Crestwood Citizens Association (CCA)

The Association is Crestwood’s oldest neighborhood organization, established in 1941. Our purpose is to enhance and protect the quality of life in Crestwood while giving residents a voice in city and community affairs. Please join us at our regular meetings and social events…and become a part of one of our active teams. They include a Kids Team, Green Team (parkland, environment, gardening), Public Safety Team, Social Team, Communications Team, and DC Matters Team (working on city issues).

The CCA represents an area of nearly 300 households east of Rock Creek Park. Our official boundaries include the Park on the west and south, 17th Street on the east, and Varnum Street on the north.. We also have members living on adjacent streets who have expressed their desire to get involved.

The Association communicates with residents primarily through e-mail…and through regular mail for those without e-mail access. The CCA publishes a neighborhood directory, which is free with membership. Dues are $25 per family or $20 for an individual membership. All new members are asked to pay when they first join. Thereafter, dues are collected no more often than annually…and some years we may put off asking for renewals if additional funds are not needed.

Websites

http://www.crestwood-dc.org/ The Crestwood Citizens Association maintains this website. Log on to find information about the Association and the greater Crestwood community…including crime statistics and a calendar of activities. You can also sign up for the Crestwood e-mail list, which allows you to send and receive comments and questions to and from the community at large.

http://www.dc.gov/ The city’s official website is quite comprehensive. The information ranges from searchable databases to online forms to traffic conditions to aerial photos of your house. You can pay your property taxes and parking tickets, request services, and plan a trip on Metro. Explore!

Handy telephone numbers

For most DC government business,
      phone the Citywide Call Center at 727-1000 Police: Emergency Calls 911
      Non Emergencies 311
      Fourth District, 6001 Georgia Ave. NW 576 6745
Metro Transit Police emergency 962-2121
Metro/Bus & Rail Information 637 7000v Rock Creek Park:
      Information 426 6832
      Carter Barron 426 6837
      Nature Center 426 6829
      Pierce Mill 426 6908
      Park Police Substation 426-7716
      Park Police Emergency 619-7300
Report a power outage 1-877-PEPCO-62 (1-877-737-2662)
Report an electricity emergency 202-872-3432
Report a natural gas emergency 703 750-1400
Poison Control Center 625 3333

City government

The Mayor and the 13 members of the City Council are each elected to four year terms. The Council consists of one member from each of the District's eight wards…four members elected at large…and a chairman elected at large. Council terms are staggered so that not all of the members of the Council are up for election at the same time.

Crestwood is part of Ward Four, which is currently represented by Crestwood resident Adrian Fenty. Another neighbor, Linda Cropp, chairs the Council. At present, the at-large Council members are Kwame Browne, David Catania, Phil Mendelson and Carol Schwartz. Issues should be brought to the attention of all of these Council members. The Home Rule Act that established this system also mandated that two seats on the City Council must be held by people who are not members of the city’s majority political party.

You can connect with all DC government agencies through the Citywide Call Center at (202) 727-1000.

Crestwood is also part of Advisory Neighborhood Commission District 4 A. ANCs are official DC governmental bodies, advising District officials on neighborhood concerns. Members are elected without party affiliation and serve two-year terms. Our ANC Commissioner (for single member district 4A08) represents all of the Crestwood Citizens Association area, along with more territory to the north. ANC 4-A meets at 7:15 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month at the Fort Stevens Recreation Center at 13th and Van Buren Streets, NW. The ANC office is in suite 404, 7600 Georgia Avenue, NW; phone 291 9341.

DC residents have no voting representation in the U.S. Congress. No other democracy in the world denies a vote in its national legislature to residents of its capital district. DC voters do elect one non-voting Delegate to the House of Representatives. The currently office holder is Eleanor Holmes Norton. Despite the Delegate’s efforts, members of Congress can—and often do—meddle in District affairs, since they have the power to overturn anything passed by the Council or DC voters…and to enact additional measures applicable only to our city.

