Capital Traction Company Car Barn

Last updated
Capital Traction Company Car Barn
Capital Traction Company Car Barn.JPG
USA District of Columbia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location4615 14th St., NW., Washington, District of Columbia
Coordinates 38°56′50″N77°01′56″W / 38.94722°N 77.03222°W / 38.94722; -77.03222
Area7.3 acres (3.0 ha)
Built1906
ArchitectWood, Donn & Deming
Architectural styleRenaissance
NRHP reference No. 13000290 [1]
Added to NRHPMay 22, 2013

The Capital Traction Company Car Barn (also known as the Decatur Street Car Barn and the Northern Bus Garage) is a historic streetcar car barn in northwest Washington, D.C. Built in 1906 by the Capital Traction Company, it was later turned into a bus garage [2] and is currently owned by Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Located at 4615 14th Street NW, near the end of the 14th Street streetcar line, the two-story brick structure was designed by local architects Wood, Donn & Deming in Italian Renaissance style and built by contractors Richardson and Burgess. [2] The building originally measured 537 by 208 feet (164 m × 63 m) and included two turntables. [2]

Starting in 1926, the Washington Rapid Transit Company leased part of its space for use as a bus garage. [2] It was fully converted to a bus garage in 1959 [2] and later became WMATA’s Metrobus Northern Division garage. [3]

In 2013, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [1]

In 2019, WMATA closed the building to replace it with a new one that will include storage and maintenance for electric buses, along with up to 27,000 square feet of retail space, [4] streetscape improvements, and a community room. [5] The architects are the firms of Beyer Blinder Belle and Wendel. [4] All but the eastern (14th Street) facade of the building was demolished in 2023. Construction is slated to conclude in 2027. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">14th Street (Washington, D.C.)</span> Street in northwest and southwest quadrants of Washington, D.C., US

14th Street NW/SW is a street in Northwest and Southwest quadrants of Washington, D.C., located 1.25 miles (2.01 km) west of the U.S. Capitol. It runs from the 14th Street Bridge north to Eastern Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streetcars in Washington, D.C.</span> Streetcars that existed in Washington until 1962

Streetcars in Washington, D.C. transported people across the city and region from 1862 until 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock Creek Railway</span>

The Rock Creek Railway, which operated independently from 1890 to 1895, was one of the first electric streetcar companies in Washington, D.C., and the first to extend into Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streetcars in Washington, D.C., and Maryland</span>

Streetcars and interurbans operated in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., between 1890 and 1962.

The Capital Traction Company was the smaller of the two major street railway companies in Washington, D.C., in the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington and Georgetown Railroad</span> American streetcar company

The Washington and Georgetown Railroad Company was the first streetcar company to operate in Washington, D.C., United States. It was incorporated and started operations in 1862, using horse-drawn cars on tracks between Georgetown and the Navy Yard. Two additional lines ran on 7th Street NW/SW and 14th Street NW. In 1890, it switched to cable cars. On September 21, 1895, the company was purchased by the Rock Creek Railway and the two formed the Capital Traction Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Avenue Line (Washington, D.C.)</span> Daily Metrobus route in Washington, D.C., United States

The Pennsylvania Avenue Line, designated Routes 32 and 36, is a daily Metrobus route in Washington, D.C., Operating between the Southern Avenue station or Naylor Road station of the Green Line of the Washington Metro and Potomac Park. Until the 1960s, it was a streetcar line, opened in 1862 by the Washington and Georgetown Railroad as the first line in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">14th Street Line (Washington, D.C.)</span> Daily bus route in Washington, D.C., USA

The 14th Street Line, designated Routes 52, 54, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Takoma station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro and L'Enfant Plaza station (52) of the Blue, Yellow, Orange, Green, and Silver lines of the Washington Metro or Metro Center station (54) of the Red, Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines of the Washington Metro. Some trips terminate at 14th Street & Colorado Avenue NW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Railway and Electric Company</span>

The Washington Railway and Electric Company (WRECo) was the larger of the two major streetcar companies in Washington, D.C., and its Maryland suburbs in the early decades of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Pleasant Line</span> Daily bus route in Washington, D.C., USA

The Mount Pleasant Line, designated Routes 42 and 43, is a daily bus route in Washington, D.C., It was a streetcar line until the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Railroad</span>

