WAMU 88.5-FM Metro Connection story on McMillan (Part 1) -- architectural historian Emily Eig interviewed

I have not copied in the entire WAMU 88.5-FM Metro Connection story below -- just the first few paragraphs.

You can click on the link to read the entire story.  

There is also a link to the audio story, where you can hear architectural historian Emily Eig interviewed just outside of Bloomingdale's landmarked McMillan Sand Filtration site.

Here is the link to the audio story, where you can hear Emily Eig being interviewed.

This is Emily Eig.

It appears that there will be a Part 2 to this story - focusing upon those who oppose the McMillan site redevelopment plans.  We will post Part 2 of this story here when it comes out.

D.C.'s Stonehenge: The History of the McMillan Sand Filtration Site

By: Jonathan Wilson
January 17, 2014
                                                                     

Sitting west of North Capitol Street, near Children's National Medical Center, is the sand filtration site next to McMillan Reservoir — a piece of land that has sat fenced in and unused for decades. With momentum building once again for new development there, the fascinating history of the property is once again coming to light.

In some ways, the McMillan site, with that collection of imposing concrete silos, has become D.C.'s version of Stonehenge, visually unmistakable and mysterious at the same time.

Taking the long view on water filtration

One person who's spent some time trying to remove that shroud of mystery is Emily Eig, an architectural historian who's part of Envision McMillan, a partnership between the mayor's office and the private sector that's putting forth a plan to redevelop the site.

Eig, who meets me on the corner of 1st and Channing Streets, says the story of the sand filtration site starts in the early 20th century, when Congress decided the District needed to expand its water system.

"The issue was whether it would be a chemical filtering system or a slow sand filtering system," Eig says. "A slow sand filtering system requires more space, and takes more time. And Congress at the time decided the sand was a safer system, even though chemicals at the time were extremely popular."

...

Next week, Jonathan will have more details on the latest plan for redeveloping the McMillan Sand Filtration site, along with some input from those who oppose the plan.

                

Some McMillan silos