The Georgetown Metropolitan

Photo by Julia Taylor.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Rutta Burger returns.
• Jack Evans, Paul Cohn icons.

3000 block of R St.

In what is sadly becoming an annual occurrence, DDOT has included the intersection of M and Wisconsin in its list of most dangerous intersections for pedestrians. And it’s no surprise given the current conditions. But doesn’t make it acceptable.

Many factors contribute to the intersection being so bad. It handles an enormous volume of both pedestrian and automobile traffic (in fact, on the weekends, the pedestrian traffic far exceeds the auto traffic). The attitudes of the drivers using the roads is mostly that of entitled suburbanites who think nothing of slamming on the gas to “beat” a red, even when they still remain stuck behind a long line of cars. What that often results in is them not actually beating the red, i.e. running the red, or simply slamming on the brakes and blocking the intersection. Neither of which is safe for pedestrians at the mercy of the driver’s urgent conviction that They Need To Be Somewhere.

Recent policy changes designed to assuage this entitlement has only made the situation worse for pedestrians. Several years ago, the city began to allow left turns at Wisconsin for eastbound M St. traffic. While this might be a good idea in theory (it takes cars off 33rd and 31st) the way it was implemented is obviously dangerous to anyone who stands at that intersection at rush hour. The turning cars are given a leading green arrow. During this phase the pedestrians are not to cross Wisconsin. Fine so far. Continue reading →

Photo by Elvert Barnes.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The death of a cemetery.
• People take a lot of cell phone pictures of their food in Georgetown.

1300 block of 31st St.

There is an alley that runs through the center of the block contained by Potomac St., 33rd St., N St. and O St. It has been there at least 100 years (and probably more).

It is a private alley, meaning that the land that comprises the alley itself is privately owned. (Notwithstanding the private ownership, landowners abutting the alley typically can use private alleys under some sort of an easement or covenant relationship.)

Also, typically with private alleys, the alley land is connected to one or more of the abutting properties. For this alley, however, at some point the land that comprised the alley was broken off from the street facing lots. As such, these lots are basically worthless. Owning them, you have all the burden of keeping the alley in useable shape, but none of the privileges-most importantly the privilege of exclusive use-that comes with land ownership. Continue reading →

Photo by Brownpau.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• GM’s house now officially borders Georgetown’s newest named alley: Cashell Alley!
• Urban Outfitters, Wink and Steve Madden remain closed due to the fire last week. (Although, it should be said that Urban Outfitters was already closed, supposedly for renovations).

3200 block of P St.

This week on Old Georgetown in Color, GM is colorizing a mid nineteenth century photo of the old Presbyterian church which stood on the southeast corner of 30th and M St. from 1782 until 1878. This is what the fantastic Old Georgetown Remembered had to say about the church:

Just opposite on the southeast corner of Bridge (M) and Washington (30th) Streets stood, until 1878, the Presbyterian Church, whose founder, Dr. Stephen Bloomer Balch, was its pastor for fifty-two years. When it was first built in 1782, it was only about thirty feet square. In 1793 it was enlarged by extending the north front. In 1801-’02, it was further enlarged by extending it on the west side. For this purpose Thomas Jefferson helped by subscribing $75.00. In 1806 the trustees of the congregation were incorporated by Congress. They were: Stephen B. Balch, William Whann, James Melvin, John Maffitt, John Peter, Joshua Dawson, James Calder, George Thompson, Richard Elliott, David Wiley, and Andrew Ross. The first and only elder for some time was James Orme, son of Reverend John Orme, of Upper Marlborough. In 1821 a new building was erected. When Dr. Balch died in 1833, he was buried there, but when the congregation moved in 1878 and the church was torn down, his remains were taken to Oak Hill, where, with the original gravestone, they lie not far from the chapel and just north of the grave of John Howard Payne.

Continue reading →

Photo by Geoff Livingston.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Where several former senators live(d).
• Any man looking to get married at the Georgetown library looking for a bride?