Introduction Credits:
Christopher Brantley

Introduction Date:
05/01/2006

Introduction Text:

According to legend, President John F. Kennedy rode down Pennsylvania Avenue during his inaugural parade on January 20, 1961, and remarked how sad it was that this most symbolic of streets should appear in such poor condition. Whether this tale is true is irrelevant because President Kennedy did, in fact, begin the process that would ultimately lead to the redevelopment and revitalization of “America’s Main Street.”

Pennsylvania Avenue was conceived from the very beginning, by designer Pierre L’Enfant, as a grand, ceremonial thoroughfare connecting the Executive Mansion and the National Capitol. As noted above, however, by the mid-twentieth century it was severely downtrodden.

John Kennedy would not live to see his hopes for Pennsylvania Avenue realized, but his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson continued the process of planning for the redesign of the Avenue. It was not until the administration of Richard Nixon that a permanent government body, the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC) was created by Congress.

PADC laid out their plans for the Avenue in their 1974 annual report. During the subsequent years, a tremendous amount of controversy arose over plans originating from this report. A substantial portion of that controversy dealt with the question of historic preservation. On this most historic of streets, in this most historic of cities, what must be saved, and what can safely and prudently be demolished to make room for new development? The following documents provide just a small look at some of the arguments over redeveloping Pennsylvania Avenue.