 Street sign at 1900 Independence Avenue SW | |
 | |
| Former name | B Street |
|---|---|
| Maintained by | DDOT |
| Location | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| West end | Ohio Drive SW |
| Major junctions | Maine Avenue SW 14th Street SW Washington Avenue SW Pennsylvania Avenue SE Massachusetts Avenue SE |
| East end | East Capitol Street(Whitney Young Memorial Bridge) |
| Construction | |
| Commissioned | 1791 |
| Completion | 1941 |
Independence Avenue is a major east–west street in thesouthwest andsoutheast quadrants of the city ofWashington, D.C., in the United States, running just south of theUnited States Capitol. Originally named South B Street, Independence Avenue SW was constructed between 1791 and 1823. Independence Avenue SE was constructed in pieces as residential development occurred east of theUnited States Capitol and east of theAnacostia River. Independence Avenue received its current name afterCongress renamed the street in 1934.
Independence Avenue SW originally had its western terminus at14th Street SW, but was extended west toOhio Drive SW between 1941 and 1942. The government of the District of Columbia renamed the portion of the road in the southeast quadrant of the city, west of theAnacostia River, in 1950. Independence Avenue SE encircles the southern end of the formerRFK Stadium before ending atEast Capitol Street near theWhitney Young Memorial Bridge.
In the District of Columbia'sCartesian coordinate systemstreet-naming system, Independence Avenue was originally known as South B Street. Construction on the street began sometime after 1791. By October 1803, it existed definitively between New Jersey Avenue and 1st Street East,[1] and in 1809 it was opened between New Jersey Avenue andPennsylvania Avenue.[2] By 1816, the entire length of the avenue appears to have been opened.[3] At the time, South B Street's western terminus was on the shore of thePotomac River, which at the time was located where 14th Street NW is now.
After terrible flooding inundated much of downtown Washington, D.C., in 1881, Congress ordered theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers to dredge a deep channel in the Potomac to lessen the chance of flooding. Congress also ordered that the dredged material be used to fill in what remained of the Tiber Creek estuary and build up much of the land near theWhite House and along Pennsylvania Avenue NW, by nearly 6 feet (1.8 m) to form a kind oflevee.[4][5][6] This "reclaimed land", which today includesWest Potomac Park,East Potomac Park, theTidal Basin, was largely complete by 1890, and designated Potomac Park by Congress in 1897.[7] Congress first appropriated money for the beautification of the reclaimed land in 1902, which led to the planting of sod, bushes, and trees; grading and paving of sidewalks, bridle paths, and driveways; and the installation of water, drainage, and sewage pipes.[8] But South B Street was not extended through the newly reclaimed land.
In 1925, Congress authorized the construction ofArlington Memorial Bridge. The legislation specified that North B Street be treated as a major approach to Arlington Memorial Bridge.[9] TheNational Capital Park and Planning Commission approved the significant widening of North B Street into a ceremonial avenue.[10] On February 25, 1931, PresidentHerbert Hoover signed legislation which renamed North B Street asConstitution Avenue.[11]
Planning for the creation of a similar ceremonial avenue to take the place of South B Street began in 1930. That year, the National Capital Park and Planning Commission (NCPPC) advocated turning the roadway into a much-widened ceremonial avenue as a counterpart to North B Street.[12] The NCPPC proposed extending South B Street west via a bridge over theTidal Basin as a means of alleviating thetraffic congestion that occurred after the closure of 13th Street NW south of Constitution Avenue.[13] The following year, the NCPPC proposed widening South B Street to 60 feet (18 m) between New Jersey Avenue SE and 12th Street SW. Between 12th and 14th Streets SW, the street would be 80 feet (24 m) wide, to accommodate thepiers supporting the planned pedestrianskyways linking theUnited States Department of Agriculture headquarters building with the newUnited States Department of Agriculture South Building. All along the route, the north curb would remain in place, while the south curb moved to accommodate the new widths.[14] The NCPPC had already won the support of theArchitect of the Capitol for the plan, which agreed in 1930 to move thenew House office building to the south in order to accommodate the wider avenue.[12]
The renaming of North B Street and the actions of the NCPPC encouraged local citizens to seek to rename South B Street as well. In April 1932, the Federation of Citizens Associations of Washington, D.C., petitioned Congress to rename South B Street "Washington Avenue" between theWashington Monument grounds and Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The idea was conceived by the federation's past president, Fred A. Emery, who observed that no major thoroughfare in the city commemorated George Washington (whose bicentennial birth was being celebrated that year).[15] But no action was taken in the72nd United States Congress. Instead, Senate Joint Resolution 258 was introducedArthur Capper (R-Kansas) in theUnited States Senate to change the name to Independence Avenue.[16] TheSenate Committee on the District of Columbia favorably reported the bill on February 28, 1933.[17] But Congress adjourned on March 3 without further action.
