Ever wonder why this green space is called Glover Park? It is a 6.3 acre neighborhood park that was established in 1952.
Glover Park in Dallas Texas has a fascinating story tied to a man named Charles Carroll Glover. While this Glover Park is in Dallas, the history we’re about to uncover stretches back to Georgetown. Much of what became Glover Park came from land that Charles Carroll Glover picked up two decades earlier.
Charles Carroll Glover was president of Riggs Bank. His name is also linked to 77 acres he gave to the National Capital Parks Commission in 1924. This land was for the Glover Parkway and Children’s Playground in the valley of Foundry Branch. Later, Anne Archbold added 28 acres. The plan for a parkway was dropped in 1967. It then became Glover-Archbold Park.
Glover lived at Westover. Westover was south of what is now Ward Circle. He knew when he bought his 50-acre estate in 1889 that some of it was in the path of the projected extension of Massachusetts Avenue. The avenue reached his property around 1909. Glover gave the right of way through his estate. He also gave it through several blocks of property he had been holding for years.
Glover aimed to make Massachusetts Avenue the greatest of its kind. He wanted wealthy men to build mansions there with private parks. In 1928, Glover provided a site for the British Legation. This is how Embassy Row was born. After Glover died in 1936, the new bridge carrying Massachusetts Avenue over Rock Creek was named in his honor.
Glover’s vision left lasting monuments. He helped build the National Cathedral. He aided in completing the Washington Monument. Glover also envisioned dredging the Potomac Flats. The Lincoln and Jefferson memorials stand there today. He gave over 3000 acres of parkland. This includes Rock Creek Park and the National Zoo.
Charles Carroll Glover began his banking career in 1866. He was a teller at Riggs and Company. In the Panic of 1873, he became chief administrative officer at age 27. By 1896, he was president of the leading bank in the nation’s capital.
Glover was also a director of the Washington and Georgetown Railroad. He was president of the Corcoran Gallery. He lobbied tirelessly for his causes. He was often a guest at the White House. Theodore Roosevelt’s children played at Glover’s country house.
After the Civil War, there was talk of moving the nation’s capital. Local business leaders improved the city. They wanted to make it unthinkable for the government to leave. Glover used his influence to change things. In 1891, he persuaded Congress to extend L’Enfant’s original streets to the District line.
Inspired by Yellowstone National Park, Glover created over 3200 acres of parkland. He donated land he felt was crucial to the integrity of the park. In 1924, he gave 77 acres in the valley of Foundry Branch. This became Glover-Archbold Park with Anne Archbold’s addition. Glover is considered the father of the National Zoo and Rock Creek Park.
Glover conceived of Washington as a city of inspiration. He reclaimed land coveted by private interests. He envisioned dredging the Potomac mud flats. President Cleveland signed the Potomac Park bill on his last day in office.
Glover assembled land for parks. He urged Congress to secure condemnations. He faced resistance from legislators. They were unwilling to spend money on improvements.
The earliest advertisements for Glover Park appeared in 1926. Benjamin H. Gruver placed them. George T. Santmyers, an architect, developed Glover Park. Charles and William Cooley built their “English village” group in “Glover Park Heights” around 1931. Members of the two family firms merged in 1946. They formed Gruver Cooley Construction. It is still in business today.
Glover Park was six years old when its status as a neighborhood was confirmed. Benjamin Stoddert Elementary School was dedicated in 1932. After 1942, most of the housing added in Glover Park was apartments.
Charles Carroll Glover’s legacy lives on. He shaped not only a park but a vision for a city. As you stroll through this park remember the man who envisioned a grander Washington. He gave so much to make it a reality. His contributions continue to enrich our lives today.