, and adopted as a name for the vehicle in reference to its body shape: the thicker rear part connected to the front part by a narrow waist, and the steering rod resembled antennae.” (From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespa )

Some little stables in the back alleys of Washington became homes for mechanical horsepower after the need for animal horse power faded at the turn of the last century. Many became community auto repair garages meeting the needs of the poor in the neighborhood who tried to run old and failing cars on empty pockets. Some became lofts. Others were abandoned. Some simply fell down through neglect and the subsequent consequences of demolition by nature. Fortunately recognition of the sentimental and historic value of these little properties is gradually increasing in Washington. They are elegant in their utilitarian simplicity – just like the little Vespa!

Stabilizing Businesses in the Alley Part II

2010-01-06T06:43:00.000-05:00

The perimeter of a city block puts its best face forward and generally remains with a preserved and unchanging façade for decades. This is the face the world sees every day. In contrast, the cores of city blocks are in a continuous state of change and evolution. Their inhabitants reflect a wide spectrum of lives and needs over the years. There is a somewhat romantic ebb and flow to the nature of alleys that is so easily destroyed by government fiat and misguided urban planners. The cradles of creativity were rocked in many small alley dwellings and industrial lofts in DC and NY and elsewhere. Thankfully this fact and the recognition of the utilitarian value of alley space are slowly becoming recognized.

St. Martins Lane stables turned into offices,

homes and restaurants in Washington D.C.

“By utilizing the physical layout of the alley for “defensible space” and by manipulating the fears of “outsiders” toward the alley, alley residents were able to lay claim to control over their neighborhood, thus establishing a sense of sovereignty and power as well as security. This control over their own “turf” meant that alley dwellers were able to establish social control over their own community, and maintain the values and world view of that community.” (James Borchert from Alley Life in Washington)

“To skulk through an American alley is to step backward in time, downward on the social ladder and quickly to confront the world of trash collectors, garbage-pickers, weekend car mechanics and children. Refugees, all of them, from the wide-open world of the big street Out Front.

Backstaged, the alley is the outback world of the unmentionable, if not the unwanted, the displaced of modern society. A few glaring exceptions – unpaved tracklets through old bucolic suburbs, or posh little stashes of elegant townhouses along refurbished alleys in Georgetown, D.C. and other Early American enclaves – silhouette themselves against a dark and vast majority. Out of sight, out of mind, the American residential alley has been the academic, geographic and social outcast of the built environment for at least a half-century.” (From Alleys a Hidden Resource by Grady Clay 1978)

1320 9th Street (4 in 1) has a bright future!

2009-12-09T10:29:00.000-05:00

The property bought by Darryl Carter is actually a collection of four individual buildings (including the yellow stable in the alley) reflecting progressive expansion since the original building was constructed. Section #2 was built in the mid 1800’s as was the stable. The dormers (shown at the arrow) define one original face of the building. The front section on 9th Street appears to have been built in the mid 20’s like its neighbor the EFN Lounge. Fortunately the property is protected from demolition under law by virtue of its status on the National Register of Landmark Historic Properties. It is also protected by HPO and HPRB. The neighborhood anticipates great new developments here!

Naylor Court Stable To Begin Another Life!

2009-12-08T13:15:00.000-05:00

The word on the street in the Shaw neighborhood is that Darryl Carter, a well-respected Washington designer, recently bought 1320 9^th Street. It is understood that the restoration of the 1800’s buildings will begin in shortly. The plans include preserving the stable at the back of the property which is vital because of the historic importance and legal protection of the stable and the Naylor Court alley. The little yellow stable in Naylor Court has been heavily modified over its lifetime, yet it retains its essential configuration as a stable with the central second story hayloft door and beam. Given the high quality of Darryl Carter’s design work and his eye for design that is respectful of the past and elegance of the traditional, it can be reasonably assumed that when he turns his hand to developing this languishing property – a former antiques store in another life - it will delightfully come alive once again.

