Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., is one of the largest and oldest urban parks in the United States. Established by an act of Congress in 1890 — just two years after Yellowstone — the park preserves nearly 1,800 acres of forested valley along Rock Creek and its tributaries in the heart of the nation's capital. The park was created to protect the creek's watershed and provide a natural retreat for city residents during the rapid urbanization of late 19th-century Washington. Rock Creek Park includes the Civil War-era Fort DeRussy, Peirce Mill (a 19th-century grist mill), and significant archaeological sites with evidence of Native American habitation dating back thousands of years. The park's forests, trails, and Nature Center make it a vital green space in one of the country's most densely developed metropolitan areas.
📚 Learn More at NPSHistory.com →An interpretive sign titled "What's in a Name?" was installed at Senator Newlands Memorial in Chevy Chase Circle within Rock Creek Park in 2022, following a multi-year project to address public concerns about the park's naming and historical accountability.
The sign's installation was informed by an expert group convened in 2020, which reflected nearly a decade of public debate over calls to rename the Francis Newlands fountain. The effort sought to provide historical context about Francis Newlands, the white supremacist senator who authored the Newlands Reclamation Act and advocated for racially restrictive housing covenants in nearby Chevy Chase, Maryland.
The sign disappeared during the federal government shutdown in early November 2025 when federal employees were furloughed. The exact circumstances of its removal remain unclear, raising questions about who actually dislodged it. Congressional attention to this issue resulted in the introduction of bills to rename the fountain (H.R. 1256, S.417).
This removal demonstrates how interpretive materials addressing historical accountability can be targets for erasure, particularly those confronting uncomfortable truths about historical figures and their legacies.
"What's in a Name?" interpretive sign at Senator Newlands Memorial, Chevy Chase Circle. Installed in 2022 as part of a comprehensive effort to provide historical context about Francis Newlands and his legacy.
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