The NCPPC, however, did not give up on the idea. In November 1933, it approved changing the width of South B Street between 12th and 14th Streets SW to 80 feet (24 m), which helped cement in place its plan for a "future Independence Avenue".[18] At its meeting on January 18, 1934, it re-emphasized its support for the street's renaming.[19]
Congress acted swiftly to rename the street. On February 2, 1934, SenatorJames J. Davis (R-Pennsylvania) submitted S. 194 to accomplish this purpose.[20] The full Senate passed the bill on February 6.[21] The bill went to theUnited States House of Representatives, where theHouse Committee on the District of Columbia reported the bill favorably on March 10.[22] However, the bill was held up (along with all other D.C.-related legislation) as the House debated theReciprocal Tariff Act.[23] Worried that the bill might stall, theWashington Board of Trade endorsed the legislation on March 30.[24] On April 5, RepresentativeMary T.Norton (D-New Jersey), chair of the House District of Columbia Committee, broke the logjam after appealing to the House leadership and won a full day's debate on all D.C.-related bills, including the South B Street naming bill.[25] The full House passed the bill April 9,[26] and PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt signed it into law on April 13, 1934.[22]
Independence Avenue was finally extended westward throughWest Potomac Park in 1941 and 1942. For a decade, the NCPPC's proposal to extend the avenue westward had been opposed by theUnited States Department of the Interior, which opposed use of parkland for roads. There was also concern that the road would interfere with the Tidal Basin, which served as a flushing system of the downtown sewer network. But in October 1941,United States Secretary of the InteriorHarold L. Ickes removed his opposition to the extension, citing the need to accommodate defense workers needing to access the national capital. The NCPPC voted on October 17, 1941, to extend the avenue west to the Potomac River. The agency was still unsure, however, whether to fill in the Tidal Basin's north bay, bridge it, or build acauseway.[27] A bridge over the north bay of the Tidal Basin was the solution, and construction on the newKutz Memorial Bridge began in June 1942.[28]
The 1934 legislation only renamed B Street SW. B Street SE, both east and west of theAnacostia River, retained its original name. This proved immensely confusing for motorists, as the street named its named east ofSouth Capitol Street. In 1950, the D.C. Commissioners voted to change the name of B Street SE between South Capitol Street and the Anacostia River to Independence Avenue SE.[29] B Street SE east of the Anacostia River continues to retain its original designation.
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The western terminus of Independence Avenue is south of theLincoln Memorial at the intersection of Ohio Drive SW and 23rd Street SW. The street contains three lanes of traffic in each direction, and eastbound and westbound lanes are divided by a 55-foot (17 m) grassymedian. TheJohn Ericsson National Memorial is located southwest to this terminus. Going eastward, Independence Avenue passes throughWest Potomac Park, creating an informal boundary to theNational Mall. TheKorean War Veterans Memorial is adjacent to the avenue's north edge about 600 feet (180 m) east of the terminus. After passing West Basin Drive SW, motorists can see theMartin Luther King, Jr. Memorial adjacent to the roadway to the south and theDistrict of Columbia War Memorial adjacent to the roadway to the north.
As Independence Avenue SW approaches the Tidal Basin, the westbound lanes curve north toward 17th Street SW to avoid a bay in the Basin. TheJohn Paul Jones Memorial stands where 17th Street SW meets Independence Avenue SW. The eastbound lanes cross the Tidal Basin via theKutz Bridge. Small off-ramps allow westbound traffic to return eastbound, and eastbound traffic to return westbound, essentially ringing the Tidal Basin bay with roadways. East of the Tidal Basin,Maine Avenue SW joins westbound Independence Avenue. An off-ramp allows eastbound Independence Avenue traffic to access Maine Avenue SW, and then an unnamed bridge creates a grade separation between elevated Independence Avenue and entrenched Maine Avenue. Both lanes of Independence Avenue curve gently through this area before moving northward to avoid theSidney Yates Federal Building (the red brick,Romanesque Revival headquarters of theUnited States Forest Service). The two lanes merge into a single street with no median at Raoul Wallenberg Place SW (e.g., 14th Street SW) before curving slightly south to straighten into a formal east–west aligned ceremonial avenue.
Between 14th Street SW and 2nd Street SW, Independence Avenue is lined with museums and federal office buildings. On the north side of the street (west to east) are the U.S. Department of Agriculture's headquarters (the Jamie L. Whitten Federal Building), theFreer Gallery of Art andArthur M. Sackler Gallery (both art museums belonging to theSmithsonian Institution), theSmithsonian Institution Building, theNational Museum of African Art, theHirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, theNational Air and Space Museum, theNational Museum of the American Indian, and theUnited States Botanic Garden. On the south side of the street (west to east) are the Department of Agriculture's South Building, theJames V. Forrestal Building (headquarters of theUnited States Department of Energy), the Wilbur Wright Federal Building, and the Orville Wright Federal Building (headquarters of theFederal Aviation Administration), theWilbur J. Cohen Federal Building (occupied by theUnited States Department of Health and Human Services [HHS]), and theHubert H. Humphrey Building (headquarters of HHS).
At 2nd Street SW, Independence Avenue SW meets Washington Avenue SW, a major thoroughfare providing access toInterstate 395 andSouth Capitol Street.
Independence Avenue SW/SE forms the southern boundary of the grounds of theUnited States Capitol. The Capitol is to the north of the street, while theCannon,Longworth, andRayburn House Office Buildings are to the south. Past the Capitol, Independence Avenue SE passes between theLibrary of Congress'Thomas Jefferson Building (north) andJames Madison Memorial Building (south). The last major building along the avenue is the Library of Congress'John Adams Building (north), where Independence Avenue SE has a junction with Pennsylvania Avenue SE.
The wide, ceremonial Independence Avenue SE narrows to become a traditional residential street east of 2nd Street SE. There is a major intersection with Massachusetts Avenue SE between 14th and 15th Street SE. After 19th Street SE, Independence Avenue SE passes to the south of theD.C. Armory. The roadway then curves south and northeast around the formerRobert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. At its eastern terminus, Independence Avenue SE merges withEast Capitol Street as it reaches theWhitney Young Memorial Bridge over the Anacostia River.
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Independence Avenue SW is a major commuting route, and carries very heavy automobile traffic duringrush hour weekday mornings and evenings. At all other times, including weekends, it sees significant use by residents seeking to access Virginia viaArlington Memorial Bridge and by tour buses. From 23rd Street SW to Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Independence Avenue is part of theNational Highway System.