Even though Naylor Court and Blagden Alley are a collection of historic landmark properties protected by the National Register they have been relentlessly ravaged by neglect and willful destruction. However, there is still hope for the future preservation of its remnants. This will occur with one property at a time. Creative adaptive reuse of the stables through new owners such as Darryl Carter sets a high water mark in the history of the resurrection of one of the city’s little recognized or appreciated collections of alley gems in Naylor Court.

Blagden Alley/Naylor Court Historic District Designation

2009-12-02T16:48:00.001-05:00

Bounded by 9th, 10th, M, and O Streets, NW

This district of residential, commercial, and service structures is notable for the network of alleyways enclosed behind a facade of middle-class residential streets. In isolated and cramped conditions, amid the stables and warehouses, such alleys provided habitation for the working poor. Blagden Alley in particular inspired humanitarian reformers to eradicate the deplorable living conditions that these alleys came to embody. While African-Americans were disproportionately represented in the alley population, the area developed as an economically and racially mixed neighborhood with a rich variety of architectural styles and diverse quality. The district includes dwellings of freedmen, examples of black real estate ownership prior to emancipation, and houses like the home of Blanche K. Bruce, the first African-American to serve a full term as U.S. Senator.

There are approximately 150 buildings, c. 1833-1941, and sites with archaeological potential; DC designation September 19, 1990 (effective November 13, 1990), NR listing November 16, 1990; designation superseded by an expanded DC district July 22, 1999 (effective September 7, 1999); NR listing amended September 9, 1999 to create a larger Mount Vernon West Historic District; original DC designation reinstituted December 16,

1999; see also Shaw HD

http://planning.dc.gov/planning/cwp/view,A,1284,Q,570748.asp

Stabilizing Businesses in the Alley (Part I)

2009-11-30T14:36:00.000-05:00

In a lovely 1978 monograph simply titled “Alleys as Hidden Resources”, Grady Clay expresses his vision of the modern day beauty of alleys. Clay’s book was reviewed in the Louisville Courier-Journal by his friend and architecture critic William Morgan.

In his review Morgan writes … “Despite the fact that alleys are often seen merely as traffic shortcuts, places in which to dump trash, or as places where you wouldn’t want to meet people in the dark.” Clay points out that the alley is “an institution as American as apple pie.”

Morgan expressed the hope that Clay’s monograph “will not be forgotten or placed on a shelf as is so often the fate of such studies.” He then quotes Lewis Mumford whom he considered to be the dean of American planning historians – “I would prefer to walk in the rear alley … precisely for all those little hints of life, activity, transition which the placid visual arts of suburbia did their best to suppress or politely disguise.”

This book has indeed found new life in this author’s library shelf and on the shelf of this blog for many to appreciate - something that was unimaginable in 1978. In fact the book came into the author’s hands through the internet and the graces of William Morgan himself! It will be a valuable tool in the quest to nurture and protect the more picturesque and historic stable alleys in the city.

EFN Bar Responsive to Cleanup Efforts Behind Stable

2009-11-04T14:52:00.000-05:00

The owners of the EFN Lounge and Motley Bar have responded promptly to community questions about trash management in the alley behind the stable.

Due to the increase in traffic to the 1318 business there has been an extreme amount of waste generated. After carefully assessing this issue and how to keep our staff and neighbors safe and in a clean environment, we have increased our waste removal to 3 days a week including Saturday. In an attempt to maintain cleanliness, I have instructed all staff to store waste inside the building until it can be disposed of properly. I read the blog and saw the images; I agree that it is unacceptable.

I do my best to respond positively to any concerns regarding 1318. I am open to discussion as to how waste can be disposed of in a way that eliminates a dumpster as the venue does not have an area that is away from customers on premise. Storing waste in the building near customers would be in violation of health codes. My solution was to keep the waste in the building after the business day and I would personally load it into the dumpster for removal the following morning. This way waste is not every visible to customers or neighbors.

I do apologize for this hurdle in making our community more visible for positive growth.