Property taxes

If you own your Crestwood property, the amount of property tax you pay is determined by two factors: the city's assessment of the market value of the property and the tax rate set by the City Council. As explained below, you may appeal the amount of your assessment…and you can exempt from taxation a significant amount of the market value of your property if you are eligible to take advantage of programs such as the Homestead Deduction and Senior Citizen Homestead Tax Relief.

In 2005, the City Council approved measures that cap the amount your property tax bill may increase in any one year at 10% (down from the previous 12%)…lower the tax rate to 92 cents per $100 assessed valuation…and increase the Homestead Exemption from $38,000 to $60,000.

Assessments:

Each year, an assessor estimates the market value of your property by looking at actual sale prices of similar properties (called comparables) and at computerized data describing your property and others like it (using CAMA, the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal system). Your assessment notice should be mailed out by March 1.

If you believe your assessment is unfair, appeal. If you don't appeal, you are officially telling the city government that your assessment is fair and that the information on file on your property is accurate. Assessors often have inaccurate information about properties; they may list, for example, too many bedrooms for a property or show that a home has a finished instead of an unfinished basement. Also, since assessors can raise the valuation of properties in an entire neighborhood across-the-board by a certain percentage (a practice that was struck down by a court in September 2005 but is on appeal), an assessment that is too high one year may keep having an impact on your taxes in subsequent years.

To determine how fair your assessment is, look at the comparables yourself. The official DC website includes a searchable database of both property sales and assessments. Assessment rolls are also available in the lobby of the District Building, in the One Judiciary Square building at 441 4th Street NW, and at several city libraries—including Martin Luther King, Mt. Pleasant and Petworth. Libraries also have the Lusk Sales Directory, which lists sale prices of properties. You can also call 727 4829 to contact your assessor and check the data on file for your property…or ask through the CAMA office. Make sure your assessor corrects the record.

To appeal your assessment to the Board of Real Property Assessment and Appeals (727 6860), you must file the proper form with the Board on or before April 30. You can include photos and other information, including data you gathered on your own. After the hearing, the Board can decide to keep your assessment where it is, lower it, or even raise it…so you are opening yourself up to some risk by appealing.

If you don't agree with the Board's decision, you must pay the full tax—but you can appeal to D. C. Superior Court.

Paying Your Taxes:

Your property taxes are paid in two installments, due on March 31 and on September 15. If you have a mortgage, your mortgage company may insist on paying the tax for you from a mortgage escrow account…or you may have to make the payment yourself (you can now pay your property taxes on-line on the DC website). Either way, the District should send notices to you…so make sure you know who's paying. It is not unheard of for homeowners and mortgage companies to both send checks for the same tax bill. Of course, you must get the full amount in on time even if your mortgage company forgets or if you never get a bill from the District government. For information or to find out how much you owe, call the Department of Finance and Revenue at 727 6441 or check your property’s status on-line. Late payments incur a ten percent penalty, plus one percent interest for each full or partial month past the deadline.

Homestead and Seniors Homestead Deductions:

If your property is owner occupied, you get to deduct $60,000 from the assessed value of the property before the tax rate is applied. If you have just purchased your home, file for this Homestead Deduction right away to make sure you get tax relief for the entire tax year (which begins in October). Thereafter, homeowners complete a qualifying application every five years.

Homeowners at least 65 years of age may be able to cut their tax bills in half. You can qualify for the Senior Citizen Homestead Tax Relief program if you meet the age requirements…and if the total adjusted gross income of everyone living in the property was less than $100,000 for the prior calendar year. Apply as soon as possible. Once approved, the program remains in place – but you have the responsibility to informing the city if you no longer qualify.

First-time homebuyers in the District may also qualify for a federal tax credit of $2,500 or $5,000.

Schools

The public schools assigned to the area within the Association’s boundaries are Powell Elementary, located within walking distance at 1350 Upshur Street…and Deal Junior High and Wilson Senior High, both on the other side of Rock Creek Park in Ward Three. Many Crestwood parents opt for alternative schools. The choices include other traditional public schools (with the principal’s permission), public charter schools, and private schools. The DC website lets you compare all of these different kinds of schools.

