You Don't Want To Know Blog
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Posted by Isis
A portrait of the laziness and apathy that infuriatingly plague Shaw.
I wanted to go the library today to do some work so I decided to walk (it being such a an unseasonably nice day and all) down to the Watha T. Daniel Library that sits across the street from the Shaw/ Howard metro station's R and 8th street exit. The library essentially splits the street, positioned in an acute angle to R and Rhode Island. Heading due West on either street, you can't miss it. It's an old, brick, oddly-shaped building reflecting poor architecture and shoddy construction. I still don't know who Watha T. Daniel is (no matches found on Wikipedia), but whoever she is I don't think she would approve of what has become of the building that bears her name.
I never could quite figure out which side was the front of it since the outside walls of the west and north ends both showcase the name of the library and I never did notice a front entrance.
But as I was walking toward it I noticed it was fenced off. I just thought that was a precautionary measure at first (a supposition not altogether unjustified), but alas upon rounding the east end of the building, I came across the unanticipated and startling sight of an abandoned demolition.
There, a rusted bulldozer with its crane extended into the bottom of the front entrance sits on a pile of rubble. Some orange cones lay sporadic around the bulldozer. And situated in front of the bulldozer (the closest object to the fence), as if to introduce and welcome the onlooker to the scene, stands a leaning sanijohn.
Needless to say, it was a gloomy sight. I wondered what happened? Did the construction crew get a call in the middle of their first swing calling off the whole deal? Did not enough people show up to adequately start the project, but the ones who did show decided to have a little fun and wreck some shit before leaving to go get a beer? Did some crackhead who shouldn't have been wielding a bulldozer in the first place get distracted by the smell of hot dogs coming from the 7-Eleven across the street? ...A ridiculous place, by the way, probably an active outlet for drug trafficking. I know there are aways crackbums begging outside, and in a really rude and aggressive way, no less. Metro was once confronted by a lady telling him she would suck his dick for five dollars.
Whatever the hell happened the point is that nothing even got cleaned up or returned or anything. It's just sitting there reminding everyone who sees it that a library couldn't flourish there and those hired to destroy it must have concluded that it just wasn't worth it.
Now the building is probably home to homeless people, rats, drug addicts and maybe some local teenagers in need of a place to be alone, if you know what I mean. Oh and maybe that cracklady who solicits at 7-Eleven with her woebegone clients.
Anyway, reaching some fingers into the blogosphere I found out that construction of a new library or perhaps housing and retail in that location is scheduled to begin in 2010. I just hope (although I have my doubts) that this development comes to pass.
I also wonder what became of all those books that must have been in there.
Original Source Here