The Park View

Ironically, I walked down to Irving Street the other day for a couple of reasons, one being The Park View building. Living in Park View on the northern border, I’ve had many, many conversations with neighbors on just what, exactly, the borders of Park View are.

I know that historically, the southern border is considered Gresham Street, but I’m comfortable with the southern border being Harvard Street. Either way, Irving Street is within the Park View neighborhood, and near Pleasant Plains.

What I wasn’t expecting, or should I say, completely missed the restoration of The Park View,  a classic building built in 1906. It is now on the market offering 24 one- and two-bedroom condos by Thoron Development. If you are interested in this building from a real estate perspective, you can view some interior shots a the Wydler Brothers Web site here>>

Entrance of Park View Elementary Progressing Nicely

I noticed that the work that began earlier this year on Park View Elementary, the historic school on Warder Street that is currently being used by Bruce Monroe, is progressing well.

The blue tarp that has been hiding/protecting the work site is now gone and it looks like the only thing remaining is to reinstall the stone stairs, terrace, and balustrade.

I’m including a few shots here to let folks know the current state of work.

I’ve yet to get an answer from Chancellor Rhee on what will become of the school. Repeated queries have not been answered.

Lost Washington: the Army Medical Museum

The brick Romanesque Revival building originally located at the northwest corner of 7th and Independence, SW, was the successor to the Ford’s Theatre facility. Opened in 1887, it was designed and built to house the Army Medical Museum, the Library of the Surgeon General’s Office, and some of the medical records.

Army Medical Museum. Interior view. First floor west side. Hook worm display.

Between 1893 and 1910, it also housed the Army Medical School. The Museum and the Library remained in this location until the 1960s, when they were moved to their present separate locations.

Even though the structure had been listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings, the Interior Department redefined its status, claiming that the collection of medical specimens within constituted the building’s importance.

Army Medical Museum. Main exhibit hall. 1942.

The building was razed in 1969 and replaced by the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

The Army Medical Museum evolved into the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and the National Museum of Health and Medicine, Washington, D.C., and the Library of Surgeon General’s Office became the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. (Additionally Photos after the jump)

Traces of the Heurich Family: Part II

About two months ago I posted about the Heurich home just off of Dupont Circle. The grand home permits modern visitors to get an idea of what life was like for wealthy residents of the City in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Another indication of wealth and power in the City is how people ended their lives. The Heurichs are no exception.

Members of Heurich family were laid to rest in their mausoleum at Rock Creek Cemetery. The structure is an impressive Beaux Arts edifice, replete with bronze angles and stained glass.

In any other cemetery, it would be a sight to behold. At Rock Creek Cemetery, it holds its own among the other impressive monuments. More photos after the jump.