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Bloomingdale in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Water for the City

Worthy Ambition

— LeDroit Park/Bloomingdale Heritage Trail —

 
 
Water for the City Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 23, 2017
1. Water for the City Marker
Inscription.
You are entering Bloomingdale. Its name recalls the estate of Navy Commander George Beale, who served in the War of 1812, and his wife Emily, the daughter of Commodore Thomas Truxton. The estate occupied the land now bounded by Florida Avenue, T Street, Lincoln Road, NE, and First Street. By 1891 the real estate subdivision of Bloomingdale extended to Bryant Street. The arrival of an electric streetcar line on North Capitol in 1894 encouraged the building of urban rowhouses for commuters.

Across Bryant Street to your left is the Bryant Street Pumping Station, which opened in 1904 to distribute filtered water from McMillan Reservoir. The modern pumping station propelled clean drinking water to elevations higher than its source and decreased dependence on local springs. This meant fewer cases of water-borne diseases such as typhoid fever. Pressurized water also made five hydrants reliable for firefighters.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had built the reservoir and filtering system up the hill a few years earlier. Then as now, Potomac River water flowed to McMillan through the tunnel from the Georgetown and Dalecarlia Reservoirs. Originally waters was filtered slowly through sand and stone in football-field-sized underground beds. Rapid filters replaced the slow ones in 1985.

Actor Chita Rivera
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(Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero) grew up two blocks away at 2134 Flagler Place, where she helped her brother host weekend movies in their basement. "He charged a nickel for the movie and a penny for the popcorn," remembered neighbor Thomas Heggans. Rivera attended Dunbar and trained at DC's prestigious Jones-Haywood Dance School. She became a Broadway star when she created the role of "Anita" in the 1957 musical West Side Story.
 
Erected 2015 by Cultural Tourism DC. (Marker Number 8.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, MusicEntertainmentHispanic AmericansWaterways & VesselsWomen. In addition, it is included in the LeDroit Park/Bloomingdale Heritage Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.
 
Location. 38° 55.227′ N, 77° 0.891′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Bloomingdale. Marker is at the intersection of 2nd Street Northwest and Bryant Street Northwest, on the right when traveling north on 2nd Street Northwest. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Washington DC 20001, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Court Nullifies Racial Covenants (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Kelly Miller Residence Site (approx. 0.2 miles
Water for the City Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 23, 2017
2. Water for the City Marker
away); Separate Schools (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bloomingdale (approx. ¼ mile away); Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (approx. ¼ mile away); Medical Care for All (approx. ¼ mile away); Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated (approx. ¼ mile away); The Lovers' Stroll…A Legacy Begins / Constitutionally Bound (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
 
Water for the City Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 22, 2020
3. Water for the City Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 23, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 205 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on November 23, 2017, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.   3. submitted on February 22, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 29, 2024