GEOGRAPHIC NOMENCLATURE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. A REPORT. In considering a system of nomenclature it is essential to remember that a name may be a description or a mere label. Originally all or nearly all nouns were descriptive, conveying in concise form some idea of the distinguishing peculiarity of the thing named, so that one who had never seen the object could still know something of its nature from hearing its name. In primitive languages nouns still retain this characteristic, and can usually be resolved by analysis into their adjective and verbal elements. This is true in a less degree of the early Greek and Latin, but age has sapped the blood of our words until they have largely become mere arbitrary symbols. The change has come alike upon common nouns, zoologic and botanic names, and personal and geographic names. Without going into a detailed argument, we may assume that where individuality exists it may be expressed in the name, but where all things are alike a mere label is sufficient. The streets and alleys of a city, with their straight lines, level pavements, and rows of brick walls, are practically alike, but in the country every hill and every running brook has its own separate individuality. Street and Alley Names. With regard to names for streets and other city thoroughfares there is an evident advantage in having the name indicate the relative position, and the most obvious method of accomplishing this is by means of a system of nomenclature which is numeric or alphabetic or both. The numbers may run on indefinitely, but the alphabet has a limit, so that if an alphabetic system be adopted it is necessary to start a new series when the streets go beyond twenty-six. Washington, as originally laid out, consists of four sections, with the Capitol in the center. North and South Capitol streets form the dividing line between the eastern and western portions, while East Capitol street and a theoretic West Capitol street running through the Mall separate the northern and southern portions. The four sections, which are designated respectively as northwest, northeast, southeast, and southwest, are very unequal in extent. The original District was a tract of ten miles square on both sides of the Potomac, taken partly from Maryland and partly from Virginia. The Virginia portion, extending along the river from the Chain bridge to Alexandria, was afterward retroceded, thus cutting off about one-fourth this area. As originally planned, the site of the Washington monument was the center of the District, whereas by this change it is now on its southwestern limit, the Potomac river. The streets within the city are laid out at right angles, crossed by avenues running diagonally; and, by a recent ruling of Congress, as the city grows these streets must be extended upon the same lines, wherever possible, to the limits of the District. Therefore, whatever system of street nomenclature is adopted within the city must be one that can be adapted without change to the requirements of its future growth as here indicated. Briefly stated, it is possible for the future city of Washington, according to the present delimitations of the District, to extend from six to seven miles north, east, and west from the Capitol. The southwest is cut off by the river and can expand no farther, while the southeast, including Anacostia, is capable of a limited expansion toward the south. Under the present system the streets are numbered east and west from the Capitol and lettered north and south from the same starting point, while the diagonal avenues are named from states of the Union. Thus we have two series of numbered streets-First street east and First street west, etc., and two series of lettered streets— A street north and A street south, etc. It is necessary always to specify the section as well as the street-as 215 D street northwest— which is a disadvantage, but is rendered necessary by the quadruple plan of the city. On the whole, the system is simple and convenient, besides giving opportunity for future growth, and the problem now before the District Commissioners is how to extend it to the new streets to be laid out beyond the present city limits. The numbered streets run out to Twenty-third east and to Thirtyseventh west (in Georgetown), and as future parallel streets can be numbered onward consecutively we may consider the numbered streets provided for. In this series, however, we find a few short streets, running each only two or three squares and called by fractional names to indicate their relative position, as Four-and-a-half street, Thirteen-and-a-half street. It The system of naming the diagonal avenues after States of the Union is entirely satisfactory, and as there are a sufficient number of States to furnish names for all future avenues we may also dismiss the avenue question. As the avenues intersect at all angles, there can be no rule by which the name shall indicate the position. might be better if Florida avenue were divided at Seventh street, making two avenues under different names instead of one as at present, at the same time straightening the western portion as far as practicable toward Seventh street at one end and Massachusetts avenue extended at the other, so that this portion might be approximately parallel with New York and Rhode Island avenues, while the eastern portion would be approximately parallel with Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia avenues. We come now to the most difficult problem in street nomenclature the naming of the present (lettered) streets running east and west and of future streets to be laid out parallel with them. Before going into this matter let us define the various classes of streets as recognized or contemplated by the Commissioners. In the first place, the broad thoroughfares running diagonally through the city are called avenues. Next, the thoroughfares crossing each other at regular intervals in either direction are called streets. Then we have shorter streets, running perhaps for a square or two, midway between the longer streets of the regular series. Some of these are at present called streets, as "Corcoran street; others are known as places, as "Grant place." It is proposed by the District Commissioners to distinguish all these