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 With Description -Views on the Environs, &c. 
 
 The colored Map showing fully the topography 
 of the Grounds, with a full and complete de- 
 scription of the property, terms and stipulations, 
 caii be seen ut our office. 
 
 Penn.Ave., Cor. 1 It h street, 
 WASHINGTON D. C. 
 
ABINGTON PARK. 
 
 The advantages of a City are manifold and apparent; 
 cites have paved streets, fine stores, churches, opera 
 house, and many places of amusement, and, therefore, a 
 man of large income prefers to live in the city whore his 
 money can command all the luxuries. But there arc draw- 
 backs of many kinds in a city life. The close crowded 
 population, the contagious diseases, blinding, burning heat 
 in the summer, small stifling tenement houses, and a want 
 of freedom of children at play — the close proximity of vice 
 in many forms, is a crying evil, against which many pa- 
 rents strive in vain to guard their children against 
 
 Many denizens of Washington and the surrounding 
 cities who are in receipt of limited income, and who live 
 in a crowded quarter, renting a house and paying for a 
 shelter a high rate, and only looking upon it as a stopping 
 place for the time, naturally pine for a home of their own, 
 where, under the shadow of their own vine and fig tree, 
 they can feel that they have found a haven of rest, and 
 here, in their rural home, they can have fresh air, trees 
 and flowers, pure water, tresh fruits and vegetables, milk 
 and butter — all the result of their own labors, and live 
 where there is freedom from taxation and vicious neigh- 
 bors. 
 
 Such is the dream of many a wearied, tired man, who 
 returning, after a hard days work tohis small rented house 
 in the hot city, only sighs heavily that his dream cannot 
 come true. For these mainly, and others, the town of 
 Abington Park was laid out, and by lookingon the map it 
 will be seen that it has been our desigu to satisfy in some 
 
4 AIjTXGTOX park, 
 
 measure every reasonable want. Therearc lotsof various 
 sizes. Public grouuds, large and small, wide and broad 
 streets, a beautiful river near, and scenery of rare loveli- 
 ness. Positions have been allotted to the future towi* 
 hall, churches, and school-houses. Small lots for those 
 whose means permit only a small expenditure, are grouped 
 in the vicinity of the public reservations, so that the 
 largest number of persons can enjoy them, whilst larger 
 lots and more distant from the centre, and especially 
 on the heights, can be bought by those men who are dis- 
 posed to create all the beauty around their homes which- 
 they may desire. Even a cursory examination of this plan 
 will show that the rectilinear and right angular system of 
 town building has been abandoned,, first,, because it is not 
 well adapted to a rolling country like Abingtou Park ; sec- 
 ond, because on the whole,, gently curving lines are more 
 agreeable to travel over,, are shorter distance between 
 important points, and will make the completed town more 
 beautiful. Every part of the town has been laid out for 
 convenience and beauty, much of the land is given to the 
 public in avenues, greens, commons, roads and parks. To 
 open this country and make it as convenient a place to live* 
 in as the city, the Proprietor has made the roads broad-, 
 with wide sidewalks-. 
 
 The roads and avenues with very few exceptions, arc 
 00 or 75 feet wide. The line for the house fronts is set far 
 enough back from the front line of the lots to insure a 
 broad space between the opposite houses, and gives an air 
 of spaciousness and even grandeur to the streets when the 
 town has grown to maturity. Each lot is large enough 
 after the house is built, to contain stable for horse and 
 cow, as well as ample room for a garden suflicient to sup- 
 ply a family with vegetables and fruit. 
 
ALEXANDRIA COUNTY, VA. £> 
 
 Next to wide streets, the most important fact i.s water ; 
 without that necessity near all comfort is at an end. And 
 that is the nearly insurmountable difficulty that the pro- 
 jectors of suburban towns and villages lying in level or low 
 lands have to contend against. The Abmgtou Park land 
 is well supplied with springs, they bubble in every valley 
 and burst out in a score of places in the hillsides. At the 
 south side of the town is the Four Mile Run Creek with 
 the purest of water running on sand and pebbly bottom ; 
 it is intended to erect a force pump, and by an iron pipe 
 furnish each dwelling with water. The water of this 
 creek, which empties into the Potomac River, comes from 
 numberless springs of the upper country, which is a grav- 
 elly region without a suspicion of lime in it. 
 
