Rosemont in the 1930s

  • The March 25, 1930 edition of the Post reported that Rosemont residents, meeting at the house of Mr. and Mrs. Gilliam at 10 West Linden Street, opposed proposals to increase the fares on the Alexandria, Barcroft and Washington Bus Line and the Washington-Alexandria Electric Railway, from 10 cents to 15 cents for travel into Washington.
  • The April 30, 1930 edition of the Post reported that a committee had recommended renaming Rosemont streets; beginning at Cedar Street, streets running east-west would be numbered, running as high as Thirty-sixth Street. The May 4, 1930 edition of the Post reported that the Northwest Citizens Association – described as a consolidation of the Rosemont Citizens Association and the Braddock Citizens Association – opposed the proposal. A similar report appears in the May 5, 1930 edition of the Star. The May 8, 1930 and May 10, 1930 editions of the Post reported that a petition opposing the proposal from Harry F. Kennedy, President of the association, had been presented to the City Council, and the June 3, 1930 edition of the Post reported that the Council had rejected the proposal.
  • The June 20, 1930 edition of the Post reported that Rosemont residents continued to oppose the proposal by Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey to erect a filling station at Russell Road and King Street.
  • The July 4, 1930 edition of the Star reported that a City-appointed commission was planning zoning requirements for the City, to respond to recent concerns regarding the establishment of businesses in residential areas, including Rosemont.
  • The July 17, 1930 edition of the Star reported that Russell Road had been resurfaced between Rosemont Avenue and the old city line in Braddock.
  • The August 17, 1930 edition of the Post reported that concrete driveways and walkways had been completed at Maury, and the August 10, 1931 edition of the Post reported on roadway improvements on the west side of Russell Road near the school building.
  • The October 7, 1930 edition of the Post reported that residents of East Linden Street again had submitted an application for the construction of an underpass to Oronoco Street.
  • The November 7, 1930 edition of the Post reported that Inez Jenkins had withdrawn her application to construct a filling station in Rosemont, as well as that $925 had been appropriated to pave Summers Drive, with property owners to pay two-thirds of the cost.
  • The November 7, 1930 edition of the Star reported that in addition to the Summers Drive-related appropriation reported by the Post, $1,650 had been appropriated for a sanitary sewer on Masonic View Avenue and $1,350 for a sanitary sewer on Russell Road from Glendale Avenue to Braddock Avenue.
  • The February 22, 1931 edition of the Star reported that a lawsuit had been filed in federal district court in Alexandria challenging the City’s authority to prevent the construction of a filling station at Russell Road and King Street.
  • The March 28, 1931 edition of the Star reported that the Snyder-Kane-Boothe Co. and the E.E. Simpson & bro. Co. were constructing houses in Rosemont. The May 8, 1931 edition of the Star reported on the replating of certain sections of Rosemont, at the request of the Snyder-Kane-Boothe Co.
  • The April 10, 1931 edition of the Post reported that a new fire hydrant had been installed at Russell Road and Cedar Street.
  • The June 9, 1931 edition of the Star reported that Fred Birrell had been elected president of the Northwest Citizens Association, succeeding Harry F. Kennedy. Also elected were Harrison Emhardt, first vice president; S.T. Jemson, second vice president; E.A. Sweely, treasurer; Irma Coleman, treasurer; and Mrs. E.E. MacMoreland, financials secretary. The association appropriated $85 to the Maury School PTA for the purchase of playground equipment and appointed a committee to investigate the cost of improving the Maury School grounds.
  • The October 2, 1931 edition of the Post reported that the City Council had received a petition for the construction of a Seventh Day Adventist church at the corner of Dick Street and Washington Avenue.
  • The November 13, 1931 edition of the Post reported that Alexandria Fire Chief James M. Duncan, Jr. and the Police Department again were advocating the renaming of streets in Rosemont.
  • The January 18, 1932 edition of the Post reported that the Mount Vernon, Alexandria, and Washington Railway had operated its final street car service in Alexandria, with Frank A. Beach of Rosemont as the motorman.
  • The January 27, 1932 edition of the Post reported that Rosemont residents supported a bill to amend the City’s charter to provide for a nine-member city council, six elected from wards and three at-large.
  • The April 7, 1932 edition of the Star reported that the city had appropriated $600 for the construction of concrete curb and gutter on the Maury School grounds.
  • The May 1, 1932 edition of the Post reported that the City was again considering the change of duplicative street names, including Washington Avenue in Rosemont (which would eventually be renamed Commonwealth Avenue, but not until the 1940s).
  • The May 20, 1932 edition of the Star reported on a play presented at the Mount Vernon Baptist Church, featuring “Miss Mary Davis of Rosemont, one of Alexandria’s professional entertainers.”
  • The August 26, 1932 edition of the Post reported that the City Council had allocated $12,000 for the construction of a culvert over Hooff’s Run to connect Simms Street and Washington Avenue.
  • The September 3, 1932 edition of the Post reported that sewer construction was in progress on Russell Road near Alexandria Avenue.
