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Montrose Park
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark District Contributing Property
D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites
Montrose Park in 2022
Location	R Street and Lovers' Lane, N.W., Washington, District of Columbia
Coordinates	38°54′51″N 77°03′38″W / 38.91417°N 77.06056°W / 38.91417; -77.06056
Built	1911
Part of	Georgetown Historic District (ID67000025)
NRHP reference No.	07001178
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	November 15, 2007
Designated DCIHS	March 3, 1979

Montrose Park is a public park owned by the federal government, located in the 3000 block of R Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Georgetown neighborhood. It is located between Dumbarton Oaks Park and Oak Hill Cemetery. Both Montrose Park and Dumbarton Oaks Park were jointly listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 28, 1967. Montrose Park obtained an individual listing in 2007.

In addition to a large children's play area in the back of the park, there are two sets of tennis courts, as well as open space with footwalks and trails that lead into Rock Creek Park.

History

The property was early owned by ropemaker Robert Parrott, who allowed the community to use it as a picnic ground. Sarah Louisa Rittenhouse successfully led a group to lobby Congress to acquire the property as an addition to Rock Creek Park. The park was established in 1911 "after a hard-fought battle" in Congress. To honor Rittenhouse's efforts to make the Parrott property a park rather than a housing development, an "armillary sphere" was created in her honor through fundraising efforts by Washington, DC, hostesses.

In 1914, the federal Office of Public Buildings and Grounds hired landscape architects to develop plans for Montrose Park to keep its ambience that of a large country estate, including a network of paths, an entrance ellipse, a pergola, and a lodge. When that office was abolished in 1933, the National Park Service took over managing the park. Ten years later, a Cultural Landscape Report was published as the preferred treatment document for the park. A service group, the Friends of Montrose Park, assists the Park Service in maintaining and restoring the park as outlined in that report. The park retains a 500 ft (0.15 km)-long ropewalk that was used from 1804 to 1814.

See also

• Rock Creek Park

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "NPGallery Asset Detail". npgallery.nps.gov. Retrieved Dec 27, 2020.
3. ^ "Montrose Park". National Park Service. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
4. "Park is Planned for Georgetown". Evening Star. No. 17, 353. Washington, D.C. 29 March 1908. p. 3 (section 2) – via Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
5. "Washington, DC--Dumbarton Park". Retrieved 11 March 2016.
6. "Montrose Park - History". Friends of Montrose Park. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
7. "Sarah Rittenhouse Armillary Sphere". National Park Service. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
8. "Montrose Park - History". Friends of Montrose Park. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
9. "Montrose Park Cultural Landscape Report" (PDF). National Park Service. August 2004. pp. vii. D-118. Retrieved 9 October 2018.

External links

Media related to Montrose Park at Wikimedia Commons

• Montrose Park (U.S. National Park Service)

• v
• t
• e

• Historic district contributing properties in Washington, D.C.
• Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.
• Protected areas established in 1911
• 1911 establishments in Washington, D.C.
• Georgetown (Washington, D.C.)
• Rock Creek Park
• Ropewalks
• Washington, D.C., Registered Historic Place stubs