History Shepherd Parkway

1 history

1.1 civil war
1.2 1866 1900
1.3 20th century

history

1865 map of shepherd parkway area; fort greble near southern end , fort carroll near midpoint.

the national capital parks , planning commission began acquiring land in 1927 parkway, fort drive, connect ring of parks made of civil war defenses around city. shepherd parkway first land acquired; although parkway never completed, land remains urban open space.

alexander robey shepherd washington s second governor. native washingtonian , veteran of civil war, successful in plumbing , gas-fitting industries. governor, paved roads in city , developed sewage system. shepherd parkway may have been named shepherd, encouraged baltimore , ohio railroad extend line through giesborough south on potomac river alexandria, virginia.

civil war

at beginning of american civil war in 1861, george washington young offered sell land government $100,000. although offer declined, union army rented land $6,000 per year. following year, young freed slaves when dc compensated emancipation law enacted.

sixty-eight fortifications built defend washington (the union army headquarters) confederate attack. shepherd parkway used fortifications, military roads, camp stoneman cavalry camp (named cavalry bureau chief george stoneman) , hospitals (saint elizabeth , another, near fort carroll).

fort carroll, named west point graduate samuel sprigg carroll, established on ridge southeast of giesboro point. large fort, headquarters soldiers east of anacostia river, built protect cavalry depot , washington arsenal , navy yard. capacity of more 30,000 horses, fort carroll had hospital , administration buildings , barracks.

fort greble named john t. greble, killed in june 10, 1861 battle of big bethel. fort, @ southern end of shepherd parkway ridge, protected potomac (including ravines along oxen run , piscataway road, martin luther king avenue). both forts used training.

fugitive slaves, considered contraband of war , living in nearby camps, helped build , maintain forts. after enactment of thirteenth amendment united states constitution, outlawed slavery, many remained nearby , end of century area had number of african-american communities.

1866 1900

at end of war, freedmen s bureau purchased barry farm north of st. elizabeths hospital , divided land 1 acre (0.40 ha) lots. area remained farmland, , lots sold former slaves; within 2 years, 500 families owned property.

the government decommissioned cavalry camp, returning giesborough land george washington young. young not sell buildings , property, , after 1867 death heirs gradually sold property. river resort, buena vista, established @ giesborough point , fort carroll transferred signal corps. fort greble demolished , building materials sold @ auction.

the city s population had doubled during war, , infrastructure strained. in 1871 pierre l enfant s plan still in infancy, , many politicians wanted move nation s capital west. district of columbia organic act of 1871 repealed individual charters of georgetown , city of washington, combining them washington county in new charter—the first step towards district government.

early 20th century

senator james mcmillan of michigan saw need improvements in city, , mcmillan plan created develop system of parks in district (including parkway connecting forts). on april 11, 1927, national capital parks , planning commission acquired shepherd parkway first property proposed fort drive. plan became casualty of great depression until 1933, when new deal turned public green space national park service. parkway never constructed, , land used anti-aircraft artillery , military barracks.