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HOUSE AGREES TO FUND IMPROVEMENTS TO
BARRACKS ROW, CONGRESSIONAL CEMETERY
Congressman
Jerry Lewis said Thursday he is pleased that the House of Representatives has
supported his request for $500,000 to provide major improvements to the Eastern
Market Metro Plaza and the triangle park around it, creating a new community hub
that has the potential to tie together Eastern Market, Barracks Row and Capitol
Hill.
The
allocation is included in the Fiscal Year 2008 spending bill that covers
Congressional funding for the
District of Columbia
. The funds are designated to be used on the project overseen by the Barracks
Row Main Street (BRMS) Inc., a non-profit group that organized the
revitalization of the Eighth Street Corridor. The federal government owns the
land to be used for the plaza.
“I
have been delighted watch the restoration and renaissance of the old
Federal
City
in the
Barracks Row and Eighth Street
corridor,” said Congressman Lewis, the senior Republican on the House
Appropriations Committee. “This is the heart of our Nation’s Capital, and
these improvements will benefit tens of thousands of federal workers, tourists
and the diverse neighborhoods around Capitol Hill.”
The
Eastern
Market
Metro
Plaza
will be renamed Eastern Market/Barracks Row and reconfigured in a way to tie
together
Eighth Street
to the Seventh Street Eastern Market commercial area with
Pennsylvania Avenue
and the Capitol. The new designs will include enhanced green space,
pedestrian walkways, and areas for community activities. Nearly 6,000 people a
day use the Metro station.
More
information on the Barracks Row revitalization project is available online at www.barracksrow.org.
Lewis
also thanked his colleagues for supporting a $500,000 allocation to rebuild road beds, repair related drainage, and pave
or resurface approx 16 blocks of roads at the Historic Congressional Cemetery. The
roads are in decrepit condition and are unsafe for vehicles or walkers.
Located
1.5 mile east of the Capitol and along the banks of the
Anacostia
River
, this landmark cemetery was established early in 1807; the first Congressman (Uriah
Tracey of CT) was buried approximately 10 weeks later. Beginning in 1823
Congress provided a long series of appropriations to develop and establish
Congressional Cemetery as the first “de facto” national cemetery, honoring
over 200 of its members, 36 Native American tribal representatives, dozens of
foreign envoys and dignitaries, and hundreds of patriots and military figures
who are among the 55,000 buried at the 32-acre site.
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