The EFN Lounge & Motley Bar

1318 9Th Street NW

Unstable Trash

2009-11-04T08:37:00.000-05:00

It's really not necessary to trash the neighborhood (around the corner from Azi's Cafe on 9th Street). For a more encouraging view of Shaw Living check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw1Xe5dKqOU (credit goes to RenewShaw for this link).

(the editor has no promotional or any other connections with this video source)

EFN Lounge Alley Trash

2009-11-02T13:21:00.000-05:00

Naylor Court "alleypaper"

Trash Talking in the Alley

2009-11-02T11:21:00.000-05:00

(photo behind the "EFN bar" stable in Naylor Court)

Isn't it sad that there is a persisting mentality in much of Washington D.C. that the sole purpose of alleys is for trash, vehicular access, drugs, robberies and prostitution.? Alley trash is just like graffiti. It sends a message about the neighborhood - not a good one. Some alleys in the city may be beyond salvage but the National Register Historic alleys of Blagden and Naylor Court are in their early days of restoration and desperately need protection. NPO, HPRB, DCRA, BZA, ANC's and the community - step up it up a notch! We're talk'n trash here.

Community anger is rising about how badly these alleys are being treated. Don't you think that it is beyond time to leave the past of horse manure and corruption and move into a more civilized era of people and places? Let's stop trashing this place.

The "Restoration/Reclamation" Conversation Continues

2009-10-05T07:20:00.000-04:00

The lines between freedoms of expression and excrescence.

Building Bones exposed

2009-10-05T07:10:00.000-04:00

The original building that once lived beside the Queen of Sheba has long faded from local memories leaving the party wall we now see. The author has labeled this photo to clarify the elements of the composite building that today, fully occupies the property. Even the originally separate two-story stable has had a layer built on top of the original building. In the near future, this view of the building will disappear as a new Burmese restaurant and apartment complex will be born beside it to hide the glimpse of insight into how these buildings evolve over a century. This photo also serves to underscore why developers are tearing down stables at the rear of buildings so that they can quietly access and destroy the bones of the rest of the historic building while leaving the front facade (sometimes historically insignificant) undisturbed.

Building Bones

2009-10-04T06:30:00.006-04:00

Interpreting the past lives of old buildings is like doing an architectural/archeological autopsy. Each building carries its own scars, personalities and underlying pathologic processes. Many have had superficial face lifts. Many look great on the outside but are in terrible shape inside. Some have had easy lives and others hard lives. The Queen of Sheba (1503 9^th Street NW) is a great example. The original stable – the bones of which can still be made out – was built in 1890 for $400 and measured 20’ x 23’. [Two stories – Owner: A. Long, Builder: JC Yost]^*

The associated home in front of it facing 9^th Street, was built in 1901 for $5,000 and measured 23’ x 32’. [Three stories – Owner: A. Long, Architect: Edward Woltz and Builder: J.C. Yost]^* Since the lot measures 95 feet in length and today has a fully occupied property footprint, the deduction is that forty feet (95 feet – 55 feet = 40 feet) of the property footprint consisted of “infill construction” to join all of the elements together.

You can see the same process in the wall of the building to the North of the 9^th Street BP Station. It’s easy to see how this evolution would escape notice unless the building is revealed in its entirely as occurs when neighboring structures disappear.

The complexity of past architectural history can make the HPRB decision making process daunting at times. It can be difficult to sort out what is original, what has been added, what can be demolished and what needs to be saved!

* Data retrieved from the Kraft database of buildings in Washington DC

More Equine Artifacts

2009-09-24T12:49:00.003-04:00

While horse drinking troughs were on almost every block years ago, few people would recognize them today. Sometimes owners add "equine artifacts" to their stable so that passersby can recognize the origin of the building. An example is on the wall of this stable in Georgetown near the Key Bridge. (The horse trough photo is from Shorpy's web site)