The Metropolitan Railroad was the second streetcar company to operate in Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. It was incorporated and started operations in 1864, running from the Capitol to the War Department and along H Street NW in downtown. It added lines on 9th Street NW, on 4th Street SW/SE, along Connecticut Avenue to Dupont Circle, to Georgetown, to Mount Pleasant and north along Georgia Avenue. In the late 19th century, it was purchased by the Washington Traction and Electric Company and on February 4, 1902, became a part of the Washington Railway and Electric Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company Car Barn</span> United States historic place

The Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company Car Barn was historic streetcar maintenance facility in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Built in 1910 and enlarged in 1920, it served as a maintenance barn first for electric streetcars and then buses for many years, and was one of the few surviving reminders of the city's early public transit system. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 3, 1987. It was demolished in 2008 to make way for construction of the Connecticut Superior Court juvenile facility that now stands on its site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Capitol Street Car Barn</span> United States historic place

The East Capitol Car Barn, also known as The Car Barn Condominiums, is an historic building, located at 1400 East Capitol Street, Northeast, Washington, D.C., in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgetown Car Barn</span> Historic streetcar terminal in Washington, D.C.

The Georgetown Car Barn, historically known as the Capital Traction Company Union Station, is a building in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in the United States. Designed by the architect Waddy Butler Wood, it was built between 1895 and 1897 by the Capital Traction Company as a union terminal for several Washington and Virginia streetcar lines. The adjacent Exorcist steps, later named after their appearance in William Friedkin's 1973 horror film The Exorcist, were built during the initial construction to connect M Street with Prospect Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benning Road–H Street Line</span> Bus route in Washington D.C, United States

The Benning Road–H Street Line, designated Route X2, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Minnesota Avenue station, which is served by the Orange Line of the Washington Metro and Lafayette Square in Downtown Washington. Late night and early morning trips are extended to Foggy Bottom-GWU station, which is served by the Blue, Silver and Orange Lines of the Washington Metro. The line operates every 10–12 minutes daily and 15–20 minutes during late nights. Trips are roughly 45 minutes long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16th Street Line</span> Bus route in Washington, D.C. area

The 16th Street Line, designated Route S2, is a daily bus route operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Silver Spring station, which is served by the Red Line of the Washington Metro, and Federal Triangle in Downtown Washington, D.C. with late night and early morning trips extending to L'Enfant Plaza station which is served by the Blue, Orange, Silver, Green and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro. The line operates every 10 minutes during the weekday peak hours, 15 minutes during the weekday midday and Saturday, 20 minutes on Sunday, and 20 minutes late nights. Trips are roughly 55-60 minutes long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Avenue–7th Street Line</span>

The Georgia Avenue–7th Street Line, designated as Route 70, is a daily bus route that is operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Silver Spring station of the Red Line of the Washington Metro and Archives station of the Green and Yellow lines of the Washington Metro. With late night and early morning trips extending to L'Enfant Plaza station of the Blue, Orange, Silver, Green and Yellow Lines of the Washington Metro. The line operates every 12 minutes during the weekdays, 15 minutes during the weekends, and 20 minutes during the late nights. Trips are roughly 60 minutes.

The U Street–Garfield Line, designated Routes 90 and 92, are daily bus routes operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority between Anacostia station (90) or Congress Heights station (92) of the Green Line of the Washington Metro and Duke Ellington Bridge (90) in Adams Morgan or Reeves Center / U Street station (92) of the Green Line of the Washington Metro. Late Night & Early Morning 92 trips are extended to Duke Ellington Bridge. The lines operate every 12 – 24 minutes between 7 AM and 9 PM, and 15 – 30 minutes at all other times. Route 90 and 92 trips are roughly 60 to 70 minutes.

A trio of streetcar companies provided service along a single 10-mile line from the Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Georgetown northward and ultimately to Rockville, Maryland, in the early decades of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Rapid Transit Company</span> Transport company that operated from 1921 to 1933 in Washington D.C.

The Washington Rapid Transit Company was a bus company that operated in Washington, D.C., from 1921 to 1933.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Laura V. Trieschmann; Jennifer J. Bunting (September 2000). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Capital Traction Company Car Barn / Decatur Street Car Barn; Northern Bus Garage" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2018. With accompanying 13 photos from 2013
  3. "Then and Now: Decatur Street Car Barn". Park View, D.C. 2011-04-08. Archived from the original on 2023-09-19. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
  4. 1 2 "14th Street Car Barn Redevelopment Will Only House Electric Buses". UrbanTurf. Archived from the original on 2024-04-03. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
  5. 1 2 "History of Northern Bus Garage". WMATA. Archived from the original on 2024-04-03. Retrieved 2024-04-03.