Park View in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
From Beer Garden to Park View
Lift Every Voice
— Georgia Ave./Pleasant Plains Heritage Trail —
"Innumerable colored Chinese lanterns ... shedding that dim uncertain light which is the delight of lovers and the poetry of beer drinking"
— Washington Post, June 1879
Back when this area was open fields, German Americans created an amusement park. Washingtonians flocked to Schuetzen (marksmanship) Park for target shooting, concerts, dancing, bowling, and picnics. The breezy, hilltop beer garden drew hundreds on hot summer nights. The Schuetzen Verein (Marksmanship Society) owned the 12.5-acre park, which stretched roughly from here south to Hobart Street.
For four decades, Arthur E. Smith's Modern Music School of Music offered top-notch instruction to children and adults, first at 749 Park Road and then at 3109 Georgia. Smith trained at DC's Armstrong High School, Howard University, and the Julliard School before founding the school in the mid-1930s. Graduates included jazz saxophonist Charlie Hampton, who led the Howard Theatre's house band in the 1960s.
From 1963 until his death in 1983, Morris Morgan of Morgan's Seafood, 3200 Georgia Avenue, served steamed crabs and spiced shrimp to neighborhood regulars and city politicians. Former DC Council member Charlene Drew Jarvis called Morgan "the ombudsman of Georgia Avenue" for 20 years of fostering community connections.
John P. Murchison, Jr., opened Inter-City Mortgage at 3005 Georgia Avenue in 1969 as a pioneering full-service, federally approved African American mortgage lender. With white-owned banks still make homeownership difficult for blacks, the company helped thousands become homeowners.
Erected by Cultural Tourism DC. (Marker Number 16.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Entertainment • Immigration • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Avenue / Pleasant Plains Heritage Trail, and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1879.
Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 38° 55.799′ N, 77° 1.409′ W. Marker was in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It was in Park View. Marker was at the intersection of Georgia Avenue Northwest (U.S. 29) and Kenyon Street Northwest, on the right when traveling south on Georgia Avenue Northwest. The marker is on the southwest corner of Kenyon Street and Georgia Avenue. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 3130 Georgia Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20010, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. The Next Wave (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hobart Community Parks (approx. 0.2 miles away); Urban Oasis (approx. 0.2 miles away); "Treat Me Refined" (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rose Garden (approx. 0.2 miles away); Charles R. Drew and Lenore Robbins Drew (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Modern Shopper (approx. ¼ mile away); Nob Hill (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. This page has been viewed 616 times since then and 15 times this year. Last updated on October 29, 2016, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on July 6, 2013, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 9. submitted on October 29, 2016, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.