 B&m @Q$& FACILITIES* 
 
 Lying as it does on the turnpike and double track rail- 
 road — immediately between two large cities — Washington 
 but two miles distant and Alexandria but four, the situa- 
 tion is all that can be desired. Hourly trains stop at Hun- 
 ter's Station which is immediately at the town. The 
 last train leaves Washington at midnight so as to erive 
 accommodation to those who desire to attend places of 
 amusement. The cars stop at every hour for local passen- 
 gers and the depot at each terminus is in the centre of the 
 city. In five minutes you are in either city. The local 
 trains of this road connect with the trains going West and 
 North, via. Baltimore and Potomac Rail Road. As soon 
 as this town gets fairly started a new and substantial way 
 station will be built. Ten minutes will take a gentleman 
 to the centre of the city where the Departments are, 
 makng Abhigton Park actually nearer the business part of 
 the city than oithor the Capitol Hill or the Navy Yard. 
 
G rOTOF PARK, 
 
 <BO$B8 ax® TU ' ft N PI RE 
 
 The one fault, and the only one that can possibly be 
 brought against this location, is the state of the turnpikes: 
 between Washington and Alexandria; many persons 
 would object to driving along a turnpike, parallel to which 
 is a railroad with running trains, for fear of the frightening 
 of their horses. This is an objection, and if it was insup- 
 erable, would be a grave one, but a few words of explana. 
 tion as the case stands now, will convince the most unrea- 
 soning that this trouble will soon be ended. Just before' 
 the close ot the Virginia Legislature in April 1374, the 
 said Assembly passed a bill that a new road should be 
 built or constructed between Alexandria and "Washington, 
 naming Alexander Hunter, D. Windsor and others direc- 
 tors, granting them power to form a stock company, with 
 a capital not exceeding seventy-live thousand dollars. The 
 Governor approved the bill and it is now a law. Negoti- 
 ations are now in progress with the railroad company to 
 obtain the turnpike. When this is done immediate action 
 will be taken. The company will be formed, bonds issued, 
 the turnpike will be widened thirty feet, and a palisade 
 sixteen feet high erected, shutting from view the passing 
 trains; within a year's time it is confidently expected, 
 that the turnpike will be all that it should be, and will, 
 deservedly, be one of the most fashionable drives in the 
 vicinity of the National Capital. 
 
 Bounding Abington Park on the west is the George- 
 town road, connecting with the Washington and Alex- 
 andria turnpike by the Potomac Boulevard, one hundred 
 feet wide, forming a most charming drive of over one 
 thousand yards. The Georgetown road is one of the 
 finest in the countr} 7 , and passes through romantic scenery 
 to three miles away from Georgetown. Two miles from 
 Abington Park, on this road, is Arlington Heights, once 
 the home of Gcu. lu E. Lee, but now the U. S. Soldiers' 
 
ALEXANDRIA COUNT!*, VA. 7 
 
 Cemetery. This is one of the most frequented resorts in 
 the vicinity of Washington. The Georgetown roads con- 
 nect with several excellent country roads leading through 
 the country, and to the cities. By looking at the map it 
 will be seen, that Abiugton Park is surrounded by turn- 
 pikes and country roads, affording easy ingress and egress, 
 and most delightful drives. The roads are free roads to 
 Washington. The Pennsylvania Central have built two 
 years ago, one of the most magnificent bridges in the 
 Union across the Potomac, and are, by their charter, to 
 keep it a free bridge, and collect no toll. 
 
 The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal bounds Abington Park 
 on the East, affording them transportation of heavy arti- 
 cles, coal, wood, building materials, cheaper than by any 
 other mode, and bringing all freight to the very doors. 
 ^In the winter the Canal would afford excellent ice to those 
 who design building ice-houses. 
 
 TME MEIGMFS. 
 We assert without tear of contradiction, that no city in 
 America is surrounded by finer heights and more extended 
 elevation, than Abington Park. Crowning them is Fort 
 Scott, now deserted, built during the war. This was one 
 of the finest earth works erected for the defence of the 
 National Capital ; the locality was chosen by Gen. McClel- 
 lan, who superintended in person its erection. Fort Scott 
 armament was sixteen heavy guns, and was designed to com- 
 mand the turnpike and the intervening space to the river. 
 The view from these Heights is simply grand to any per- 
 son with a love for the beautiful ; the outlook is a never 
 ending source of delight. One mile to the cast is tho 
 Potomac, in the Indian dialect, "the Beantitul River 
 of Swans," with a scope of river view below Fort Wasliii 
 