School policy is set by the DC Board of Education. Five of its members are elected--including the President, who is elected citywide and four members who represent individual districts. The mayor appoints four at-large members, and the Board has two student representatives.

Libraries

DC’s central library--named for Martin Luther King, Jr.--is located at 901 G Street, NW…and is open Monday-Thursday 9:30am-9pm and Friday-Saturday 9:30am-5:30pm.

There are several DC neighborhood libraries not far from Crestwood. They include:
      ■Petworth, 4200 Kansas Ave at Georgia Ave & Upshur St,
      ■Chevy Chase, 5625 Connecticut Avenue

These two branches are open Monday & Wednesday 1-9pm and Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday 9:30am-5:30pm

These two branches are open Monday & Tuesday 1-9pm and Wednesday through Saturday 9:30am-5:30pm

The branch library in Tenleytown is currently closed while it is being reconstructed. DC residents may also apply for library cards in surrounding jurisdictions, including Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties.

Preventing crime

Fighting crime is not simply the police department's responsibility. Each of us should work to make our neighborhood safer. Our efforts are even more important since the officers at 4D are stretched pretty thin…and they look after neighborhoods that have a much greater crime rate than ours.

Most of the crimes in Crestwood involve automobiles—such things as stolen vehicles, attempts at stealing vehicles (or their tags), breaking into vehicles to steal something, and occasional vandalism sprees. In response, remember to keep your car locked...rely on anti-theft devices like The Club…and park in well lit locations. Also, never keep ANY object or package in your car in plain view—even if it’s just a few coins or an item worth a couple of dollars.p>

Break ins into homes and garages do occur at times. Many homes in our area have burglary alarm systems. Judge for yourself whether that makes a home without an alarm more susceptible to a burglary.

Some common sense advice includes: making your home appear occupied...lighting your property properly (make it bright enough but not over-illuminated…and consider using motion-detector lighting)...clipping bushes where a potential intruder could hide...obscuring with drapes, shades or blinds all windows where a criminal could see objects inside that are too tempting to pass up...keeping garages closed and locked ...keeping doors and windows locked...and having your house number clearly visible day and night. Most of these suggestions are easy to accomplish—but are often ignored.

Take advantage of programs offered by the police: make an appointment for a free security appraisal of your home...participate in Operation Identification and borrow a tool to etch your Social Security number on valuables. Some insurance companies also offer discounts if you etch your Vehicle Identification Number on your windshield and other auto glass.

Take care not to keep equipment, bicycles or toys in your yard where they can be stolen. Also make sure you keep ladders locked in the house or garage—since criminals steal ladders to break into homes.

Beware of workers and charity solicitors coming through the neighborhood. Most of them are honest, but others may be scam artists or criminals casing houses.

Serious crimes are very infrequent but they do occur. There have been a few assaults and armed robberies, especially as residents walked home from bus stops on 16th Street.

Our neighbors represent the most important defense against crime. Keep an eye on the street and houses around you. Know your neighbors, their vehicles, their telephone numbers at home and at work, and their schedules. Then you’ll know—and be able to take action---when something is amiss.

Take an occasional walk or drive around your block and look around; potential criminals will avoid patrolled areas. If you see something suspicious, don't hesitate to call the police non emergency number, 311. If you see something threatening or a crime in progress, call 911. If you're not sure what it is you see—but it might be threatening—try the non emergency number…then be imaginative: report a specific, serious crime that you suspect may be in progress. That's usually enough to raise the priority of your call in the judgment of the dispatcher.

Crestwood is part of Police Service Area 404, one of 83 city PSAs. Officers within our PSA often appear at Crestwood Citizens Association meetings, offering their individual phone numbers…and the Lieutenants in charge may be reached by e-mail through the police department section of the DC website.

Let's talk trash

Trash day in Crestwood is every Friday. Your Supercan and your blue recycling cart should not be put out until after 6 p.m. on Thursday evening. Close both of them securely—raccoons are skilled at breaking in. As a courtesy to neighbors, keep the can out of sight at other times. In homes not serviced by alleys, both your Supercan and your recyclables are picked up from the front curb. Otherwise, they go out by the alley.

