A Walk Through Woodley Park
Woodley Park, Washington D.C. is a neighborhood for walking. For some years, I walked through the Connecticut Avenue thoroughfare of Woodley Park on my way to work from further north on the Avenue. The highlight of my walk was crossing the Taft Bridge just south of the Woodley Park metro stop. The bridge features two famous stone statues of lions at both ends together with high eagle lamposts along its course. Another fine walking bridge, the Duke Ellington Bridge, is at almost a right angle to the Taft Bridge from the metro. At the intersection of Connecticut and Calvert, where the bridges essentially begin, there is a large mural of Marilyn Monroe painted about 25 years ago. This mural has become a city landmark. The Woodley Park area offers other opportunities for walking at the hilly and expansive National Zoo and at Rock Creek Park.
In their book "Woodley Park" local Washington D.C. architectural historians Paul Williams and Gregory Alexander introduce the reader to the history and variety of this Washington D.C. neighborhood. The book is part of the "Images of America" series which celebrates in photographs communities and local histories across the United States. The authors have written several other books for Images of America on other neighborhoods in Washington. Williams and Alexander have collected about 200 photographs of the area together with commentary which explains the development of Woodley Park.
I was unfamiliar with much of the history of Woodley Park. Until the beginning of the Twentieth Century Woodley Park was predominantly rural because developers thought that the Rock Creek Valley made urbanization impracticable. The areas primary development consisted of a small number of large mansions, including Woodley, for which the community is named. Population pressure, entrepreneurship, and the bridges soon changed the character of Woodley Park. The area soon became known for the large hotels, apartment complexes, and homes which characterize the area today. The small area adjacent to the Metro Stop is a thriving commercial strip with every variety of restaurant and several unusual shops.
In the photos and texts of their five-chapter book, Williams and Alexander describe the early mansions of Woodley Park in the days before urbanization. They also devote a chapter to describing the history of the large hotels in the area and the many famous people who frequented them. A separate chapter of the book documents the growth of the large apartment buildings.
I was more interested with the portions of the neighborhood surrounding the impressive apartment complexes and hotels. Thus the book offers several excellent photographs of the early history of the National Zoo, including the famous panda pair as well as many unusual scenes. There is also a chapter devoted to the bridges that I have described and to the history of their construction. A final chapter of the book describes the construction of the National Cathedral on Massachussetts and Wisconsin Avenue. George Washington originally had the vision of constructing a large cathedral for people of all faiths. Although it is an Episcopalian house of worship constructed entirely with private funds, the Cathedral has functioned to fill Washington's dream. It is a national landmark that frequently serves as an ecumenical space for people of all faiths. The Cathedral is home to many inspiring musical events led by Washington D.C.'s outstanding local musician, the late J. Reilly Lewis (d. June 9, 2016).
I enjoyed reading this book to revisit parts of Woodley Park that I know well and to learn about other aspects of the community that had escaped me over the years. I will see the community afresh the next time I visit Woodley Park.
