The small urban park that is now “Kim’s Garden” was created in 1898. The Spanish-American War was ending, Independence Avenue was known as “B” Street and Eastern Market was poised to become the unofficial “town center” of Capitol Hill. One feature that has remained the same to this day is the beautiful stone Romanesque church adjacent to the park. Built in the 1890s, the North Carolina Avenue Methodist Church is now known as Christ Our Shepherd Church.
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Photograph of Reservation 232 taken in 1927
(courtesy of the Historical Society of Washington) |
Identified as Reservation 232 by the National Park Service, the site was designated as part of the public park system on July 1, 1898. It was described as a trapezoid-shaped area, 7,837 square feet in size, and located at the intersection of North Carolina Avenue and B Street South. The park was enclosed with a post-and-chain fence and had a flower bed in the center. A photo of the park taken in the winter of 1927 depicts a pristine landscape delicately accented with oak trees, some of which are still standing today. Only a few early model Ford automobiles portend the wave of traffic that circulates past the site today.
The National Park Service transferred Reservation 232 to the District of Columbia government on December 18, 1973 so that "limited use of a portion or portions of such area or areas" could be used for minor street improvements. This transfer took place pursuant to the National Capital Planning Act of 1952.
As with many parks in DC and elsewhere, maintenance often yields to budget constraints and Reservation 232 has certainly suffered the impact of neglect in recent years. Kim often donated her time and resources to help maintain the park, which was located just down the block from her home. Whether it was trimming the bushes, mulching, raking or adding a shrub, Kim’s love of nature and her devotion to preserving beauty were a gift to the park and to those who knew her. With the help of the community, Friends of Kim Brenegar is devoted to restoring and maintaining Reservation 232 to honor Kim’s memory.
“There is nothing more practical in the end than the preservation of beauty.” – Theodore Roosevelt
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