Whenever there is an official DC holiday during the week, trash day is postponed until Saturday. Try to remember, so that the trash doesn't sit outside for an extra day.

Don’t put yard waste, hazardous materials, large items or recyclable paper, glass and plastic into your Supercan. Instead, pay attention to the information below:

Recycling:

Place recyclable items into the blue cart. It doesn’t matter if they are all in a jumble. Acceptable items include newspapers, office paper, paperback books, mail (although be selective to guard against identify theft), corrugated cardboard, paperboard (cereal boxes, etc.), metal cans, glass containers and narrow-neck plastic bottles. Do not include hardback books, wide-mouth plastic tubs (margarine, peanut butter, yogurt), light bulbs, window glass, glass cookware, Styrofoam, plastic bags (recycle plastic grocery bags at the store you got them from), carryout cartons, salad bar containers, pizza boxes, or bottles that contained toxic chemicals (like motor oil and insecticide).

Yard Waste:

Yard waste–including bagged leaves, grass clippings, and branches and limbs tied into four-foot lengths--is to be picked up on the same day as your regular trash pick-up. Bags and bundles should weigh no more than 60 pounds.

Vacuum trucks also come by during November and December to suck up fallen leaves. Homeowners are not supposed to rake or blow the leaves from their yard into the street. When they do, roadways are narrowed, water drainage is blocked, wet leaves make streets slick for driving, and some cars may park on top of leaves (which is a serious fire hazard). Please bag your leaves or put them on property next to the street (what the city calls the “treebox space”).

Hazardous Materials:

Household hazardous waste is defined as materials that are toxic, corrosive, ignitable or reactive. The Mr. Yuk or skull and crossbones symbols often are present on the labels of hazardous materials, along with words or phrases such as Warning, Danger or Keep Out of Reach of Children & Pets.

Here is a partial list of hazardous materials that should not be put in the trash: oil based paints and stains; solvents, like paint thinner, turpentine and mineral spirits; gasoline and antifreeze; motor oil; brake and transmission fluid; insecticides and pesticides; all kinds of batteries; chemical household cleaners and polishes; lawn, garden and swimming pool chemicals; drain openers; ink; nail polish and polish remover; mothballs; and all strong acids and bases.

The D.C. Department of Public Works publicizes collection days when you can take household hazardous waste or unwanted electronic items to drop off sites, such as Carter Barron Amphitheater. Keep all materials in their original containers so that workers can easily identify what’s inside. They will remove the containers from your vehicle for you.

Bulk Trash Pick Up:

The Department of Public Works collects large, bulky items by appointment (phone the Citywide Call Center at 202-727-1000). Only seven items may be collected at a time. Acceptable bulk items include household furniture, appliances (please remove refrigerator doors!), hot water heaters, air conditioners (empty of all fluids), vacuum cleaners, mattresses, bed frames, and tires and rugs (rolled up and tied).

Fort Totten Transfer Station:

You can also haul your own trash, bulk items and even construction debris (but not hazardous materials) to the citizens’ dump at 4900 Bates Rd. NE, just north of Catholic University. The transfer station is open 1- 5 pm Monday through Friday and 8 am-3 pm on Saturday. The dumpsters for citizens are on the right as you approach the transfer station; commercial haulers go beyond to a larger area.

It can be tricky to find. Take Upshur St. east until it ends. Turn left on Rock Creek Church Rd…then right on Harewood Rd., which will turn into Taylor St. Turn left before crossing the bridge (which goes over the railroad tracks) and go left on McCormick Rd. Then turn left on Bates Rd.

Voting regulations

To vote in the District, you must be a resident registered with the Board of Elections at least 30 days prior to the balloting. If you live in Crestwood south of Upshur Street (or on the south side of Upshur), then you are in precinct 47 and you vote at Powell Elementary at 1350 Upshur Street. If you live in Crestwood north of Upshur (or on the north side of Upshur), then you are in precinct 48 and you vote at Sharpe Health School, 4300 13th Street (just north of Upshur).