X AT.lSGloy PARK, 
 
 tun and Mount Vernon, twenty miles away. The windings 
 of the river can be traced, broad and straight to Alexan- 
 dria, then narrowing and becoming tortuous as it readies 
 Fort Foote; the Maryland side unbroken, with high clifts 
 and woodlands, the Virginia side opposite, breaks in creeks, 
 runs, and headlands. The river becomes at last to the eye, 
 like a slender silver thread, and then is lost in the far dis- 
 tance. All along can be seen in endless variety the different 
 crafts, from the stately steamer pursuing her steady way, to 
 the little fishing smack tacking and turning in curves and 
 circles, and then is the pleasing picture of the vessels glid- 
 ing in the distance ; their white sails glistening m the sun- 
 light, whilst in the foreground, lying at our feet, is a val- 
 ley green with foliage, with hamlets and villages, bounded 
 on the outside b}^ the three cities of Washington, Alex- 
 andria and Georgetown, all within two and three miles. 
 But, in the night time is the scene only ornplete — the 
 view is like enchantment and is inexpressibly lovely ; the 
 three cities lying at the bottom of the valley, with their 
 countless lamps reflected back by the waters ; the moving 
 lights of the passing boats making a brilliant panoramic 
 scene that is rarely equalled and never surpassed. Nature 
 Las done her best with but a little assistance of art; these 
 heights will be all that the most exacting could wish. 
 Along on the crest are many young shade trees, selected 
 with great care; there are several groves, young yet, but 
 of thrifty growing trees ; there are several varieties here, 
 the locust, peach, white oak, hickory, white ash, black 
 oak, dogwood, cedar, pine and chestnut oak. This soil 
 and elevation are unsurpassed and peculiarly adapted to 
 peach and apple trees, and most especially for vineyards, 
 grapes thrive wonderfully on these hill sides. These 
 heights are subdivided as Villa sites of one and five acres 
 each, so that ample room can be had for grounds, garden, 
 orchards and vineyards. The description of these height;. 
 
ALEXANDRIA COUNTY, VA. '.» 
 
 may appear overdrawn, but a personal examination) iV 
 earnestly desired; let each see and form his own opinion, 
 before they judge. We desire tut to have the property 
 personally examined, and then it will be found, that we- 
 have but stated simple facts, nothing less, nothing more.. 
 
 MMM*®ME$. 
 
 We have spoken of the accessibility of quick transit by 
 rail, of pleasant drives and walks, and we here offer a few 
 concluding remarks : 
 
 The topography of the country between Washington 
 and Alexandria is of a varied character. On the east oi 
 the rail road to the river, the land is low and level, and- 
 famous for its fertility ; on the right of the road, the 
 country is rolling and mountainous, but always with set 
 gentle slope. The advantages for towns and cities were 
 known many years ago. On this range of hills a mile to- 
 wards Alexandria, General Washington chose for the site 
 of the National Capital, but fearing that invidious criticism 
 might charge him with selfish and self-interested motives,, 
 in selecting the site on Virginia soil, he, against his better 
 judgment, declared in favor of the heights where the Cap- 
 itol now stands ; this is an historical fact. The lands here 
 have not been brought into notice belore, because they were 
 landed estates, a hundred years ago, and handed down from 
 father to son, unimpared in fertility and size. In Virginia, 
 especially, the feeling against selling even one ancestral 
 acre is strong, more so than others outside of the State 
 can imagine, and little of any land has passed out of the 
 hands of the old families, whilst other lands in the vicinity 
 of Washington, with not a tenth of the attractions of this 
 region, has been extensively advertised and brought into 
 the market, commanding high prices The owners of these 
 large estates have pursued the even tenor of their way,, 
 raising their corn and wheat, unmindful of their own i«* 
 
ABINGTON SPARK, ALEX. CO., VA. 
 
 terests. But the time has come when they are all alive to 
 progress and enterprise of the period. In a few years 
 the two cities will be joined by a continuous town, and 
 land bordering the rail road cannot be had at any price. 
 Cities a short distance apart always gravitate towards each 
 other ; this is the fixed law of nature, and now is the time 
 for those to invest in lots, while land and building-sites are 
 so cheap. Abington Park is laid out in lots of various sizes 
 and shapes, affording to rich and poor alike the opportunity 
 of a residence, where constant, quick and cheap communi- 
 cation with the city and the simple and economical system 
 of self-government, will secure to every resident equal 
 'rights, and the full enjoyment by the humblest resident, of 
 all the advantages obtained by the most wealthy. The 
 millionaire may plant his villa, and the honest mechanic 
 his pretty cottage at Abington Park, and both will breathe 
 the same fresh air, enjoy the same scenery, and derive the 
 same political and domestic benefits, and have the same 
 opportunities to rear their families in freedom, and away 
 from the allurements and temptations of the city. 
 
 The enterprise is a novelty in our part oi the country, 
 and as such, and because of its genuine merit, has been de- 
 scribed at some length. 
 
 The designing and laying off was done by Mr. Wm. P-. 
 Twamley, engineer and landscape gardener. 
 
 With all favorable conditions, structural, moral, social 
 and economical, it is plain that a family's expenses are much 
 less than in the city, or in most suburban towns. Here the 
 taxes are so light as scarcely to be felt ; add to this a most 
 beautiful landscape, an excellent climate, we may safely 
 ask, "what city or suburb of a city" can offer greater at- 
 lions than Abington Park. 
 
1 '•' J 
 
 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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