Suburban Gardens
Suburban Gardens was created by the Universal Development and Loan Company, a black-owned real estate and development company. Engineer Howard D. Woodson, writer John H. Paynter, and theater magnate Sherman H. Dudley were among the investors. Here Washingtonians enjoyed a roller coaster, Ferris wheel, swimming pools, games of chance, and picnic grounds. There was also a large dance pavilion where popular jazz musicians performed. The 7-acre (2.8 ha) park, in far Northeast, was on the city's undeveloped outskirts bordering Prince George's County, Maryland. Washingtonians and out-of-town visitors came to Suburban Gardens by trolley car, commuter train, private car, or on foot.
The park closed by 1940. After its closure, the area was redeveloped and replaced mostly with apartment buildings.
In 1961, African Americans joined with whites to engage in non-violent civil disobedience that finally ended the racist admissions policies of Glen Echo Amusement Park. Today, the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department's Sixth District Station occupies part of the site of Suburban Gardens.
References
- ^ "A history about Deanwood past". Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ^ Kelly, John (October 26, 2013). "Remembering Suburban Gardens, D.C.'s only amusement park". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
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