D.C. Equine Artifacts of the Past

2009-09-04T06:26:00.004-04:00

Although horses have long left the city of Washington, lingering reminders exist all around us. These little artifacts are seen by many but are probably recognized by few. For example, when you walk down 10^th Street between P and O NW you will find a rein ring embedded in the east side curb about half way down the block. Perhaps this would have tethered a milk wagon horse or a street cleaning horse and wagon. If you continue down walking down 10^th Street you will encounter an old mounting block embedded in the sidewalk on the west side between M Street and L Street. This reminder of our equine past was saved from destruction by local resident Jim Loucks who manages an architectural firm, has a design education and is an historic architectural preservationist. The development of a “people’s” (10^th Street) park on the east side of this block beside Café Cozy Corner is another example of Jim’s proactive thinking and community activism. Sometimes when walking in alleys you will even see horse-head-height rein rings secured between bricks in the walls of old stables. Too bad all of the old iron drinking troughs in the city have been destroyed, for they would have made great city boulevard planters or even homeland security barriers! Who could have predicted “back then” what life would be like in D.C. today. One suspects that the iron horse drinking troughs were scrapped decades ago to help support the efforts of another American war.

Claremont Academy to Ride Off Into the Sunset

2009-08-13T14:28:00.001-04:00

The Claremont Riding Academy on West 89th St. between Columbus and Amsterdam Aves. is closing this Sunday after the weekend's riding is done. Opened in 1892, Claremont is the oldest continuously operated horse stable in the U.S. It was initially used as a livery stable, but was turned into a riding academy in the 1920s. Riding lessons are given in a small ring on the main floor, while stables occupy the basement and upper floors, which horses reach via ramps. Owner Paul Novograd said he was closing the business because pedestrian traffic was becoming too congested along Central Park's bridle trails, making it difficult to ride. Homes will be found for the roughly 45 horses that currently stable on 89th St.

The building that houses the Claremont Riding Academy is located at 175 West 89th St. on the north side of the street. It was designed 115 years ago by Frank A. Rooke, who also built The Gershwin Hotel on East 27th St. According to the AIA Guide to New York City, the structure narrowly escaped destruction in the 1960s when urban renewal advocates called for its removal from the neighborhood and replacement as part of a consolidated stable facility inside Central Park, but preservationists prevailed. 175 West 89th is now a New York City Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places, so any alterations will have to be approved by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. We imagine that after washing away 115 years of horse smell, the four-story building could be worth a lot of money as a residential conversion project.

Last year we wrote about how luxury condo developers got the jump on the Landmarks Preservation Commission by removing the facade of the Dakota Stable on 77th st. and Amsterdam Ave. before the building could be landmarked, thus removing any reason for it to be landmarked. The stables at West 89th should avoid this fate because the building is already landmarked. Urban equestrians may now have to decamp to Brooklyn's Kensington Stables located in Prospect Park, which has well-used bridle trails. And although information is fairly difficult to come by, there is a horseback riding facility on Ward's Island.

http://gothamist.com/2007/04/24/claremont_acade.php

New York Stables Closed

2009-08-13T14:23:00.003-04:00

After more than 100 years of service, the nation’s oldest operating stables closed its doors.

The familiar sight of horse and rider cruising through Manhattan’s Upper West Side in New York is only a memory now. The Claremont Riding Academy officially closed its doors Sunday after more than 100 years of service to equestrians throughout the city. The four-story stone stable located between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues originally opened as a livery stable in 1892 but became a riding school in the 1920s, offering lessons and hiring out horses for use on bridle paths within Central Park.
Owner Paul Novograd says dwindling business contributed to closure of Claremont, which was one of the oldest continuously operating stables in the United States. The building was declared a city landmark in 1990, so its exterior can't be changed without approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. However the building’s interior, which looks like it hasn’t been changed in decades, does not hold the same protection.
New homes are being sought for the 45 horses from the stable.

http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-news/claremont-stables-closed.aspx

04-30-2007

“The one thing I do not want to be called is First Lady. It sounds like a saddle horse.”

