Gravelly Point: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 38°51′54″N 77°02′21″W / 38.8651°N 77.0391°W / 38.8651; -77.0391
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[[File:Gravelly Point airplane couple.png|thumb|A couple at Gravelly Point watching an airplane approach Reagan National from the north in 2013.]]
[[File:Gravelly Point airplane couple.png|thumb|A couple at Gravelly Point watching an airplane approach Reagan National from the north in 2013.]]
==History==
==History==
In 1746, a house and property near Gravelly Point were owned by Gerrard Alexander, whose family were the namesakes of [[Alexandria, Virginia]].<ref name="Rose">{{cite book |last=Rose |first=C. B. Jr. |title=Arlington County, Virginia: A History |publisher=[[Arlington Historical Society |Arlington Historical Society, Inc.]] |year=1976 |pages=26–32}}</ref><ref name="Alexander Family">{{cite web |url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?MarkerID=8378 |title=The Alexander Family Historical Marker |date=June 17, 2008 |website=The Historical Marker Database |access-date=March 18, 2011}}</ref> In 1778, the house was part of a [[Plantation complexes in the Southern United States|slave-tilled farm]] named [[Abingdon (plantation)|Abingdon]], and was purchased by [[John Parke Custis]], the son of [[Martha Washington]] and stepson of [[George Washington]].<ref name="Rose" /> Martha Washington's granddaughter [[Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis|Eleanor Parke Custis]] was later born on the farm.<ref name="Rose" />
In 1746, a house and property near Gravelly Point were owned by Gerrard Alexander, whose family were the namesakes of [[Alexandria, Virginia]].<ref name="Rose">{{cite book |last=Rose |first=C. B. Jr. |title=Arlington County, Virginia: A History |publisher=[[Arlington Historical Society |Arlington Historical Society, Inc.]] |year=1976 |pages=26–32}}</ref><ref name="Alexander Family">{{cite web |url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?MarkerID=8378 |title=The Alexander Family Historical Marker |date=June 17, 2008 |website=The Historical Marker Database |access-date=March 18, 2011}}</ref> In 1778, the house was part of a [[Plantation complexes in the Southern United States|slave-tilled farm]] named [[Abingdon (plantation)|Abingdon]], and was purchased by [[John Parke Custis]], the son of [[Martha Washington]] and stepson of [[George Washington]].<ref name="Rose" /> Martha Washington's granddaughter [[Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis|Eleanor Parke Custis]] was later born on the farm.<ref name="Rose" />


In 1930, a house at Abingdon was destroyed by fire and its ruins stabilized.<ref name="Rose" />[[File:DCA VIEW.jpg|thumb|The view of Reagan National Airport terminals B and C from Gravelly Point.]]
In 1930, a house at Abingdon was destroyed by fire and its ruins stabilized.<ref name="Rose" />[[File:DCA VIEW.jpg|thumb|The view of Reagan National Airport terminals B and C from Gravelly Point.]]