Animal regulations

All pets must be leashed or “otherwise under the immediate control of a person capable of physically restraining it” whenever the animal is off the owner's property. In other words, pets are not allowed to roam freely. The District also has a “pooper scooper” law requiring dog owners to clean up after their pets.

Dogs over the age of four months must be have an annual license and be vaccinated against rabies and distemper. Cats over the age of four months must be vaccinated against rabies. Note that the fee for a dog license is $13 for an animal that is spayed or neutered…but $46 for other dogs.

According to District law, anyone who owns five or more mammals larger than a guinea pig and more than four months old must have an animal hobby permit.

Noise regulations

District law places restrictions on noise caused by construction and demolition work in residential zones and on the use of power tools such as mowers and leaf blowers.

Excluding “minor home repairs,” construction work in residential zones is prohibited at all times on Sundays and legal holidays…and may not occur on other days between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Therefore, construction work is allowed in our neighborhood only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday—and even then there is an 80-decibel limit. The “minor home repairs” mentioned above also have a decibel limit of 60 dB from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 55 dB from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Regarding those mowers and blowers, legally they can blast away without limit Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m…and on Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Still, your neighbors may not appreciate it if you or the workers you hire rev up those motors as early as legally acceptable. After 9 p.m., the 55 dB limit kicks in.

Rock Creek Park

Our neighborhood's back yard, Rock Creek Park, is the third oldest park in the National Park system. Crestwood has several entries into the park's 15 miles of trails. Get a free map from the Park Service, or simply explore! You can walk north south pathways from Maryland to the Mall…or east west pathways that cross streams to Connecticut Avenue and beyond.

Regular nature walks are conducted from the Rock Creek Nature Center on Glover Road and at other park locations. The Center also includes an exhibit hall and a planetarium. Nearby is the Rock Creek Horse Center, offering riding instruction and horses to rent. Above Military Road is the 18 hole Rock Creek Golf Course. The Park also includes about 70 picnic groves.

Learn about the mills that used to dot the countryside along Rock Creek by visiting the last surviving one, historic Peirce Mill at Beach Drive and Tilden Street. As recently as 1993, the Mill was making flour. You can help in its restoration through the Friends of Peirce Mill www.peircemill-friends.org.

On weekends and holidays, Beach Drive is closed to motor traffic from Broad Branch Road to the Park Police substation just south of Military Road. Bikers, hikers and roller bladers all take advantage of the wide, smooth surface to enjoy the natural surroundings.

During the week, Beach Drive and Rock Creek Parkway become heavily used commuter routes. Traffic can be slow, since the road was not meant to be a superhighway. During rush hours, Rock Creek Parkway is one way inbound in the morning (6:45-9:45 am) and outbound in the afternoon (3:45-6:30 pm). Also during rush hours, no left turn is allowed from Tilden Street onto Beach Drive—limiting your route home from the other side of the park. In general, park roads can be very handy ways to avoid city traffic—but the entrances and exits are not always well marked.

Pets are allowed in the park only on a leash. No natural features—including plants, trees, firewood, shrubs, birds, animals or even rocks—are to be collected or removed from parkland. Dumping of all kinds, including leaves and grass clippings, is not allowed. Bikes and motor vehicles are not permitted on unpaved trails. Fires are allowed only in the designated grates at marked picnic areas.

The Park also brings us face to face with wildlife, including white tailed deer, foxes, coyotes and raccoons. The deer tend to roam freely through the neighborhood -- frustrating gardeners, creating traffic hazards and spreading Lyme Disease. Rabies is still found in occasional animals living on parkland. Non native vegetation continues to be a big problem, as such species as English ivy and porcelainberry crowd out local plants and invade our yards.

The Friends of Rock Creek's Environment is a local non-profit group that works to promote a healthy and sustainable Rock Creek Watershed through conservation, education and restoration. Established in 2005, FORCE is open to all citizens and workers in the Rock Creek watershed of Montgomery County and the District of Columbia. Log on to www.friendsofrockcreek.org or contact Steve Saari at 301-984-1908x103.

