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1791
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L’Enfant Plan - Reference to reservation 17 (now Garfield Park: “Five grand fountains intended with a
constant spout of water. N.B. There are within the limits of the City above 25
good springs of excellent water abundantly supplied in the driest season of
the year.”
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1792
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Construction on the Washington City Canal begins (National
Register nomination, p. 13)
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1794
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“Plan de la ville de Washington en Amerique” Reservation
17 labeled C. La Bourse.
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1795
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Canal is abandoned due to financial disarray (National
Register nomination, p. 13).
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1800
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Map notes name Garfield Park, no canal noted.
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1802
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Map from “The Traveler’s Directory”, no eastern branch of canal
noted.
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1802
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Construction on the Washington City Canal resumes through
1815 (National Register nomination, p. 13)
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1812
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Plan for a Marine Hospital and Asylum
(reservation 17 as per L’Enfant Plan)
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1815
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The Washington City Canal opens for use.
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1867
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The Washington Canal Bill is introduced: vests a 30
year lease interest in the canal to a group of citizens, under the name of
the Washington City Canal Company; provides for narrowing portions of the
canal, changing bridges to pivot or draw-bridges; granting right of way
through Half Street and other streets in order to connect James Creek Canal
to Washington City Canal.
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1870
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Act of Congress to “cause the Washington Canal,
either in whole or in part, to be dredged, or if decreed best, dredged and
narrowed, or arched over and converted into a sewer.”
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1871
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The Pennsylvania Railroad requests permission from DC to build a railroad station
at 6th Street, SW. Railroads made canals across the country
obsolete (Historic American Building Survey for L’Enfant Plan).
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1873
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The railroad
station on the Mall is complete.
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1876
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Canal is converted to an open storm sewer.
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1880
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Roose Map of Washington, DC notes canal path with
bridges spanning canal at L and N Streets.
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1902
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Newspaper article cites instances of people dying from
falls into the canal.
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1903
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Congress grants a portion of Reservation 17 (Garfield Park) to the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company (Historic American Building Survey for L’Enfant Plan).
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1905
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Congress approves the transfer of more than six acres
between New Jersey Avenue and South Capitol Street for uses as a heating, lighting and power plant for the Capitol (Historic
American Building Survey for L'Enfant Plan).
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early 1900's
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Canal Street is built over the
old canal.
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1947
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Transfer of
jurisdiction of the land comprising the old canal between Squares 737 and
739, identified as U.S. Reservation 17-A (note sketch below), from the
National Park Service to the District of Columbia (Office of the Surveyor,
book #125).
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1969
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Portion of Reservation 17 (Garfield Park) is transferred to jurisdiction
of the District of Columbia for Southeast/Southwest Freeway construction. Second Street,
which had been a through street in the park, closes to traffic and is claimed
as parkland. Historic American Building Survey for L'Enfant Plan).
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