  • The September 28, 1932 edition of the Post reported that a committee from the Northwest Citizens Association, headed by Harold Abbey, had appeared before the City Council to oppose a new ordinance that would impose a $2 charge on property owners for tapping the Hooff’s Run sewer.
  • The June 25, 1933 edition of the Post reported that a coat of crushed stone and asphalt had been installed on streets including Masonic View Avenue and Summers Drive, from Russell Road to Junior Street; Washington Avenue, from King Street to Cedar Street; and Craik Street, Myrtle Street, and Spring Street, from Washington Avenue to Russell Road. A similar report appeared in the June 20, 1933 edition of the Post.
  • The July 21, 1933 edition of the Post reported that garbage would now be collected in Rosemont on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings.
  • The March 18, 1934 edition of the Post reported that the Northwest Citizens Association would hold a meeting to hear from candidates for City Council representing the Fifth Ward. A similar report appeared in the March 20, 1934 edition of the Star.
  • The November 14, 1934 edition of the Post reported that $275 had been appropriated by the City Council to build a wooden bridge over Hooff’s Run at Chapman Street.
  • The November 29, 1934 edition of the Post reported that funeral services for Brig. Gen. Edgar Warfield, the last surviving Alexandria veteran of the Civil War, had been conducted at the house of his son, George E. Warfield, in Rosemont.
  • The June 12, 1935 edition of the Post reported that six Alexandria playgrounds would be staffed for the summer, including at the Maury School, for which Ruth Roseberry would be the director.
  • The June 23, 1935 edition of the Post reported that the City had proposed to eliminate the $20 sewer tax applicable to residents of the City’s “new territory,” including Rosemont.
  • The May 17, 1936 edition of the Star reported that the Rainbow Veterans Association was to issue an award to Carlton Padgett of Rosemont, who rescued pilot Carlin Peyton from drowning in the Potomac after his plane crashed. A preliminary report of the rescue appeared in the May 13, 1936 edition of the Star.
  • The July 27, 1936 edition of the Post reported that road construction was proceeding on a culvert at the Linden Street crossing of Hooff’s Run.
  • The September 6, 1936 edition of the Post reported that new brick bungalows were being developed by Clyde H. Nelson on Reece Court (now Ramsey Street, north of Braddock Road).
  • The December 20, 1936 edition of the Star reported that rainfall had caused a sewer stoppage at Russell Road and Chapman Street.
  • The March 13, 1937 edition of the Gazette reported that the City Council had approved the standardization of numbering for houses on streets in the “annexed” territories of the City, including Rosemont. The December 7, 1938 edition of the Gazette reported that the project had been completed. For streets running east and west of Washington Avenue (now Commonwealth Avenue), the numbering starts at “1” and increases by 100 for each block. A similar report appeared in the December 8, 1938 edition of the Post.
  • The March 11, 1938 edition of the Gazette reported that the Maury School Parent-Teachers Association would sponsor a “Kiddie Karnival and Dance Review” at the school, with fifteen separate numbers by approximately 50 youngsters.
  • The March 23, 1938 edition of the Gazette reported that $999 had been appropriated for improvements to East Maple Street between its end in East Rosemont west to the old railroad right of way.A similar report appeared in the March 22, 1938 edition of the Gazette.
  • The May 29, 1938 edition of the Post reported that the historic “Eastern View” house at 2525 King Street would for the first time be opened to the public, as part of an open house to support the restoration of Gadsby’s Tavern.A similar report appeared in the May 29, 1938 edition of the Star.
  • The June 11, 1938 edition of the Gazette reported that a permit had been issued to Eugene and Clarence Simpson for the construction of an apartment building at the corner of Washington Avenue (now Commonwealth Avenue) and Walnut Street.
  • The July 27, 1938 edition of the Post reported that Carl E. Brooks and Bessie Brooks had been awarded $6,000 for the condemnation of the property formerly known as North Rosemont Station (2 East Walnut Street), at which they operated a store, which was needed by the City for the expansion of Washington Avenue. Similar reports appeared in the July 26, 1938 and July 27, 1938 editions of the Gazette.
  • The August 24, 1938 edition of the Gazette reported that Carl Wetstone, the two and a half year old son of Mrs. Francis Wetstone of 59 East Maple Street, had been rescued from drowning in a fish pond by Mrs. J.P. Cook of East Maple Street.
  • The October 2, 1938 edition of the Post reported that Suburban Construction Co., with Goodnow Realty Co. as its agent, was building new homes in Rosemont and has announced four sales.
  • The December 9, 1938 edition of the Star included an ad for the new Rosemont Pharmacy at 2 East Walnut Street.
  • The April 16, 1939 edition of the Star reported that W.B. Kuykendall of 9 Rosemont Avenue had won first prize in the large-bore category for model aircraft endurance at a contest at Hybla Valley Airport, sponsored by the National Capital Gas Model Club.
  • The August 18, 1939 edition of the Post listed Mary Ann Boschert of 23 East Walnut Street as a runner-up in a recipe contest, for her pear delight.

 

An exceptional image of Rosemont in 1930, taken by International News Photos to show the nearly complete George Washington Masonic Memorial:

Rosemont - Aerial view, 1930

 

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