Washington, DC has been the capital of the United States since the year 1790. It is filled with monuments and memorials to its colorful history. The city of Washington was virtually destroyed during the war of 1812. However, it has made an amazing comeback and is now one of the most important cities for tourism in the entire world. What is the big appeal of the American capital?
Washington, DC is not part of any particular state, nor is it a state itself. The Constitution dictated that Washington would be the capital of the country. One of the purposes of the location chosen was that it might be friendly to the southern, slave-holding states. It was George Washington who wanted the precise location. In those days, the capital was not home to monuments but rather to a federal government made up of less than 200 people.
Only 12 years after the government moved in in 1800, the war of 1812 broke out. In 1814, the capital was very nearly destroyed. The British captured and burned the city. They destroyed the Navy yard, the war office, the Presidential Mansion and much more. After that, it was almost voted that the capital be returned to Philadelphia, but a small margin defeated the vote. The capital was rebuilt and in 1817 Pres. James Munro was able to move into the White House.
In the 1830s, Washington, DC suffered from several epidemics. Then the railroad came to Washington. This brought population and tourism to the city in large numbers for the first time, and prosperity increased slightly leading up to the Civil War.
During the Civil War, Washington was again on the front lines of battle. There were times during the Civil War when there was a fear that the Confederate forces might take the capital city. Part of this was due to the proximity of the capital to the South. Another part of the danger was because many in Washington itself tended to be very sympathetic to the southern cause. It was said that after the First Battle of Bull Run, which the Union lost to the South, the retreating soldiers marched back through Washington to many smug stares.
Emancipation of the slaves in Washington occurred nine months before the official Emancipation Proclamation. Frederick Douglass was one of many free slaves who made Washington, DC his home. There is also a significant military presence in the capital to protect it from Confederate forces. This is one of the great contributors to the growth of Washington.
The assassination of Pres. Lincoln created considerable turmoil in the city. It effectively destroyed morale for time, but it could not prevent the rise of the city.
After the Civil War, memorials and improvements to the city infrastructure brought vast numbers of people to Washington. Over 50,000 trees were planted to increase the attraction of the city further. Washington was rapidly becoming a Monument city. In 1884, the Washington Monument was completed, and the Library of Congress was established.
Shortly after World War I, it was Pres. Woodrow Wilson who worked here to set up the League of Nations. It was also during this time that the Lincoln Memorial was built. However, all of these accomplishments could not change the fact that, behind the scenes, many poor areas of the city were suffering from great neglect. This worsened considerably during the period of the Great Depression in America.
Pres. Roosevelt worked hard to create jobs for people in Washington, and one of the first ways that this was done was by creating construction projects. These included the Supreme Court building and various new, important federal buildings. Around the time of World War II, Washington's population was almost a million people. In 1943, the Pentagon was finished in Washington.
Public housing and modern highways further renovated the city. Areas of the city that were damaged in earlier years were renewed. Today, it is a beautiful, modern city. Its monuments look out over greenery and new life. One aspect of the greenery in Washington, DC is the ordinary lawn. There are many different types of lawns in the city, each with unique features.
One of the most common grasses for lawns in Washington is the tall fescue grass. It works well with the weather patterns in Washington. Tall fescue is a cool-season grass with a better ability to tolerate heat than many other cool-season grasses. For a long time, it was used as a pasture grass rather than a lawn grass, but it has undoubtedly made a transition. It is relatively low-maintenance, and depending on the weather, you may be able to have a green lawn year-round. It germinates quickly and establishes without difficulty. It has deep roots, which make it better able to tolerate various setbacks to growth. It is lovely dark green, and with proper aeration, the tall fescue will give you a beautiful lawn!
Kentucky bluegrass is one of the most popular lawn grasses in all of America. It does require more maintenance but gives a dutiful return on the investment. It is a cool-season grass with somewhat shallow roots. It is a sod-forming grass. Rather than going dormant in winter, it tends to go dormant in sweltering summers. It has a beautiful blue-green color. Kentucky bluegrass will require regular aeration also.
Aeration is the back-breaking, challenging process of poking several thousand holes in turf to loosen up the soil and permitting nutrients to reach the roots of the grasses. This should be done one to two times each year and requires special equipment if it is to be done in a timely fashion.
Lawn Love is an innovative lawn care company that can help you streamline your process for aeration. We do all the work for you, from almost the beginning, Washington has been a city that tried to improve through greenery. Let's work together to keep it that way. Getting a quote and hiring a professional has never been so easy. Call or schedule your aeration online with Lawn Love to keep your lawn looking great.