2009-08-13T13:39:00.004-04:00

Jackie Kennedy grew up surrounded by horses, nurtured her passion and became a highly respected life long equestrian. When she was living in Washington Jackie would often flee the city to the quiet of Kennedy’s 300 acre retreat at “Glen-Ota” in Middleburg. Apparently JFK was allergic to animal fur and did not share her passion for horses. Caroline’s pony – Macaroni – would often wander the White House grounds eating the grass and occasionally the White House roses! There were no stables at the White House for they had been destroyed by President Taft to make way for his modern motorcar! Stombock’s Fine Riding Apparel on M Street in Georgetown supplied Jackie’s equestrian needs. For more formal attire she turned to Oleg Cassini and other haute couture designers. Her connection with Cassini had an strong equine link, for he had been an instructor of horsemanship in the US Army Calvary in Fort Riley Kansas, he had played polo for the army team and had hunted on more than 20 hunts. According to Vicky Moon’s book “they shared the passion although never rode together.” Her saddles were from the Steuben Saddle Company which was founded in 1894 and manufactured in Stans Switzerland. After her death the estate sale estimate for her saddle was $300 - $500 however, it surprised many by selling for $90,500.

Few assigned protective agents could keep up with Jackie when she was riding so a good looking 27-year-old US Parks Department Private by the name of Denis Ayres was assigned to cover her. Ayres eventually became a Sergeant Major of the US Park Police with over 90 horses under his control – most likely housed in the building that is now the DC Archives at 1300 Naylor Court. With guests, Jackie would ride at Rock Creek Park.

Nobody who has ever seen footage of JFK’s funeral could ever forget the pathos evoked by the riderless horse with reversed boots. The horse – Black Jack - was a sixteen year old hybrid between a quarter horse and a Morgan. He served at the funerals of Eisenhower, Herbert Hoover, Lyndon Johnson and General Douglas MacArthur. “Several years after the funeral, Jackie received a letter from the secretary of the Army, asking her if she might want to include him in her stable. She wrote back and politely declined saying it would be better to have him continue in military service.”(ref) After 24 years of distinguished service he was euthanized at the age of 29 on Feb 6^th 1976, he was given a full military funeral followed with burial on the Fort Meyer parade ground, Summerall Field. His stall became a shrine.

Jackie moved to New York (1040 5^th Avenue) following JFK’s death after trying to live in Washington. While in NYC she continued to ride several times a week through the Claremont Riding Academy on the upper West Side at 175 West 89^th Street. This was a 5 story Romanesque revival building built in 1892 by Edward Bedell listed in the NY Landmark Commission as a National Historic Site. Originally a livery stable, designed by Frank A. Rooke who specialized in stables and factories it is allegedly the oldest continuously operated stable in the country. There were more than 100 horses living in the stable and it housed a commercial sized elevator for the horses along with a 65’ x 75’ arena. The horses (and their perspective riders) were specially trained to be accustomed to the NY traffic.

Jackie usually rode alone in the morning. The Claremont Stables would bring a horse to the Engineer’s Gate north of the Guggenheim Museum at 19^th and 5^th Avenue for a ride along the 5 mile long bridle path around the reservoir, built by landscape designer Frederick Law Olmstead in 1858. Today the reservoir bears Jackie’s name.

“The Private Passion of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Portrait of a Rider” by Vicky Moon, Harper Collins Publisher 1^st Edition 2005

Images that Evoke the Past

2009-07-24T15:18:00.004-04:00

This creative adaptive reuse of an old corner gas station in Takoma Park is an excellent example of using a community theme from the past (art Deco and transportation) that at the same time allows new uses which somehow seem to "fit", as though it was always this way.

2009-07-24T14:29:00.005-04:00

Adams Morgan-Columbia Area

If done well, homogeneous or thematic storefronts can be very effective in creating a sense of "belonging" and cohesiveness in communities without losing individuality.

Unstable Streetscapes

2009-07-24T13:55:00.002-04:00

In 1980 Mary Means initiated and directed the Main Street program for the National Trust for Historic Preservation[1].This program focused on the importance of the historic interconnection between buildings, rather than on individual historic properties. Buildings lived and worked in concert with each other and it began to make sense that preservation of connected collections of buildings was important for sustained revitalization. The program established a “four-point approach[2]”for successful implementation.

