Meridian Hill Park - History

History

In 1819, Commodore David Porter erected a mansion on the grounds and called it "Meridian Hill" because it was located on the "White House meridian" (see Washington meridian). During the 19th century the land just to the east of Meridian Hill became the location of Columbian College (1821), later renamed George Washington University. Columbia Road was named for the college, and formed the northern boundary of the original campus. Prior to the Civil War, the mansion grounds became a pleasure park for the area. During the war, Union troops encamped there in Camp Cameron "on Georgetown Heights". In 1883, the writer Joaquin Miller built a cabin to the west of the land that would later become Meridian Hill Park. The cabin is now located in Rock Creek Park.

Much of the impetus for creating a public park on this portion of 16th Street came from Mary Foote Henderson, wife of Missouri senator John Brooks Henderson and local resident. She lobbied Congress with several plans for the neighborhood before getting approval for the park, including supporting a plan by architect Franklin W. Smith to construct a colossal presidential mansion on Meridian Hill to replace the White House.

The land was originally next to the Columbian College grounds. In 1910, after the school had moved to its current location in Foggy Bottom, the federal government bought part of the land of the old Porter estate, and in 1914 the Interior Department hired landscape architect George Burnap to design a grand urban park modeled on parks found in European capitals. His plans, later modified by Horace Peaslee, included an Italian Renaissance-style terraced fountain in the lower half and gardens in a French Baroque style in the upper half. The walls and fountains were built with concrete aggregate, a new building material consisting of concrete mixed with small pebbles. After two decades under construction, the grounds were given park status in 1936 and have been designated a National Historic Landmark.

In 1969, political activist Angela Davis proposed renaming the park "Malcolm X Park", but ultimately this name change was not approved.

In the 1970s and 80s, crime became widespread in the surrounding neighborhoods. Meridian Hill Park became a haven for drug dealing and was considered unsafe, especially at night. After renewed community interest in the surrounding area began occurring about 1990, a group of citizens formed "Friends of Meridian Hill Park". They organized volunteer nighttime patrols to combat crime, and lobbied the National Park Service to make improvements to the park. Since 2005 the Park Service has been working on a general restoration, repairing and replacing the unique concrete structures as necessary, and replacing key utility systems.

On Sunday afternoons during the warm weather months, people gather from 3 to 9 p.m. in the upper park to dance and participate in a drum circle. The activity has been held in the park since the 1950s, and attracts professional drummers from time to time.

It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.