Folger Park

Folger Park is a public green space located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Situated at the intersection of 2nd Street and D Street Southeast, this two-acre park serves as a tranquil oasis in the bustling urban environment. The park was named after Charles J. Folger, who served as Secretary of the Treasury under President Chester A. Arthur in the 1880s.

The land that became Folger Park was originally acquired by the federal government in 1791 from Daniel Carroll of Duddington. Initially intended for street rights-of-way, the area was later designated as open space by surveyor Andrew Ellicott, who modified Pierre L'Enfant's original plan for Washington, D.C.

Folger Park features a symmetrical design with paved walkways that crisscross the park, creating a pattern of grass panels. The park is adorned with ornamental trees, providing shade and natural beauty. At the center of the park lies a flagstone plaza, which once contained an octagonal wading pool but has since been converted into a planter for annuals and roses.

One of the park's most distinctive features is the pair of large pebble-faced concrete "fountain benches" that sit on opposite sides of the park, facing each other. These benches, which no longer contain drinking fountains, are remnants of the park's 1936 redesign by the National Park Service.

The park underwent significant changes in the 1930s as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs. This redesign established axial alignments of walkways oriented to the cardinal directions and simplified the vegetative palette, replacing the earlier profusion of trees and shrubs with lines of street trees circling the park and informally arranged trees on the grass panels.

Folger Park serves as a popular spot for local residents to relax, play, and enjoy outdoor activities. It hosts community events, including outdoor movie screenings and festivals, making it an integral part of the Capitol Hill neighborhood's social fabric.