Organization

This is the most difficult element of the process and generally needs to be under a single “umbrella organization.”

Promotion

The streetscape project needs to promote itself by providing reasons for people to visit an exciting and revitalized area.

Design

This is a highly visible element of the process, signaling to the community that something very different is happening.

Economic Restructuring

Local banks, particularly when working collectively can provide financial support for it is now well recognized that revitalized properties are good for business.

In addition to the “four-point approach” for preservation of streetscapes through Main Street programs, the NTHP outlined a further eight principles that it felt were also important for successful implementation.

1. Comprehensiveness: - the project needs to involve more than isolated buildings that do not have any connection with each other. It needs to be an ongoing process.

2. Incrementation: - small early projects are important to encourage others and also to increase the ability of the organizations involved to tackle larger projects

3. Self-help: - local leadership is important to sustain the initiatives, even though much help can be obtained through the National Main Street Center in Washington D.C.

4. Public-private partnership: - this is pivotal

5. Identification and capitalization on existing assets: -clarification of the uniqueness of the locale to help guide revitalization

6. Quality: - high quality must be a major focus in design, promotion and execution.

7. Change: - influencing the prevailing community attitudes is important, as the Main Street program shifts public preconceptions

8. Action orientation: - recognition of the value of visible change to remind the community of the vitality of the program

Tyler [2] in Historic Preservation importantly identified several reasons why Main Street programs sometimes fail in communities.

· “The project manager was not working full time and could not follow through on initiatives.”

· “Some downtown groups were unhappy with the new show in town and sabotaged efforts of the Main Street project office.”

· “The Board of Directors tried to accommodate too many groups and became too large and unwieldy.”[3]

Historic preservation is “good for business” and good for the vigor of communities. Awareness of the steps in the process, principles and reasons for failure as outlined above is valuable and vital for the success of initiatives. The work that is happening today along 9th Street NW and 7thStreet NW in Washington D.C.[4]is destined to succeed, given adherence to the advice offered by the NTHP National Main Street Center - an organization that since its inception has garnered over $11 billion in private and public investment, rehabilitated over60,000 buildings and created over 174,000 new jobs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] National Main Street Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20036 (http://www.mainst.org)

[2] In Historic Preservation - an introduction to its history principles and practice by Norman Tyler, W.W. Norton & Company, 2000

[3] Historic Preservation pages 174 - 176

Unstable "Stable"

2009-04-28T11:45:00.008-04:00

A light blue Victorian home lives at 403 P Street NW with a small stable-like building behind it. There is currently a dumpster in front of the building on P Street and there are neighborhood rumors that the rear building is going to be torn down to make space for parking or expansion of the primary building. The home (built in 1890) was designed by George S. Cooper, an architect who designed about 850 buildings in Washington. The building in the rear was built in 1891, measures 15 feet by 27 feet and has many of the typical features of a stable or a small warehouse. The original permit describes it as being a “fuel house and storeroom.” No architect is listed for this building but the builder was Galloway and son.

Unlike Naylor Court NW, with a unique collection of small buildings that has been protected by law (every address) through the National Register of Landmark Historic Properties since 1990, this alley building has much less (if any) protection. The author is unaware of a unifying HPO policy that governs their decision making process about stables and other small alley buildings in the city. This little building (403 rear P Street NW) is not a part of a unique and cohesive collection, although there are several stables in the alley.

In the author’s opinion, at the very least, the building should be documented architecturally, (dimensions, inner structure etc), bricks salvaged where possible for use in historic preservation projects in the city (these bricks are in high demand), the original “hayloft doors” salvaged and eye kept out for archeological artifacts that might be uncovered during the process of its destruction, should that eventually happen.