as places, giving to them at the same time such names as will indicate their position with relation to the regular lettered series. The present "Grant place" is a good illustration of the proposed method. The title place indicates that it is a short street intermediate between two of the regular series, while the name Grant, beginning with G, shows that it is next to G street. The short streets in the numbered series would take fractional names, as Four-and-a-half street, Thirteen-anda-half street, or might better be called "places," to agree with the nomenclature of the short streets in the lettered series, and could be designated by numbers corresponding with those of the streets next following-e. g., Fifth place, Fourteenth place, etc. We have still a fourth class of inhabited city thoroughfares, viz., alleys, which by the growth of population have come to be tenanted by families of the poorer class and are now practically smaller streets. Many of them are now well paved and built up with good houses. It is proposed to designate these as courts, reserving the name alley for the smaller thoroughfares, which are used as passages but not for residences. In the renaming, most of these courts will become places, so that the choice of names for the few remaining will be a simple matter. It should be noted that when two or more places are on the same line, even though the continuity is broken by intervening solid squares, they will be called by the same name. Within the present city limits the initial letter of a "place" would naturally be the same as the letter constituting the name of the regular street immediately following it. Future streets should be laid out at such convenient intervals as to render shorter "places" unnecessary. Uninhabited alleys can be designated by means of the nearest streets. The poor will thus be relieved of the necessity of considering themselves as mere alley refuse, and we shall be rid of the abominable names which now disgrace our city directory, and which are derogatory to the dignity of manhood, for though good may come out of Nazareth, it is hard to imagine it as coming out of Bedbug alley. The most On August 27, 1888, Congress approved "An act to regulate the subdivision of land within the District of Columbia." important section of this bill is section 5, which provides that "No future subdivision of land in the District of Columbia, without the limits of the cities of Washington and Georgetown, shall be recorded in the surveyor's office of the said District unless made in conformity with the general plan of the city of Washington." As a result of this the District Commissioners, on December 6, 1888, issued a series of "General Orders" in regard to streets and subdivisions in the District. These orders embody the fruits of careful study of the question by practical men familiar with the requirements of the case and the difficulties to be overcome. The sections which bear most upon the point at issue are as follows: 7. No subdivision of land outside the cities of Washington and Georgetown will be approved unless the streets and avenues therein conform as far as practicable in width and general direction to the same streets and avenues in the city of Washington. 8. Whenever practicable, streets and avenues will be in exact alignment with the streets and avenues of the city of Washington and of equal width. 20. The names of all avenues, streets, circles, and public spaces will be subject to the approval of the Commissioners. 21. The following scheme for naming these will be adhered to: 22. The broad diagonal highways will be designated as avenues and will be named after the States of the Union. 23. Streets running north and south will be numbered each way from the meridian of the Capitol. If the streets are not direct continuations of the city streets, their names will correspond with the city streets most nearly due north or south of them. 24. Streets running east and west will be named from the letters of the alphabet until these letters are exhausted. Beyond this they will be named after the principal cities of America, the names of which commence with the letters of the alphabet in their proper order of rotation, as Albany street, Baltimore street, Chicago street, Detroit street, etc., etc. When the alphabet is thus exhausted the succeeding streets will be named for the principal rivers and lakes of America, the names of which commence with the letters of the alphabet in proper rotation, as Albemarle street, Brazos street, Champlain street, Des Moines street, etc. 25. Streets not in exact alignment with those to the east or west of them will take the names of those streets most nearly in the line of their direct continuation. 26. Small streets which do not form an essential part of the rectangular system of streets will be designated as "places," and will receive such names as may be approved by the Commissioners. 27. No two streets, avenues, or places in the District of Columbia shall have the same name. 28. Circles and other public spaces will be named after distinguished Americans who have been prominent in the service of their country. We have here provision for three alphabetic series of street names, viz., letters, American cities, and American lakes and rivers, sufficient to furnish names for possible streets as far out to the north as a line drawn west from Takoma Park station, leaving about ten or twelve possible streets beyond unprovided for. The lettered streets as now existing end with W, at Florida avenue, omitting J, which is discarded on account of its resemblance in manuscript to I. The letter series, however, although of long standing, has many enemies on account of its baldness. One writer, in a letter to the Commissioners on this subject, refers to it as "utilitarianism run mad.” As far back as 1886 a bill had been introduced into the Senate proposing to substitute for letters two alphabetic series of names of distinguished Americans, taking for the north the names of statesmen and for the south the names of commanders in the army or navy. Thus, for A, B, C, and D streets it was proposed to substitute Adams, Benton, Clay, and Douglas streets. More recently a plan was proposed for distinguishing the lettered streets south by names of women. The list started off very well |