7 trees in the second row 20 feet across the sidewalk The 500 new trees were likely planted in the fall of 1904, when The Washington Post announced they would be “set out in double rows after the manner of those already of big growth in the older part of the avenue,” giving Washington “probably the longest street in the world adorned with this graceful tree ”14 Fig. 9 (above left) Evenly spaced rows of new trees by the US Naval Observatory, photographed in 1911. Even crossing railroad tracks do not deter the allée design. Fig. 10 (inset) The Washington Post, Sept. 4, 1904. Fig. 11 (above right) A second row linden by the Lesotho Embassy (2511 Mass) planted in 1904. 2007 photo. see Landscape Guide: steps 1 & 2 on pages 22 and 23. Double tree rows march westward By 1900, the western extension of Mass Ave was ready to be planted City leaders chose to plant double rows of American linden, to realize their ambition to make the linden rows of Mass Ave longer than Berlin’s Following classical principles for important streets, all the trees for the entire length were of one species The double rows on both sides— for four rows in all—enhanced formality As the trees grew to maturity, the street would have natural pillars, holding up branched vaults of leaf canopy overhead This geometry had two goals The first was to echo classical architecture, such as the parallel rows of columns of Greek and Roman temples Secondly, the tree allées along the sides were to be sheltered promenades, like those in Europe, which buffered travelers from the bustling main roadway Along Mass Ave, the center point of each tree appears to have been 50 feet from the next in the line Trees in the street row were paired with
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