| Rock Creek Park | |
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IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
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Maryland border entrance |
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| Location | District of Columbia, USA |
| Nearest city | Washington, D.C. |
| Area | 2,820.34 acres (11.4135 km2) |
| Established | September 27, 1890 |
| Visitors | 2,115,516 (in 2004) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
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Rock Creek Park Historic District
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| Location: | Roughly, Rock Creek Park from Klingle Rd. to Montgomery County line, Washington, District of Columbia |
| Area: | 1,754.6 acres (710.06 ha) |
| Built: | 1820 |
| Architect: | Olmsted,Frederick Law,Jr.; Olmsted,John C. |
| Architectural style: | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Early Republic, NPS Rustic |
| Governing body: | National Park Service |
| NRHP Reference#: |
91001524 [1] |
| Added to NRHP: | October 23, 1991 |
Rock Creek Park is a large urban natural area with public park facilities that bisects Washington, D.C. The park is administered by the National Park Service.
Contents |
The main section of the park contains 1,754 acres (7.10 km2), or 2.75 square miles (7.1 km2), along the Rock Creek Valley. Including the other green areas the park administers (Glover Archbold Park, Montrose Park, Dumbarton Oaks Park, Meridian Hill Park, Battery Kemble Park, Palisades Park, Whitehaven Park, etc.), it is over 2,000 acres (8.1 km2). The major portion of the area lies north of the National Zoo, and was established by act of Congress made law by President Benjamin Harrison on September 27, 1890, the same year that Yosemite National Park was established. A later addition of the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway extended the park along a narrow corridor from the zoo to the mouth of Rock Creek at the Potomac River.
In 1933, Rock Creek Park, along with other National Capital Parks, was transferred to the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, and it is patrolled by the United States Park Police. Legislative language from its establishment, and the character of the park itself, suggests that it is among the oldest of America's national parks.
Recreation facilities include a golf course; equestrian trails; sport venues, including a tennis stadium which hosts major professional events; a nature center and planetarium; an outdoor concert venue; and picnic and playground facilities. Rock Creek Park also maintains cultural exhibits, including the Peirce Mill and Civil War fortifications, such as Fort Stevens and Fort DeRussy. Rock Creek is a popular venue for jogging, cycling, and inline skating, especially on the long, winding Beach Drive, portions of which are closed to vehicles on weekends.[2]
It is also the path of a major traffic thoroughfare, the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway, especially along the portion south of the zoo.
The parklands follow the course of Rock Creek across the D.C.-Maryland border to connect with Rock Creek Stream Valley Park and Rock Creek Regional Park in Montgomery County. The Maryland parks are operated by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
The Rock Creek Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 23, 1991.
In May 2002, the remains of missing Federal Bureau of Prisons intern Chandra Levy were found in Rock Creek Park. Police had been searching for her for over a year.
Peirce Mill is a water-powered grist mill in Rock Creek Park. There were at least eight mills along Rock Creek within what is now Washington D.C., and many more farther upstream in Montgomery County, Maryland. Of those eight, only Peirce Mill is still standing.
It was built in the 1820s by Isaac Peirce, along with a house, barn, and other buildings. It was later owned by a son, Joshua Peirce, and a nephew Peirce Shoemaker. It became part of Rock Creek Park when the park was created in the 1890s.
The family consistently spelled their name "Peirce" (except for some of Isaac Peirce's ancestors who went by Pearce). Others often use "Pierce" but not the family. Evidence includes family gravestones, family Bible, and estate book from Joshua Peirce, and living descendants who still use the old spelling.
The mill was listed on the National Register in 1969 as Pierce Mill.[1]
The Mill has been repaired and re-opened October 15th 2011.
The Peirce Carriage Barn, adjacent to the mill, is usually open every day. The barn is the National Park Service point of contact. The barn was part of the Peirce estate built in 1810 and used as a tack room and carriage barn. The barn is now a mini museum containing information on the milling process, the Peirce family estate and other mills along the Rock Creek Valley.
Montrose Park occupies land that belonged to Robert Parrott. Adjacent to it is Dumbarton Oaks Park, which preserves the grounds of the former Dumbarton Oaks estate. The house and its formal garden are not part of the park.
Both parks were listed on the National Register on May 28, 1967.
The Old Stone House, the oldest building in Washington, DC, is a simple 18th century dwelling. The house itself is a popular museum showcasing the everyday life of middle class colonists. It was purchased by the federal government in 1953 and has been open to the public since the 1960s.
Congressional authorizations:
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