Meridian Hill Park

16th Street between Euclid and Florida Avenues
1912-1935 Horace W. Peaslee; Mrs. Johnson B. Henderson, sponsor


Meridian Hill Park is everything a neighborhood park should be, if not quirky and somewhat bizarre. By far the most colorful description of this gem comes from the AIA Guide to Architecture of Washington, D.C., though there are online sources with more empirical information here and here. I hope you enjoy the author's subtle humor as much as I:

Construction of the park spanned two decades, time enough to allow for a surprising variety of architectural moods, motifs, and styles. Peaslee (1884-1959) wrote that he based the park's lower level, with its axial plan, 13 graduated pools, and cascading falls, on "the Pincian Hill of Rome." But, since he at various other times said he relied on the Villa d'Este and on Rome's Villa Medici for ispirazione, it might be best to call section one simply "generic Italian." The upper terrace is French: dead flat for some 900 feet despite the hill, it is centered on a broad grass mall with promenades and hemlock hedges all terminating in a bronze statue of Joan of Arc.

Miraculously, this unique creation has survived more or less as Mrs. Henderson and Peaslee envisioned it: it has survived plots to build a replica of Old Faithful geyser in it, and it has survived - so far - the drug dealers and hooligans who have recently made it a favorite point of rendezvous. -Christopher Weeks

No wonder the park has become a haven for crime; it's big enough to get lost in and has an overabundance of architectural features incorporated into the landscape that offer the perfect hiding spot. I can't help but imagine this would make quite the outdoor arena for a good game of nocturnal hide-and-go-seek! (Dave, can we organize that for the conference?)

Above all, Meridian Hill Park is a public space for gathering and is safe by day. Since the 1950's people have come to dance to the beat of an acoustic ensemble on warm Sunday afternoons. Many come with a blanket to spread out on the grass, some with a book, others with a laptop. Some come for a leisurely walk throughout the park's winding paths and staircases. Some come for the view of the grand fountain or even a glimpse of the Washington Monument. While preservation repairs began in 2003, the park's disrepair lends to the informal atmosphere. Here, all are welcomed.