CANADIAN PIONEERS: John Martin Unrau

Topographies of amusement: the evolving terrain of Glen Echo Park, Maryland

“…The Baltzley brothers bought a 516-acre parcel in 1888 and named it Glen Echo-on-the-Potomac. 3 Capitalizing on the wild and unspoiled terrain, they envisioned a residential community and summer resort overlooking the river, reminiscent of German towns along the Rhine. An early visitor wrote, despite the Potomac's lack of grandiose castles, 'you have a picturesqueness and beauty, a union of river and hill and foliage and sky surpassing it'.…”

“…Contrasting with the geometric formality of the original plan, meandering gravel walking paths and informal gardens with rough-hewn log structures extended the rustic aesthetic throughout the landscape, and abundant local granite was utilized for buildings and garden walls. 11 The main attraction was a 6000 seat indoor amphitheater, one of the largest auditoria in the nation at the time (figure 7). The cavernous building, circular in plan, utilized the steep banks of Minnehaha Creek.…”

“…Eventually, management converted this lot into a miniature golf course in something of a last-ditch effort to attract suburban patrons no longer thrilled by electric lights and fun houses. 25 The pressures facing Glen Echo Park were not solely related to economics and transportation, however. Throughout the first fifty years of its operation Glen Echo Park permitted White patrons only, and the parks open to African Americans near Glen Echo did not offer the same eclectic rides and amusements.…”

“…A desire to preserve the bucolic image of the Potomac gorge prompted the federal government to complete a property exchange with the owners of the then-defunct Glen Echo Park in order to protect the picturesque, leafy bluffs overlooking the river. 31 The next problem for the National Park Service to solve was what to do with an aging, outdated amusement park. Its answer was a sort of return to Glen Echo's roots, as a space for community arts, crafts, dance, music and other educational classes.…”