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Georgetown’s parks are often considered some of the greatest assets for the neighborhood. So much so that the term emerald necklace has been used to describe the only-slightly-broken chain of green wrapping around the neighborhood from Montrose, down Rose, across the waterfront, and back up Glover Archbold Park.

But have you ever wondered where those names come from? Well, even if you haven’t, here’s the answer:

The source of the name for the Georgetown Waterfront Park is self-evident. I’m unaware of any efforts to replace this perfunctory name with something with more character. If there were ever a candidate for that, it would have probably have been Sen. Charles Percy, the Illinois senator who was instrumental in securing funding for the creation of the park. He was honored instead with Percy Plaza, the ceremonial name of the intersection of Wisconsin and K St.

But the other parks’ names are not nearly as self-explanatory.

Let’s start with Montrose Park.

In a literal sense, the park is named after the former estate that once stood on R St. near the current rose garden. But where did the estate get the name? I answered this question back in 2020:

The rope factory burned down and Parrott abandoned the property. The estate became known as Parrott’s Woods at this point, and was a popular recreation spot for Georgetowners seeking some air. It was purchased by Clement Smith, a man who was the first cashier at the Farmers and Mechanics Bank (the bank which eventually occupied the building which is now the PNC at Wisconsin and M St.) and rose to be its president. He named the property Elderslie. In 1837 it was sold to William Boyce, who renamed it Montrose, in honor of his familial connections to the Scottish Earls of Montrose.

The fact the name has a Scottish origin dovetails nicely with Dumbarton Oaks, which derived its name from Scotsman Ninian Beall. He once owned a large portion of Georgetown, which he named the Rock of Dumbarton after a geographic feature in his native country. (In fact a lot of early Georgetowners were Scots, but perhaps due to easier assimilation with the English, they are not quite as often remembered.)

Moving around the necklace, so to speak, brings us to Rose Park.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• More on the C&O Canal divorce.
• Stachowski’s gets featured in Netflix show.

I’m officially declaring the arrival of spring, and with that comes the best time to be at Dumbarton Oaks Gardens. So I am reprinting my guide from several years ago about how to make the most of it:

The gardens of Dumbarton Oaks are spectacular throughout the year. But during the spring, they are somehow even more beautiful. But the beauty comes in successive waves. Visit only once a season, and you might miss out. Or even if you do visit at a perfect moment, you might simply miss out on some corner of the gardens that are especially gorgeous that day.

I spend every spring carefully timing his visits to the gardens to maximize the best parts. And its only fair that he share this knowledge with the public. So without further ado, here is a Users Guide to Dumbarton Oaks in the spring.

The guide is broken down by the particular attraction and when to visit to see it. Weather obviously can affect the timing a great deal. So if you are really eager to see one or more of the vernal shows below, it’s best to check it out on the early side and come back again if you’re too early.

Refer to this map on the gardens’ website for where to find the exact locations of the scenes below.

Plum Walk

One of the first displays of spring in the gardens is the Plum Walk. It’s a row of about a dozen plum trees that blossom with strikingly purple flowers. Like many of the items on this list, it is perfect for portraits, particularly of couples. When it’s in bloom, you often find newly engaged couples posing along the walk.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Sports betting parlor coming to former Showfields space.
• To combat shoplifting, the Safeway has instituted gates into and out of the store.

I was recently doing some research into the history of the Old Georgetown Act and I came across a report of the very first project to be subject to review: 1504 33rd St.

The permit was applied for within weeks of the adoption of the Old Georgetown Act on September 22, 1950. The review was performed by the Commission of Fine Arts, which is the actual body that is authorized under the act to comment on permits. The Old Georgetown Board was created later in order to take primary responsibility for Georgetown (although the CFA retains the discretion to overrule the OGB).

The Post article sadly does not describe the proposal in detail, or whether it was approved:

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Reverie set to reopen.
• NPS severs ties with Georgetown Heritage, putting the future of the canal renovations into doubt.

Hello and welcome to your March ANC update for northwest Georgetown! Here’s what happening!

Volta Park Update

The much delayed field renovation at Volta Park is…still delayed. When I started on the ANC last year, the city was promising work would begin last fall. This obviously didn’t happen. The reason given was delays from surveying and permitting, The last update I received was a non-committal estimate of an early summer start. I would be pleasantly surprised if this actually proves accurate.

We will have an opportunity to request an update from the city next Monday night. The project will be before the Old Georgetown Board in March and the ANC is requesting a presentation on the latest plans. I do not believe the plans will differ from what they were at the last public presentation. But please attend next week’s ANC meeting if you want to learn more about the project and to ask any questions. The ANC meeting is on March 4th at 6:30 pm at Visitation (Zoom link here).

Streetlights

The city is in the process of installing new LED lightbulbs in the streetlights. The contractor hired to do so has been making a great deal of progress in Georgetown over the past several months. You almost certainly have noticed them around the neighborhood due to the noticeable change in color and brightness.

And that is the problem for many residents: they believe the color is too “cool” and the luminosity is entirely too strong.

On the color side, it is clear that the light “temperature” is very much on the blue side. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, except to the extent that these new bright lights shine directly into residents’ households. There is a reason doctors often recommend avoiding exposure to blue light in the evening. It can seriously disrupt sleep.

And the brightness is disruptive to residents for similar reasons. The Washington Globe lights are often just feet from a lot of residents’ bedroom windows. Even with shades pulled, they can often light up a room. Not to mention that residents with full black out shades can’t then gain the benefit from morning sunshine easing their waking. It can very quickly become a quality of life issue.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Reminder: ANC meeting tonight at 6:30 pm where CM Pinto will speak.
• Foundry Building foreclosed on.

Please keep an eye out for a lost cat! The cat, named Luna, disappeared from around 33rd and Dent on February 19th around 5 pm. She is a beautiful all black cat. If you see her contact her owner at 202-906-0265.

While she’s been gone over a week now, there’s still hope! A foster cat of ours got out in December and went missing for over two weeks. He was finally found up a tree a couple blocks away, despite the temperature having dipped well below freezing several nights. With the help of some nimble tree crews, we were able to get get back home (and he’s still available for adoption!). So keep your fingers crossed for Luna and keep your eyes peeled!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Update on the Transformers (they’re still there).
• Fiola Mare celebrates 10 years, which doesn’t seem possibe.