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AOI Supports Call to Protect the District's Historic Records

"...Dedicated to preserving memories and many matters of historic interest."

You may recognize the above quote from AOI’s mission. As I have reported at our last two luncheons, there is growing concern about the District’s historic records. This issue was the subject of discussion at this past October’s annual Historic Studies Conference at the MLK Library. Four major concerns were addressed: the City Archives, the Public School Archives at the Sumner School, the Washingtoniana Collection and the collections of the Historical Society (in light of the problems they face since the closing of the City Museum). An ad hoc group, DC History Watch, was formed which includes many local historians, archivists, researchers and authors. AOI has taken a lead in facilitating meetings helping insure that various friends’ groups and supporters aren’t working at cross-purposes or competing.

On Feb. 9th Trudy Peterson (former Acting Archivist of the US and consultant) and I met with the staff of the DC Auditor to ask them to enforce Title 17 of the DC Code which mandates how city records are to be kept.

On Feb. 22, Kathy Smith (former Historical Society Director & founder of Cultural Tourism DC) and I testified before the DC Council’s Committee on Public Works to praise the efforts of the Dept. of Trans-portation for their exemplary efforts to locate, safeguard and preserve their vast collection of documents, drawings and photographs. We are providing supporting materials to Council Member Carol Schwartz’s staff to help ensure all city agencies abide by Title 17.

In addition to the records of the aforementioned collections are numerous organizational, church, cemetery and private collections which must be identified and preserved for future generations.

AOI will continue to be a force in this effort.

AOI Supports Designation of Danzansky Funeral Home as Historic Site
 

April 16, 2007

Emanuel Boasberg III, Chair
District of Columbia Historic Preservation Review Board
801 North Capitol Street, NE, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20001

Dear Mr. Boasberg and Commissioners:

The Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia – the city’s oldest civic association – supports the inclusion of the Danzansky Funeral Home in the District’s Inventory of Historic Sites.

Among its goals to preserve and support both the L’Enfant Plan for the District and the McMillan Plan, the AOI also strives to support efforts to preserve structures and institutions that help tell the District’s story. We believe the Danzansky Funeral Home is significant for the following reasons:

 - Not only was it the only Jewish funeral home in Washington from 1923 until 1945, it was the first Jewish funeral home to provide both preparation of the body and provided a sanctuary for services;

 - The establishment of the Danzansky Funeral Home was a highly significant event for Washington’s Jewish community;

 - The Danzansky Funeral Home is demonstrative of the migration pattern of Washington’s Jewish community during the 20th Century; and,

 - The funeral home’s founder, Bernard Danzansky was a significant figure in the Jewish community of Washington.

We believe adding the Danzansky Funeral Home to the District’s Inventory of Historic Sites will acknowledge its historic significance and contribute to the history of Columbia Heights.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

/S/

William N. Brown, President

Testimony Before the COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Carol Schwartz, Chairperson, PUBLIC OVERSIGHT HEARING, Wednesday, February 22, 2006 on Fiscal Year 2005 and Fiscal Year 2006 Spending and Performance by the Department of Transportation

Chair Schwartz, esteemed Council Members, Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am William Brown, the president of the Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia. Founded on December 7, 1865, the AOI is the District’s oldest, continually active civic association. AOI is probably best known today for its efforts to keep streets and thoroughfares open in keeping with the L’Enfant and McMillian plans – F and G Streets near MCI/Verizon Center, streets through the new Convention Center and Old Convention Center site, calling for the re-opening of Pennsylvania Avenue and E Streets near the White House – but, most recently for our successful effort to return here, to the John A. Wilson Building, the statue of Governor Alexander Shepherd. The return of the Shepherd statue, after nearly a quarter century of exile, could not have been accomplished without the support of City Council members, the leadership of Ddot Director Dan Tangherlini, several construction industry partners and a few very persistent, dedicated AOI members, some of whom are no longer with us to rejoice in the statue’s return.

But a longer-term mission of AOI is to keep alive the history of our city, extol it and its leaders’ accomplishments and to emphasize respect for local government authority. This is best accomplished by ensuring the preservation of our city’s "historic records." At the annual Historic Studies Conference this past October at the Martin Luther King Library, a troubling report was presented and lively discussion ensued regarding the "plight" of the city’s historic records. The discussion focused primarily on four areas of concern: the City Archives, the Records of the DC Public Schools, the Washingtoniana Collection of the DC Public Library and the records and archives of the Kiplinger Library of this Historical Society of Washington, also known as, the City Museum. I believe it was the first time that local historians, genealogists and researchers had openly discussed and shared their concerns about the preservation of and access to these collections of historic documents which, together but not in their entirety, represent the 207 year old history of our city. Efforts have since begun through an ad hoc group, DC History Watch, to work together to ensure that Friends Groups of these collections, conservators, archivists and curators are not working at cross-purposes and to help ensure that city agencies are abiding by the DC Code to preserve, protect and properly archive their records. It quickly became apparent that concerns extended well beyond these four collections. There was an acknowledgment that other private collections, church records, cemetery records and the like must be preserved to document and preserve our city’s heritage for the future.

One city agency which appears to be well ahead of the curve on this is the District’s Department of Transportation. Two weeks ago, representatives from Ddot took Kathryn Smith (former Historical Society Director and founder of Cultural Tourism - DC) and me on a tour of various

sites to show the steps Ddot has begun to take to preserve their historic records. You see, until recently, many of the Department of Public Works’ and the Department of Transportation’s records were stored – and I use the term loosely – in abutments in the Sousa Bridge, in trailers on Shepherd Parkway and in other environmentally unsound and un-secured locations throughout the city. Today, those records in most jeopardy have been moved to more secure quarters on New York Avenue and many, which were in the worse condition, have been shipped off to be stabilized and preserved. Today, in addition to the more secure facility at 64 New York Avenue, NE, records still remain in jeopardy that are stored under the US Department of Labor building’s 3rd Street Tunnel facility, in the basement of the Reeves’ Center and other locations throughout the city.

With the leadership of immediate past Director Tangherlini, Ddot staff including Bill Carr, Bill Rice and other Ddot employees dedicated to the preservation of these historic records and artifacts have undertaken to implement the recommendations of a consultant’s report which lays out the steps necessary to properly inventory, record, preserve and make available these invaluable photographs and documents. Eventually, they also hope to obtain oral histories from past and present Ddot employees reflecting their involvement with the progress of DPW and Ddot over the years which otherwise will be lost. Well, one might think, "Who really cares about old engineering drawings of bridge abutments and photographs of public works projects outside of transportation and engineering circles?" You would be amazed at the wealth of photographic history captured, albeit inadvertently, in many of these old photographs. While the photographer’s intent was to capture the progress on bridge construction, Metro Rail excavations or utility rights-of-way, what they have unintentionally captured is hundreds, if not thousands, of images of buildings, structures and entire neighborhoods which no longer exist. These records need to be stabilized, cataloged and made available to researchers and historians.

Bill Carr and his associates at Ddot have taken the lead to see this accomplished. Their efforts should be publicly recognized and encouraged. And, funds should be provided in their agency’s budget to continue and expand this very important initiative.

On behalf of all of those "Oldest Inhabitants" out there, not to mention the historians... the genealogists... the researchers and future generations, "Thank You" for permitting me time today to recognize these city employees’ accomplishments and to ask you to support their efforts.

Respectfully submitted:

 

William N. Brown, President

Copyright 2008, AOI of DC
Established Dec. 7, 1865
Incorporated 1903

Up-dated 9/3/2008