In the eyes of the volunteers, the perception of the park had become the reality. Nobody cares about that park," he was quoted as saying. ![]() The article, "Washington's Jewel of a Park Losing Its Luster to Vandalism," quoted the National Park Service supervisor in charge of Meridian Hill Park, who said that the primary reason the park was allowed to decline was the fact that no one cared about it. Shortly after the volunteers began patrolling, an article appeared in The Washington Post chronicling the park's decline into vandalism and drug-dealing. They became our eyes and ears for truly bad behavior." "We found that these people, although they seem intimidating to approach, were phenomenal assets. "You can't deny who is already there," said Coleman. Another became the chair of the Friends of Meridian Hill, the organization that grew out of the outreach effort. One, a former drug-dealer, became an informant in a trial about a murder in the park, resulting in the imprisonment of the slayer. Some of the people encountered on that first night have since become key contributors to the effort. Coming face to face with the park's murderous reputation, they were surprised to discover a core group of people who really cared about the park and were actually keeping an eye on things. "It's a simple thing, and it sounds corny but it really works," said Steve Coleman, a resident who helped organize the patrols.Īlthough they were, at times, taking their lives into their own hands, nine of the original volunteers decided to venture into the park at night, to see what was really happening, and meet the park's denizens. They organized a park patrol, which wore orange hats and carried no weapons but said "hello" to everyone they met in the park. The members of a local neighborhood association decided to fight back. One newspaper article quoted a police officer who called it "a supermarket of drug dealing." Although residents disputed it, a 1989 study called the park the "Most Murderous" in that section of the city. Project Descriptionīy the early 1980's, Meridian Hill Park was a virtual den of thieves. The park's Concert Grove, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., was the sight of many performances up until the early 1970's, when it began to fall into misuse. A 300-foot, 13 level cascading staircase fountain, the longest of its kind, separates the two levels. The upper level is mostly grass, while the lower tier is aggregate concrete, designed as a formal garden with pools and statues. Located 7,000 feet from the White House, the park was built between 1912-1939, with an unusual two-tiered design. Meridian Hill Park is a 12-acre national park, in one of Washington's most densely-populated and diverse neighborhoods. ![]() Meridian Hill Park is now one of the great models of park stewardship in the country and has served as an example for many other parks partnerships. For a time, it had the dubious distinction of being known as the "most violent national park in the region." However, after a neighborhood friends group adopted the park, its use by local residents grew exponentially, and crime has been reduced over 95%. Meridian Hill Park, also known as Malcolm X Park, is located on 16th Street in Washington, D.C.
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