Stables and other small rear alley buildings are prime targets for destruction, because their disappearance makes it so much easier for developers to gain access to work on the rear of the primary building. These are charming little properties that can almost always be restored, rehabilitated and adaptively reused given the expertise and the will to do so. Stables and utilitarian alley buildings are very simple structures. These buildings are a unique and characteristic historic architectural feature of Washington D.C. today, for no other major cities in America have such a sizable number of standing stables. Some go back to Lincoln’s era and are irreplaceable.

The legacy of alley life percolates out to the street in Shaw.

2009-04-02T15:52:00.004-04:00

In many ways the lives of buildings, companies and communities function as ecology. One use gives way to another, as times and needs change. Everything is interconnected –so clearly witnessed today as we watch the downfall of practically everything. Vacant land in the late 1700’s gave way to stables and alleys which gave way to auto repair shops which gave way to either abandonment or adaptive reuse. Blagden Alley and Naylor Court like most alleys in Washington, housed people, horses and small community-based businesses. Needs were met, even if they were humble. For example, there was a bicycle repair shop in Blagden Alley in 1900 and artisan shops. Of course there were also illegal gin joints, and brothels filling somewhat less wholesome demands. It was a thriving macroeconomic culture that was easily understood and made sense. As alleys were destroyed by government intervention, focus turned to the street side of life allowing the inner core of blocks to quietly rot.

Little corner street side gas stations - once community fuel lines – eventually gave way to big oil corporations and were also gradually abandoned or destroyed. Yet all is not yet lost, for today Frank Asher has created a corner garden shop at the South West corner of 9th and N northwest called “Old City Green” on the site of a former gas station that had crumbled beyond recognition.

OLD CITY GREEN Mission:
To invite nature back into the city by supporting local landscapers with market value product and by providing the Shaw community and D.C. at large with plants, garden supplies, training and opportunities to increase awareness of and appreciation for “our urban garden”.

This “new green growth” is helping to draw together a community in a loving and healing way, much like the early small tendrils of growth in nature after a forest fire. This is a welcome and healthy metaphor of new hope in a community that struggles daily to look for signs of anything positive. Maybe it’s time for all of us to take our eyes off the “big picture” of world economic crisis, “talking heads”, blogs and “politicomedia” and focus once again on helping each other in ways that are close to home and understandable.

In Frank’s own words…

Old City Green….Why now?

“I started out as a small gardener/landscaper, picking up dog poop and pulling weeds out of the tree boxes in Dupont Circle.” frank Asher explains, “I had to buy product from local garden centers nearby and/or nurseries out in the burbs…That was time consuming and hurting my business. There were discounts up to 20% given to industry gardeners, but it wasn’t any more than discounts given to regular “membership” customers. In essence, I was unable to really make a profit in cost of goods and supplies…Any small retail business will tell you where there profit is… I have always thought: How can I help other gardeners/landscapers like myself stay afloat? Especially now when people are cutting back. We’re still working out the business and legal issues, and hope to have to co-op up and running in full swing by mid April 09. The Landscapers Co-op will not only support the professional gardeners and landscapers it will also help community gardens and garden associations. It will help create a new urban capacity to grow food, mitigate environmental threats and cultivate a unique sense of beauty and common unity.” Noted cosmologist Thomas Berry says all communities need a compelling story. Well, said Frank: Old City Green is about honoring the connections we have with each other…How the individual can be supported by his/her immediate community of friends and a the same time, give back to the local neighborhood and the community at large.
What is strange about this is that most business people have never heard of the “triple bottom line” …I am happy that Old City Green can introduce this model and be a part of something bigger than just making a buck.

It was 9 years ago when I started cleaning out tree boxes in my neighborhood. They had been abandoned and were full of dog doodoo and weeds... A merchant in Dupont Circle offered to pay me to maintain the boxes and in just a short time Fairies' Crossing was born. I then took a Master Gardening class and my business in planting and designing gardens just took off from there...I must admit, I am one lucky man to get to play in the dirt. I want to help bring people and plants together... Old City Green helps me make that wish come true.

http://www.oldcitygreen.com/