About eight feet below the surface of one of the busiest neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., lies a massive series of tunnels. Privacy Statement Sewers: Map. Over the past 50 years, with one ill-fated exception, they have lain pretty much unused, forgotten and ignored. Urban exploration and documentation of the tunnels underneath Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. Keep up-to-date on: © 2021 Smithsonian Magazine. Unlike buses, fixed rail lines attract long-term community investments in housing, retail, and commercial properties. or In March, the organization was able to raise enough money (about $57,000) through crowdfunding to open the east platform to a limited capacity this summer. I know people who went down there during summer months and it just was not pleasant,” said Agnese. The Dupont Circle Underground is the only one of those tunnels to come to fruition, and it operated for about a decade before the District replaced streetcars with buses. Greiner Company did proposed an extensive seven-mile streetcar subway system. The first electric streetcar appeared in Washington, D.C., in 1890. The humidity will pass, ... Streetcar entering Dupont Circle tunnel… It later emerged that the project’s chief architect, entrepreneur Geary Stephen Simon, had been convicted several times for fraud and other business crimes and had spent time in jail. Streetcar Tunnel May Get New Use by Elliot Carter on Scribd. ft. bicameral tunnels and abandoned streetcar station that operated between 1948 and 1968 beneath Dupont Circle in Washington DC. Unlike the food court attempt, Dupont Underground isn’t trying to transform the space—instead, they are trying to adapt to it. Matt Blitz is a history and travel writer. Washington, DC United States: Coordinates: 38°53′50″N 77°00′23″W / 38.89731°N 77.00626°W / 38.89731; -77.00626 Coordinates: 38°53′50″N 77°00′23″W / 38.89731°N 77.00626°W / 38.89731; -77.00626: Owned by Said Agnese, “Julian started this all driven out of architecture passion ... there was a very robust architecture design scene in Barcelona that was very involved in the life of the city. 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In the 1970s, parts of the tunnels were a fallout shelter, but according to Agnese, the site was used mostly for storing supplies—water, rations and equipment—rather than as a gathering point for people. Cookie Policy Since 1962, this vast, unoccupied subterranean space has hardly been touched. Washington Tunnels. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) launched DC Streetcar in February 2016 after more than 50 years. Today, the District is trying to revive the streetcar system, albeit in a different area of city, though the opening has been delayed several times. Snaking their way under Dupont Circle and beyond, these dark, concrete passageways and platforms take up about 75,000 square feet of space. The Dupont Circle streetcar station tunnel entrances, located where the medians of Connecticut Avenue NW now stand, north of N Street NW, and between R Street NW and S Street NW, were filled in and paved over in August 1964, leaving only the traffic tunnel. As for the larger west platform, the former home of “Dupont Down Under,” Agnese says: “The one saving grace that the food court existed at all is that it gave us infrastructure. It’s got the power, water, sewer lines, sprinkler system, and we may even be able to salvage the AC.” The plan is turn the west platform into a main event space, with enough room to fit 500 to 1,000 people. This project was supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. The streetcars are the first to run in the District of Columbia since the dismantling of the previous streetcar system in 1962. Jan 15, 2016 - Explore Kim Dooley's board "Underground tunnels Washington D.C." on Pinterest. A fully envisioned streetcar system makes it easier for residents to move between neighborhoods and spurs economic development. Despite the problems, commuters continued to use the streetcar system; by the post-World War II era, the congestion had become so bad—especially in the even-then-trendy Dupont Circle neighborhood—that improvements had to be made. District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Historic Collections. The Dupont Underground project is trying to change that, with the hope of turning the tunnels into a place where art thrives. His work has been featured on CNN, Atlas Obscura, Curbed, Nickelodeon, and Today I Found Out. After decades of trying to put the space to good use, artists will fill the infamously dank tunnel with interactive works. Railroads: Map. Smithsonian Institution. The District of Columbia began laying track in 2009, for two lines … Hellooo tunnel fans. In some cases, the best solution for the space problem may be to aim down. The DC Streetcar is a surface streetcar network in Washington, D.C. As of 2017[update] , it consists of only one line: a 2.2-mile segment running in mixed traffic along H Street and Benning Road in the city's Northeast quadrant. Steam: Map. The organization is now mounting a larger capital campaign—targeting philanthropic, corporate and sponsorship dollars—to help make that happen. Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. D.C.'s Art Gallery in an Abandoned Streetcar Tunnel Will Finally Open. Free shipping for many products! DC Streetcar is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from streetcar access. In less than a year, “Dupont Down Under” closed, leaving the entirety of the tunnels empty once again. View press releases, images, videos, and more resources for the media. Plus, as Agnese points out, being below the surface has always been part of the human experience: “Underground spaces have a long history in the psyches of humans as both points of attraction and mystery ... there’s this great tension.”. Exterior view of the C Street streetcar tunnel. As early as 1918, Congress issued a report attempting to find ways to alleviate these issues. Pedestrians: Map. When the lease is up, the nonprofit hopes to negotiate a long-term agreement with the city and begin work to “activate” the rest of the 75,000 square feet of tunnels. Provide quality service to attract and reach new transit ridership. Vote Now! See more ideas about underground tunnels, underground, washington dc. Avenue thru Dupont Circle eight feet below the surface of one of the District for failing to pay bills the. Extensive seven-mile streetcar subway system mid-2000s planning effort to shape the future transit!, lies a massive series of tunnels and sponsorship dollars—to help make that happen streetcar as are. Dupont down under ” closed, leaving the entirety of the D.C. tunnels project i have been working that. 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