History
Before 1912: A Dynamic River System Becomes Polluted
1856 Map
1891 Map
The Boschke map of 1856 (overlaid on a current map of DC buildings and streets)is very detailed in its representations of different habitats, but it doesn’t contain a legend. Some habitat types, like forests and floodplain forests, are easy to identify. By 1856, the land around the river was already mostly cleared and the river was full of eroded topsoil. The dark orange area in the center of the river could possibly be hummocks of sediment or a different type of tidal marsh.
• Early settlers found the river rich with animal species and were amazed at the clarity of the streams and rivers. The port upriver at Bladensburg was initially 40’ deep.
• 1853: The Army Corps of Engineers closed Bladensburg to large commercial ships. The river had become very shallow because of erosion of topsoil from farm fields. Intense clearing was due to lack of knowledge about fertilizer, a cash crop of tobacco (which requires fertile soil), and low crop prices.
• 1871: DC switched to a sewer system to dispose of human waste. These sewers drained directly into the Anacostia River. Upstream communities also drained their waste into the river.
This 1861 map by Colonel Hains shows a significant area of tidal marsh, with a small amount of floodplain or flooded forest in the same location as the 1856 map, but the river channel is different. These two maps show a dynamic river system changing over time. This map portrayed the river only, not the surrounding uplands, but the banks were all shown as deforested except for the small area shown.
• 1870s-90s: Sewage accumulated in the river and mud flats, leading to outbreaks of cholera, malaria, measles, and typhoid fever.
• 1890s: People in DC finally believed in germ theory and came to realize that their sewage-laden tidal flats were the cause of many diseases that ravaged their communities. Public pressure to fill the tidal flats began mounting.
• 1912: An act by Congress allowed for dredging in the Anacostia. Dredging finally began around New Year of 1914 and by the end of that year, significant progress had be made.
1912-1980: Channels, Islands, and Development Proposals
• 1916: Enough sediment had been accumulated from dredging that Kingman and Heritage Islands were created. These islands were considered to be property of the federal government. Originally, the plan was to develop the islands as a park and recreation area, but people started to come up with other ideas.
• 1926: The city considered the islands and a filled-in Kingman Lake for the location of its first major airport. However, a park and recreation area was still the favored use.
• 1930s: During the Great Depression, subsistence gardens were grown on the northern half of the island.
• 1938: Langston golf course was constructed on the northern half of the island and opened in 1939.
• 1947: Plans were made to develop the islands and Kingman Lake into a private airport. However, the densely populated area was undesirable and plans were quashed.
• 1954: The islands were to be part of the expansion of Langston Golf Course but the new holes were built elsewhere.
• 1960: The construction of RFK Stadium and its parking lots began, and part of the river was filled in to accommodate these parking lots.
1962: There was a failed proposal for the site to become a city dump. Even though it did not become an official landfill, the city dumped environmental waste until the 1990s.
• 1968: Talks of an environmental theme park for the bicentennial of July 4, 1976 began. Kingman Island was renamed National Children’s Island. The park was to be entirely handicappedaccessible and free, but bureaucratic issues delayed construction and caused costs to rise. The project was transferred to a new department and was not funded.
1957-2015: More Development Proposals, Marsh Restoration
In 1961, the RFK stadium and its parking lots were completed and areas of bare earth were covered with grass. By 1980, a pedestrian bridge connecting the islands had been constructed. In 1980, Kingman Island had a large grassy clearing south of East Capitol Street and a network of bare earth paths and grasslands north of East Capitol Street.
Between 1980 and 2015, areas of marsh were restored, which were the first areas of marsh on this part of the river in nearly 100 years. Heritage Island has been wooded for at least 66 years, and the southern tip of the island has been wooded for at least 48 years. Kingman Island gained significant tree cover since 1980. The areas around RFK stadium remain covered in impermeable parking lot and surrounded by mowed lawn.
• 1980: After spending 4 million dollars DC officials terminated the plans for a theme park. The only construction that had occurred were bridges connecting the islands and two buildings. 100 cherry trees had been planted.
• 1984: Italian Countess Bina Sella di Montelue won approval for a 50 acre, 40-million dollar theme park on the two islands. The theme park would be based off of Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park in Copenhagen.
• 1991: The countess’ proposal was delayed by a proposal to put 2,000 parking spaces on Kingman Island to accommodate the new Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in the RFK parking lots.
• 1995: The National Children’s Island Act of 1995 transferred ownership and management of Kingman and Heritage Islands from the federal government to the DC government. The new law stated that if development did not occur within a number of years, ownership would revert back to the federal government.
• 1999: Countess Bina Sella di Monteluce’s dream of creating a theme park officially ended because of cost projections and because local and environmental groups opposed the plans.
• 1999: Mayor Anthony Williams formed a partnership with 15 different federal and local agencies. This partnership was created in order to restore the Anacostia River and surrounding areas to
a healthy state. To improve the state of the Anacostia, $1B was earmarked to clean up the sewer runoff that continues to drain into the river. Tons of garbage were hauled off the islands.
• 2005: Mayor Williams announced plans for a $9M environmental education center to be built on Kingman Island.
• 2007: Kingman Island officially reopened for public use. Living Classrooms was chosen to manage the islands.
• 2010: A bill amending the 1995 National Children’s Island Act ensured Kingman and Heritage Islands still belonged to DC . At this time, new pathways, new plantings, and outdoor classrooms were added to the islands. The islands are currently being returned to their original purpose, which is to provide an area in DC for people of all ages to learn about the natural environment.