If you live on a street that borders the Park, you may find it complicated to make some home improvements. The US Commission of Fine Arts (504-2200), whose members are appointed by the President of the United States, not only rules on proposed changes around our national monuments …the panel may also have jurisdiction over the paint color on your shutters. The DC government won't issue construction permits to affected homeowners until the Commission approves the plans at one of its monthly meetings. This additional approval process may slow your work.

Crestwood history

The first residents of our area were Native Americans.

Beginning about five thousand years ago, Algonquian Indians found quartzite stones for their weapons and tools in a quarry along the Piney Branch. Various tribes also prized Rock Creek as a valuable food source for fish and turtles.

Records of early European settlers include Captain John Smith's writings, which suggest he may have ventured by Rock Creek during the early 1600s. A trading post was established at the mouth of the creek in 1703.

The first settler with title to Crestwood may have been Henry Darnall, who owned six thousand acres in Rock Creek Valley in 1688. As Georgetown and Alexandria developed into ports, ships could sail up Rock Creek as far as P Street. A series of eight mills drew power from the creek to serve farmers in the valley.

The most famous mill owner was Isaac Pierce (also spelled Pearce or Peirce). He bought a mill and 150 acres along the creek in 1794. By 1800 he controlled an estate stretching from today's National Zoo to Chevy Chase. In 1820, Isaac and his stonemason son Abner Pierce rebuilt Pierce Mill, which is today the only surviving mill along the creek. Their spring house still exists in the traffic island in the middle of Tilden Street. The former Pierce carriage house by the entrance to the parking lot now houses Park Service offices. The family distillery is a private home across the street.

Also in 1820, we find the first evidence of a different community of residents: official records show that the Pierce estate was worked by 11 slaves and four servants.

Isaac's son Joshua built what is today called Klingle Mansion as his residence. It was constructed on Linnaean Hill, so named by the family in honor of the Swedish botanist who developed the system of classifying plants and animals.

Pierce Mill prospered until steam power undercut the water mills in the 1880s. The main shaft of the mill broke in 1897.

Our homes occupy land that belonged to Thomas Blagden (1815 1870). His father George was superintendent of the stonework used in constructing the Capitol…and his brother, the Reverend George W. Blagden, was pastor at Boston's Old South Church. The property included a mill…and both the mill and the estate were named Argyle after a county in Scotland. The mills were located on what today is a clearing on the west side of Beach Drive just below Boulder Bridge. They were severely damaged by flooding in 1889, with the ruins removed in 1899 during the initial construction of Beach Drive. One of the old bridge abutments leading to the mill survives on the east bank of the creek.

The Blagden estate included a large frame Georgian home located near an area bordered today by Upshur, 17th, Varnum and 18th Streets. It was demolished in 1936.

Not far from Crestwood are the ruins of Fort Stevens at 13th Street and Piney Branch Road. You can also make out the earthworks of Fort DeRussey in Rock Creek Park above Military Road. Both were involved in an important Civil War showdown in 1864 (in fact, President Lincoln is said to have been fired upon during the fighting at Fort Stevens). In the heat and humidity of that July…after traveling 200 miles over the previous two weeks…Confederate forces under the command of General Jubal Early rested for a day, setting up camp not far from our area. That one day gave the Union Army enough time to march soldiers up what is now Georgia Avenue to defeat Early's troops in the Battle of the Suburbs. Otherwise, the Confederates might have taken Washington.

The Civil War led to a boom in development in Washington, including the construction of the suburb of Mt. Pleasant Village in 1865. The Blagden heirs worked with Alexander “Boss” Shepherd to install more roads into Rock Creek Valley. Only the creation of Rock Creek Park in 1890 kept early development out of Crestwood.

Beach Drive was named after the park superintendent who directed its original construction. The section between Military Road and the site of Argyle Mill was inaugurated in 1899. By 1902, Boulder Bridge was finished. In 1904, the Pierce Mill waterfall was constructed to ornament what had become a popular picnic area and meeting place. By 1905, Pierce Mill was in use as a teahouse. African American Hattie L. Sewell took over the concession in 1920, but her lease was not renewed after racially motivated complaints. The Girl Scouts ran the teahouse for a while, followed by a charitable group within the War Department. The last tea was poured in 1934 when the first restoration of the mill was ordered. During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps was active in the park, building the stone house now used by the Park Police.

