Eastern Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Encyclopedia
Eastern Avenue is one of three boundary streets between Washington, D.C.
, and the state of Maryland
. It follows a northwest-to-southeast line, beginning at the intersection of 16th Street NW
(a north-south street in the District of Columbia) and Colesville Road (a street in Montgomery County
in the state of Maryland
). It intersects with Blair Road NW, and ceases to exist for about 1,000 feet (305 metres). Another interruption occurs at Cedar Street NW. A 3,000-foot (915 metre) interruption occurs again at Galloway Street NE, where the park land of the North Michigan Park Recreation Center exists. It continues without interruption until it reaches Bladensburg Road NE. There is a 1.8 mile (2.9 kilometre) interruption in the avenue along Fort Lincoln Cemetery
. The avenue has no crossing over New York Avenue NE
or the Anacostia River
, or through Anacostia Park
. It resumes at Kenilworth Avenue NE, with its terminus at its junction with Southern Avenue
.
Several historic or important buildings are located on Eastern Avenue, and a number of important people once lived on the street. Eastern Avenue forms one of the borders of the Deanwood neighborhood in the District of Columbia, a historic African American
community. Several historically important Deanwood-area churches and schools are located on Eastern Avenue. William Pittman, one of the United States' first African American architect
s and a son-in-law of Brooker T. Washington, lived on Eastern Avenue. The Lucinda Cady House (also known as the Cady-Lee House), located at 7064 Eastern Avenue NW, is a restored Queen Anne
-Victorian
style home built in 1887 which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The headquarters of the missionary
arm and the relief agency of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church
were once located at 6840 Eastern Avenue NW.
Eastern Avenue bridges the Anacostia Freeway
after its junction with Kenilworth Avenue. The Eastern Avenue Bridge has a clearance of 14 feet (4.27 metres), and semi-trailer truck
s have struck the bridge numerous times. In November 2009, the District of Columbia announced that it would spend $10.4 million in stimulus funds
to replace the bridge with a new precast
, 16-foot (4.88 metre) high bridge to address these safety concerns.
Eastern Avenue appears in several works of crime fiction
, because of the higher rate of crime in some of the neighborhoods through which it passes. It is significantly featured in Jim Beame's 2006
short crime story, "Jeannette." Noted Washington, D.C., crime author George Pelecanos
used it as a location in his 1996 novel The Big Blowdown
, and so did Montana
-born author James Grady
in his 2007
novel, Mad Dogs.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and the state of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. It follows a northwest-to-southeast line, beginning at the intersection of 16th Street NW
16th Street Northwest (Washington, D.C.)
16th Street Northwest is a prominent north-south thoroughfare in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C.Part of Pierre L'Enfant's design for the city, 16th Street begins just north of the White House across Lafayette Park at H Street and continues due north in a straight line passing K Street,...
(a north-south street in the District of Columbia) and Colesville Road (a street in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
in the state of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
). It intersects with Blair Road NW, and ceases to exist for about 1,000 feet (305 metres). Another interruption occurs at Cedar Street NW. A 3,000-foot (915 metre) interruption occurs again at Galloway Street NE, where the park land of the North Michigan Park Recreation Center exists. It continues without interruption until it reaches Bladensburg Road NE. There is a 1.8 mile (2.9 kilometre) interruption in the avenue along Fort Lincoln Cemetery
Fort Lincoln, Washington, D.C.
Fort Lincoln is a neighborhood located in northeastern Washington, D.C. It is bounded by Bladensburg Road to the northwest, Eastern Avenue to the northeast, New York Avenue NE to the south, and South Dakota Avenue NE to the southwest...
. The avenue has no crossing over New York Avenue NE
New York Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
New York Avenue is one of the diagonal avenues radiating from the White House in Washington, D.C. It is a major east-west route in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants and connects downtown with points east and north of the city via Cheverly, Maryland, the John Hanson Highway and the...
or the Anacostia River
Anacostia River
The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...
, or through Anacostia Park
Anacostia Park
Anacostia Park is operated by the United States National Park Service. It is one of Washington, D.C.'s largest and most important recreation areas, with over 1200 acres at multiple sites. Included in Anacostia Park is Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens and Kenilworth Marsh...
. It resumes at Kenilworth Avenue NE, with its terminus at its junction with Southern Avenue
Southern Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Southern Avenue is one of three boundary streets between Washington, D.C., and the state of Maryland. Following a southeast-to-northeast line, Southern Avenue begins at the intersection of South Capitol Street, Southeast and Indian Head Highway on the Maryland side. It runs for approximately seven...
.
Several historic or important buildings are located on Eastern Avenue, and a number of important people once lived on the street. Eastern Avenue forms one of the borders of the Deanwood neighborhood in the District of Columbia, a historic African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community. Several historically important Deanwood-area churches and schools are located on Eastern Avenue. William Pittman, one of the United States' first African American architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s and a son-in-law of Brooker T. Washington, lived on Eastern Avenue. The Lucinda Cady House (also known as the Cady-Lee House), located at 7064 Eastern Avenue NW, is a restored Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
-Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
style home built in 1887 which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The headquarters of the missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
arm and the relief agency of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
were once located at 6840 Eastern Avenue NW.
Eastern Avenue bridges the Anacostia Freeway
District of Columbia Route 295
District of Columbia Route 295 , also known as the Anacostia Freeway south of East Capitol Street or Kenilworth Avenue north of East Capitol Street, is a freeway in the District of Columbia, and currently the only numbered route in the District that is not an Interstate Highway or U.S. Highway...
after its junction with Kenilworth Avenue. The Eastern Avenue Bridge has a clearance of 14 feet (4.27 metres), and semi-trailer truck
Semi-trailer truck
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or articulated truck or articulated lorry, is an articulated vehicle consisting of a towing engine , and a semi-trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) articulated truck...
s have struck the bridge numerous times. In November 2009, the District of Columbia announced that it would spend $10.4 million in stimulus funds
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
to replace the bridge with a new precast
Precast concrete
By producing precast concrete in a controlled environment , the precast concrete is afforded the opportunity to properly cure and be closely monitored by plant employees. Utilizing a Precast Concrete system offers many potential advantages over site casting of concrete...
, 16-foot (4.88 metre) high bridge to address these safety concerns.
Eastern Avenue appears in several works of crime fiction
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
, because of the higher rate of crime in some of the neighborhoods through which it passes. It is significantly featured in Jim Beame's 2006
2006 in literature
The year 2006 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Literature:*Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun*Chris Adrian - The Children's Hospital *Martin Amis - House of Meetings...
short crime story, "Jeannette." Noted Washington, D.C., crime author George Pelecanos
George Pelecanos
George P. Pelecanos is a Greek-American author. Many of his works are in the genre of detective fiction and set primarily in his hometown of Washington, D.C. He is also a film and television producer and a television writer...
used it as a location in his 1996 novel The Big Blowdown
The Big Blowdown
The Big Blowdown is a 1996 crime novel written by George Pelecanos. It is set in Washington DC and focuses on Peter Karras. It is the first of four books comprising the D.C. Quartet...
, and so did Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
-born author James Grady
James Grady (author)
James Grady is the Montana born author of thriller novels. He graduated from the University of Montana School of Journalism in 1974. During college, he worked for United States Senator Lee Metcalf of Montana. Best known as the author of Six Days of the Condor, which was famously adapted to film...
in his 2007
2007 in literature
The year 2007 in literature involves some significant new books.-Events:*November 19 - First Kindle e-book reader released.*December 11 - Terry Pratchett informs fans on-line that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease.-Literature:...
novel, Mad Dogs.