The District Office of Planning’s Historic Preservation Review Board is set to designate the two oldest buildings of Southwest’s Maine Avenue Fish Market, Washington City Paper reported.
The fish market’s lunch room building from 1916 and oyster shucking shed from the mid-1940s are expected to receive landmark status at the HPRB’s meeting today.
The District constructed the two buildings, located next to the concrete barges that hold the fish market, in an effort to more closely regulate cleanliness and working conditions for fishmongers by requiring all fish commerce to occur there.
The buildings are symbols of the government’s effort in the early 20th century to better regulate food and sanitation, according to the application for historic preservation.
A letter from the District’s Historic Preservation Office recommending that the Board grant landmark status to the buildings says that the application for historic landmark status is part of a joint effort between the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and the developers of The Wharf to restore the dilapidated buildings.
Three restaurants at the Maine Avenue Fish Market were closed this morning due to a minor fire last night at Jessie’s Cooked Seafood.
Though the fire only caused very minor damage at Jessie’s, all three restaurants that share the barge are closed until they can be inspected by the health department. The other affected eateries are Jimmy’s Grill #1 and Captain White’s Fresh Cooked Seafood and Crabs.
The fire broke out in the kitchen of Jessie’s Cooked Seafood around 7 p.m. yesterday. Greg Evans, the manager of Jessie and Taylor’s Seafood, said that people at the fish market were able to mostly put out the fire with fire extinguishers before the fire department arrived and there were no injuries.
The fire caused very minor damage, Evans said, estimating that repairs would cost a few hundred dollars at most. He said that none of the equipment in the kitchen was damaged and the other eateries appear entirely unaffected.
“Always after a fire there has to be an inspection, but everything is operating,” Evans said. “They just have to check all the boats in the vicinity before we can open.”
Jessie and Taylor’s Seafood, which sells raw seafood on a separate barge, opened at its normal time this morning, as did several other raw seafood sellers at the market.
Employees were at all three restaurants this morning, though they could not sell food until the Health Department inspection. Evans said the Health Department would be inspecting the eateries today, but he was not given an exact time.
The two oldest buildings of Southwest’s Maine Avenue Fish Market might soon become historic landmarks.
The District Office of Planning and Economic Development submitted an application earlier this year to have the fish market’s lunch room building from 1916 and oyster shucking shed from the mid-1940s designated as historic landmarks.
If the structures receive the designation, the D.C. Historic Preservation Office may help maintain and improve the buildings, which have both fallen into disrepair. A public hearing on the buildings’ application is scheduled for next month.
The District constructed the two buildings, located next to the concrete barges that hold the fish market, in an effort to more closely regulate cleanliness and working conditions for fishmongers by requiring all fish commerce to occur there.
The buildings are symbols of the government’s effort in the early 20th century to better regulate food and sanitation, the application says.
“Clothed in the garb of governmental control, the [market] and all its components represented a new age in the government’s concern for its citizenry,” the application says.
The two connected buildings are the only parts of the market that survived an urban renewal project in the 1960s, but haven’t been used since 2010.
The oyster shucking shed was built as a place for fishmongers to clean and prepare their catches and the lunch room was added in the mid-1940s. The lunch room housed the Cadillac restaurant from the time it was built until 1970.
The colonial revival architecture of the buildings also warrants historic status, as they are remnants of development in Southwest in the early 20th century amid newer development in the area, the application adds.
Representatives from the Historic Preservation Review Board, which decides which locations get landmark status, could not be reached to comment.
A representative of the Mayor’s Office of Planning and Economic Development, which submitted the application, directed a request to comment to The Wharf. A representative of The Wharf, which is redeveloping the Southwest waterfront, wasn’t immediately available to comment.
Photo via Historical Society of Washington, D.C
Maine Avenue Fish Market v. D.C. and The Wharf — Two tenants from Maine Avenue Fish Market claim that the D.C. government and developers of The Wharf mixed-use project “entered into a conspiracy” to force out their businesses. A 34-page complaint accuses the District and the developers of “harassment,” “governmental overreach” and “unjust attempts to out [the tenants] from their leased property.” [Washington City Paper]
NoMa Mural Artists Reflect on Work — Omar Pasha and other artists who helped create 14,000 square feet of murals in NoMa talked to WAMU about their work. “The mural brings together the community in terms of camaraderie, and a combined effort toward a single cause,” Pasha said. “I think that’s really important for kids, education-wise.” [WAMU]
Should D.C. Try to Bring Olympic Events to Capitol Hill Area? — Boston and the U.S. Olympic Committee this week pulled their bid to bring the 2024 Summer Olympics to the city, giving the District another opportunity to secure the Games. Supporters of the District’s bid had discussed the possibility of constructing major Olympic venues in the Capitol Hill area. Hill Now is asking readers to weigh in on whether D.C. should try to bring Olympic events to the Capitol Hill area. [Hill Now]
Nothing Fishy About Restoration — Monty Hoffman, founder and chief executive officer of PN Hoffman, plans to renovate the Maine Avenue Fish Market in Southwest. Plans include a retail and restaurant addition, utility and accessibly updates and several new structures. [Washington Business Journal]
Remembering Kevin Sutherland — Friends of the man stabbed to death on a train at the NoMa-Gallaudet University Metro station last weekend met in Southeast yesterday to remember his life. Sutherland was an American University graduate and a digital political strategist. [WTOP]
Streetcar Named Patience — Missteps such as a labor union dispute and flash fire in February are testing the patience of both opponents and supporters of the streetcar system on H Street NE. Dan Tangherlini, former interim general manager for Metro, said the problems the streetcar is facing are similar to issues Metrorail faced during its introduction. Since the project was approved almost 10 years ago, the streetcar program has failed to transport any passengers. [Washington Times]
‘Bungled’ Budget — Mayor Muriel Bowser claimed in an email blast last week that the D.C. Council failed make footage from police officer body cameras exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. Now, she will be responsible for finding $1.5 million to fund the requests. “The Council took, took some more, and then punted,” she said. [Washington City Paper]
D.C. police have identified the body found earlier this month off the Southwest waterfront.
Police identified Fuzz Woody Short Fuzzy, 70, as the body found in the water near the 1300 block of Maine Avenue SW on April 11, police said last night. Police previously said the body was found with a laminated business card that said “Fuzz W.S. Fuzzy Shoe Shine Doctor.”
The Metropolitan Police Department’s homicide division continues to investigate the cause of the Northwest resident’s death.
Police found the body about 3 p.m. April 11 during the peak bloom period for the Tidal Basin’s cherry blossom trees.
Photo via Google Maps
A man who was found dead this weekend near the Maine Avenue Fish Market remains unidentified and police are seeking the public’s help, the Metropolitan Police Department said yesterday evening.
Authorities have asked the public to help identify the man discovered in the water near the 1300 block of Maine Avenue SW Saturday afternoon. The man was 30 to 50 years old and was found with a laminated business card around his neck that said “Fuzz W.S. Fuzzy Shoe Shine Doctor,” police said.
Police haven’t said how the man died. But the MPD’s homicide division is investigating his death.
Police found the man just after 3 p.m. Saturday during the peak bloom period for cherry blossom trees along the Tidal Basin.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Metropolitan Police Department at (202) 727-9099. Additionally anonymous information may also be forwarded to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411.
Photo via Google Maps
