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Hill East Residents Pan Historic District Expansion Plan
by Andrea Swalec — November 18, 2014 at 10:45 am
A growing number of Capitol Hill residents are voicing skepticism about historians’ designs for the creation of the Capitol Hill East Historic District and the expansion of the Capitol Hill Historic District.
About 60 locals listened to a 45-minute presentation last night (Monday) by Emily Hotaling Eig, president of the architectural history firm EHT Traceries, Inc. The firm said its research supported additional historic designations to protect neighborhood character.
“We believe there are some wonderful buildings and housing stock that should be recognized for its value to the community,” Eig said, describing notable corner stores and wood-frame buildings that fall within the studied area to the north and east of the current historic district.
But locals said they don’t want additional restrictions on their homes, and that EHT and the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, which commissioned the study, had made an insufficient case for the designations.
Susan Fariss, a 17th Street SE resident for the past 14 years, said the creation of a historic district that included her home would have a real impact on her neighbors. She described having recently spent $1,000 to have a wooden picket fence built around her yard. A historic designation would have required that fence to be wrought iron, she said, which she estimated would cost two or three times more money.
“If there’s a historic district, then I’m not building a fence, and I’m going to let my dog s**t in your yard,” she said to laughter.
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