The Georgetown Metropolitan

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Another piece on the new Donahue cocktail bar moving into the old Smith Point space.
• Georgetown Glow returns tomorrow.

Today on Georgetown Time Machine, GM is posting a nice shot of the Montrose estate in a derelict shape.

The photo, from DCPL’s archive, is from 1891, and shows the estate’s front facade from R St. GM wrote about this property last year. This photo was in that post, but the version above is much clearer. Here is what GM wrote about the estate’s later years:

In 1837 [the estate] was sold to William Boyce, who renamed it Montrose, in honor of his familial connections to the Scottish Earls of Montrose.

Although his family continued to own the property until 1911, they did not live in it after 1858. It fell into disrepair, although some tenants brought it back into shape shortly in the 1880s. Eventually, however, it became totally abandoned and derelict. Georgetowners, led by Sarah Louise Rittenhouse, successfully petitioned Congress to purchase the land and dedicate it as park in 1911.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• If you’re wondering why there’s a bouncer outside the old Smith Point recently, this is the low-down.
• A cyclist was hit by the driver of a truck on M St. by Key Bridge yesterday and taken away with serious injuries, his condition is unknown.

Good Morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Martin’s Tavern is enmeshed in allegations of racial profiling and failure to address the complainant’s concerns.
• Tudor Place will reopen this month.

After a year of being denied the pleasures of the cooling refreshment of a public pool, the Mayor announced yesterday that they would be reopened this summer. There will be capacity limitations put in place, with an initial cap of 50%. But this should be very welcomed news.

Shutting down the pools last year always seemed to GM to be a mistaken reaction. It was already pretty clear that the risk of outdoor transmission was fairly low. The very same time that pools were closed, the city was opening indoor dining, an activity we knew (and still know) is among the most risky activities.

1400 block of 35th St.

Last week, the Old Georgetown Board indicated that they would reject the application of Newton Howard to keep the two gigantic Transformers sculptures he installed in front of his house on Prospect St. in January. This decision should really come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the OGB. But the decision nonetheless highlights some absurdities at the heart of historic preservation in Georgetown.

First of all, to fans of the sculptures, the end is not imminent. Howard has sworn to keep fighting. And the decision is not even technically final yet. Even after the OGB issues its formal decision, it is really just a recommendation for its parent body, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. The CFA normally just rubber-stamps the OGB, but not always. And in either event, the decisions take time. (So, so, much time.) We’re still probably at least a month from the CFA issuing its decision. And even that is just an advisory decision. DC itself is really the only body with the actual authority. It complies with the CFA generally, but a homeowner can appeal the CFA’s decision to DC. And when that happens, the Mayor’s Agent holds a hearing and issues the final decision. (And even that can be appealed in court).

But in all likelihood, these bodies will decide against the sculptures. Because, come on, look at them! It’s obvious they can’t stay in a historic district.

Right?

But let’s explore that a little bit.

The Citizens Association weighed in against the sculptures, and laid out the case against them:

Prospect Street like many residential streets is characterized by attached houses built to the property line abutting public space. While planters are normally found in this zone, monumentally scaled sculptures are not. There is also no historic precedent for displaying sculptures on public space abutting the primary facade.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Surprising no one, the OGB reject the Transformers.
• The students left GU’s campus, the Jesuits didn’t.