The term Crestwood originated with the marketing of homes in 1940 by Paul Stone and Avon Shockey, along with A. S. Lord and E. E. Caldwell. Their advertising depicted Crestwood as “wooded country in the downtown residential district, only ten minutes from the White House.” Those interested in property were invited to call at 4220 Argyle Terrace. The house built by Stone & Shockey at 1901 Upshur Street was pictured on the brochure…and in 1940 it was named the first Silver Star Model Home by the Evening Star.

The word “Crestwood” may have first appeared on an official District map in 1941 as an Air Raid Warden Group. But World War II also interrupted Stone's plans to develop the area. He was back promoting his home sites — without his former partners — in the early 1950's. Nearby was the new Carter Barron Amphitheater, constructed in 1950 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Washington as the seat of the national government.

In this postwar period, a major fishing and swimming hole existed at the foot of Blagden Avenue, where you could catch fish weighing up to three or four pounds and dive into the creek to a depth of at least ten feet. Where Mathewson Drive is today was a beautiful little valley with a small stream at the bottom. The “Old Pond” existed on the south side of Shepherd Street at 17th, where kids would float on rafts or catch tadpoles in the summer and ice skate in the winter.

Tragically, restrictive covenants had been written into many property deeds. The official papers of some of our Crestwood homes may, even today, still contain language forbidding sales to African Americans and Jews. These remaining covenants are, of course, illegal and therefore moot—but it is not difficult to get such foul language expunged from a deed.

Everyone should feel welcome in our neighborhood. We hope you agree with British Ambassador Lord James Bryce, who described our area this way in 1913:
“To Rock Creek there is nothing comparable in any capital city in Europe. What city in the world is there where a man living in a house like that in which we are meeting, in 18th Street, can within...a quarter of an hour on his own feet get into a beautiful rocky glen, such as you would find in the woods of Maine or Scotland...with a broad stream foaming over its stony bed and wild, leafy woods looking down on each side?”

Street names

Wonder how Crestwood streets got their names? Here are some explanations…mostly from amateur historian Rowena Adamson’s manuscript, Street Names in Washington, D.C:
      ARGYLE—name of the estate (and one of the mills) of Thomas Blagden… in honor of Scotland's second largest county.
      ALLISON—William Boyd (1829 1908), influential Iowa Congressman and Senator who spoke up for Midwest farmers.
      BUCHANAN—President James.
      CRITTENDEN—John Jordan (1787 1863), U.S. attorney general under Harrison and Fillmore; Kentucky Senator known for the “Crittenden Compromise” aimed at averting the onset of the Civil War...also his son, U.S. Army General Thomas T. (1819 93).
      MATHEWSON—Family whose property became part of the Crestwood development.
      QUINCY—Josiah (1772 1804), Congressman, Boston mayor and president of Harvard.
      RANDOLPH—the famous Virginia family that included Peyton, president of the First Continental Congress; Rogers, sculptor of the large bronze doors at the east entrance to the Capitol; and Virginia Congressman and Senator (and descendant of Pocahontas) John.
      SHEPHERD—Alexander (1823 1890), colorful and controversial DC city manager and planner; as head of public works, he improved 80 miles of streets with concrete paving, dug sewers, filled in swamps and planted trees…no matter how much it cost.
      TAYLOR—President Zachary…or perhaps David Taylor, U.S. marine and aeronautical engineer.
      TRUMBULL—John (1756 1843), colonel and revolutionary patriot; as an artist he painted four of the eight large paintings in the Capitol rotunda, most notably the depiction of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
      UPSHUR—Abel P., Virginian, Secretary of State under Tyler, killed in a cannon explosion in 1844 aboard the USS Princeton in Alexandria...also John H., Navy admiral of the late 1800s.
      VARNUM—James Mitchell (1748 98), soldier with George Washington at Valley Forge in 1778, member of the Continental Congress, and later a judge in the Northwest Territory who helped write a legal code for that region.