The Yards (Washington, D.C.)
The Navy Yard neighborhood was Washington's earliest industrial neighborhood, situated at the natural deepwater port along the Anacostia River. One of the earliest buildings was the Sugar House, built in Square 744 at the foot of New Jersey Avenue SE as a sugar refinery in 1797-98. In 1805, it became the Washington Brewery, which produced beer until it closed in 1836. The brewery site was just west of the Washington City Canal in what was, until recently, Parking Lot H/I in the block between Nationals Park and the historic DC Water pumping station. That plot now hosts an apartment building named Vela and another development under construction.
The centerpiece of the development is the Yards Park, which forms a portion of the Anacostia Riverwalk. It is a waterfront recreation area, boardwalk, and outdoor performance space at the center of The Yards development. It was built as a public-private partnership between the District government, the General Services Administration, and Forest City Washington development company. The park is operated by the Capitol Riverfront BID and has won several design and urban planning awards since it opened in 2010. Yards Park was designed by landscape architect M. Paul Friedberg.
References
- ^ Peck, Garrett (2014). Capital Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in Washington, D.C. Charleston, SC: The History Press. ISBN 978-1626194410.
- ^ "About the Park". The Yards Park. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
- ^ "History". The Yards. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
- ^ The Landscape Architect’s Guide to WASHINGTON, D.C. "The Yards Park". The Yards. Retrieved 14 January 2016.