=== Proposed renaming ===
=== Proposed renaming ===
Between 2016 and 2021, Congressman [[Jody Hice]] introduced four unsuccessful bills in the [[United States House of Representatives]] to rename Gravelly Point as [[Nancy Reagan]] Memorial Park. H.R. 5457, introduced in 2016, was referred by the [[House Committee on Natural Resources]] to a subcommittee and proceeded no further.<ref>{{USBill|114|HR|5457|pipe=H.R.5457 - 114th Congress (2015-2016)|site=yes}}. Retrieved June 16, 2016.</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Bill Introduced to Rename Gravelly Point After Nancy Reagan |url=https://www.arlnow.com/2016/06/14/bill-introduced-to-rename-gravelly-point-after-nancy-reagan/ |access-date=January 19, 2018 |work=ARLnow.com |publisher=Local News Now LLC |date=June 14, 2016 |location=[[Arlington, Virginia]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Mike |last2=Lippman |first2=Daniel |title=Clintonites Join DNC |url=https://www.politico.com/tipsheets/playbook/2016/06/clintonites-join-dnc-sanders-loses-leverage-trump-touts-campaign-of-substance-bush-43-unlikely-savior-bday-desiree-barnes-tory-burch-newt-gingrich-matt-miller-214873 |access-date=January 19, 2018 |work=[[Politico]] |date=June 17, 2016}}</ref> H.R. 553, introduced in 2017, received approval from the Natural Resources Committee on January 17, 2018, in a [[party-line vote]] but saw no further action.<ref>{{USBill|115|HR|553|pipe=H.R.553 - 115th Congress (2017-2018)|site=yes}}. Retrieved January 19, 2018.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Teale |first1=Chris |title=Beyer Blasts Bill Renaming Gravelly Point Park for Nancy Reagan |url=https://www.arlnow.com/2018/01/17/beyer-blasts-bill-renaming-gravelly-point-park-for-nancy-reagan/ |access-date=January 19, 2018 |work=ARLnow.com |publisher=Local News Now LLC |date=January 17, 2018 |location=Arlington, Virginia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Simmons-Duffin |first1=Selena |title=Ronald Reagan Got An Airport. Should Nancy Reagan Get Gravelly Point? |url=https://wamu.org/story/18/01/18/ronald-reagan-got-airport-nancy-reagan-get-gravelly-point/ |access-date=January 19, 2018 |work=[[WAMU]] |publisher=[[American University]] |date=January 18, 2018 |location=[[Washington, D.C.]]}}</ref> H.R. 308, introduced in 2019, was referred by the Natural Resources Committee to a subcommittee which took no further action.<ref>{{USBill|116|HR|308|pipe=H.R.308 - 116th Congress (2019-2020)|site=yes}}. Retrieved September 28, 2020.</ref> H.R. 4364, introduced in 2021, was referred by the Natural Resources Committee to a subcommittee which took no further action.<ref>{{USBill|117|HR|4364|pipe=H.R.4364 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)|site=yes}}. Retrieved October 20, 2023.</ref> Hice left office on January 3, 2023.<ref>https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=H001071</ref>
Between 2016 and 2021, Congressman [[Jody Hice]] introduced four unsuccessful bills in the [[United States House of Representatives]] to rename Gravelly Point as [[Nancy Reagan]] Memorial Park. H.R. 5457, introduced in 2016, was referred by the [[House Committee on Natural Resources]] to a subcommittee and proceeded no further.<ref>{{USBill|114|HR|5457|pipe=H.R.5457 - 114th Congress (2015-2016)|site=yes}}. Retrieved June 16, 2016.</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Bill Introduced to Rename Gravelly Point After Nancy Reagan |url=https://www.arlnow.com/2016/06/14/bill-introduced-to-rename-gravelly-point-after-nancy-reagan/ |access-date=January 19, 2018 |work=ARLnow.com |publisher=Local News Now LLC |date=June 14, 2016 |location=[[Arlington, Virginia]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Mike |last2=Lippman |first2=Daniel |title=Clintonites Join DNC |url=https://www.politico.com/tipsheets/playbook/2016/06/clintonites-join-dnc-sanders-loses-leverage-trump-touts-campaign-of-substance-bush-43-unlikely-savior-bday-desiree-barnes-tory-burch-newt-gingrich-matt-miller-214873 |access-date=January 19, 2018 |work=[[Politico]] |date=June 17, 2016}}</ref> H.R. 553, introduced in 2017, received approval from the Natural Resources Committee on January 17, 2018, in a [[party-line vote]] but saw no further action.<ref>{{USBill|115|HR|553|pipe=H.R.553 - 115th Congress (2017-2018)|site=yes}}. Retrieved January 19, 2018.</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Teale |first1=Chris |title=Beyer Blasts Bill Renaming Gravelly Point Park for Nancy Reagan |url=https://www.arlnow.com/2018/01/17/beyer-blasts-bill-renaming-gravelly-point-park-for-nancy-reagan/ |access-date=January 19, 2018 |work=ARLnow.com |publisher=Local News Now LLC |date=January 17, 2018 |location=Arlington, Virginia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Simmons-Duffin |first1=Selena |title=Ronald Reagan Got An Airport. Should Nancy Reagan Get Gravelly Point? |url=https://wamu.org/story/18/01/18/ronald-reagan-got-airport-nancy-reagan-get-gravelly-point/ |access-date=January 19, 2018 |work=[[WAMU]] |publisher=[[American University]] |date=January 18, 2018 |location=[[Washington, D.C.]]}}</ref> H.R. 308, introduced in 2019, was referred by the Natural Resources Committee to a subcommittee which took no further action.<ref>{{USBill|116|HR|308|pipe=H.R.308 - 116th Congress (2019-2020)|site=yes}}. Retrieved September 28, 2020.</ref> H.R. 4364, introduced in 2021, was referred by the Natural Resources Committee to a subcommittee which took no further action.<ref>{{USBill|117|HR|4364|pipe=H.R.4364 - 117th Congress (2021-2022)|site=yes}}. Retrieved October 20, 2023.</ref> Hice left office on January 3, 2023.<ref>https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=H001071</ref>

Revision as of 03:18, 20 October 2023

38°51′54″N 77°02′21″W / 38.8651°N 77.0391°W / 38.8651; -77.0391

Aerial view of Gravelly Point circa 1968 with the George Washington Parkway in the foreground and the end of Reagan National Airport runway 19 at right.

Gravelly Point is an area within the National Park Service's George Washington Memorial Parkway in Arlington County, Virginia.[1] It is located on the west side of the Potomac River, north of Roaches Run and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.[1]

The paved Mount Vernon Trail travels through the area.[1] A rugby pitch hosts high school matches.[2] The area also has a boat launch and a Capital Bikeshare dock.[3]

Gravelly Point visitors watching an aircraft land in April 1973.
Airplane taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as seen looking south from the Mount Vernon Trail at Gravelly Point in 2009.

Gravelly Point has served as an iconic spot for plane spotters, picnickers and others to watch planes take off and land from Reagan National Airport for more than half a century.[4][5] Directly in the glide path of the airports main runways, aircraft pass between 100 and 200 feet overhead when on final approach to land on Runway 19 or when taking off from Runway 1.

A couple at Gravelly Point watching an airplane approach Reagan National from the north in 2013.

History

In 1746, a house and property near Gravelly Point were owned by Gerrard Alexander, whose family were the namesakes of Alexandria, Virginia.[6][7] In 1778, the house was part of a slave-tilled farm named Abingdon, and was purchased by John Parke Custis, the son of Martha Washington and stepson of George Washington.[6] Martha Washington's granddaughter Eleanor Parke Custis was later born on the farm.[6]

In 1930, a house at Abingdon was destroyed by fire and its ruins stabilized.[6]

The view of Reagan National Airport terminals B and C from Gravelly Point.

Proposed renaming

Between 2016 and 2021, Congressman Jody Hice introduced four unsuccessful bills in the United States House of Representatives to rename Gravelly Point as Nancy Reagan Memorial Park. H.R. 5457, introduced in 2016, was referred by the House Committee on Natural Resources to a subcommittee and proceeded no further.[8][9][10] H.R. 553, introduced in 2017, received approval from the Natural Resources Committee on January 17, 2018, in a party-line vote but saw no further action.[11][12][13] H.R. 308, introduced in 2019, was referred by the Natural Resources Committee to a subcommittee which took no further action.[14] H.R. 4364, introduced in 2021, was referred by the Natural Resources Committee to a subcommittee which took no further action.[15] Hice left office on January 3, 2023.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Maps". George Washington Memorial Parkway. U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  2. ^ "Gonzaga Athletics: Game & Practice Locations". gonzaganc.org. Gonzaga College High School. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  3. ^ "Public Boating Access". Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  4. ^ Ripley, Amanda (2015). "Washington: 10 Things to Do — 9. Gravelly Point". Time. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  5. ^ Ahmad, Zach (October 10, 2005). "Plane-spotting: At Gravelly Point park, people stop to spot". The GW Hatchet. Hatchet Publications, Inc. Archived from the original on October 13, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d Rose, C. B. Jr. (1976). Arlington County, Virginia: A History. Arlington Historical Society, Inc. pp. 26–32.
  7. ^ "The Alexander Family Historical Marker". The Historical Marker Database. June 17, 2008. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
  8. ^ H.R.5457 - 114th Congress (2015-2016) at Congress.gov. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  9. ^ "Bill Introduced to Rename Gravelly Point After Nancy Reagan". ARLnow.com. Arlington, Virginia: Local News Now LLC. June 14, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  10. ^ Allen, Mike; Lippman, Daniel (June 17, 2016). "Clintonites Join DNC". Politico. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  11. ^ H.R.553 - 115th Congress (2017-2018) at Congress.gov. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  12. ^ Teale, Chris (January 17, 2018). "Beyer Blasts Bill Renaming Gravelly Point Park for Nancy Reagan". ARLnow.com. Arlington, Virginia: Local News Now LLC. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  13. ^ Simmons-Duffin, Selena (January 18, 2018). "Ronald Reagan Got An Airport. Should Nancy Reagan Get Gravelly Point?". WAMU. Washington, D.C.: American University. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  14. ^ H.R.308 - 116th Congress (2019-2020) at Congress.gov. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  15. ^ H.R.4364 - 117th Congress (2021-2022) at Congress.gov. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  16. ^ https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=H001071

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