McMillan Park is a hidden landmark smack in the middle of Washington. College City Studio is making headway to save this unique area and reclaim it to it’s past splendor. Check out their plans here.

This hybrid park and civic infrastructure was originally the Slow Sand Filtration Plant.  Fresh water from Great Falls in Virginia was brought cross-town through the Washington Aqueduct  to the Mc Millan Reservoir Water was pumped into the catacombs where it was filtered naturally by the sand, collected through pipes at the base, stored and later distributed throughout the city.

This plant was built by Congress in the early 20th century as a public health measure to provide pure water and eradicate typhoid and other water borne diseases.  The innovative sand filtration system was very ecological and energy efficient, but it was also very labor intensive.

McMillan Park is a unique civic monument of irreplaceable historic significance to the local community, the city and the nation. It is a masterpiece of sustainable civic technology and it is a historic landmark with unique features and a distinguished pedigree.

 

The McMillan Park is a unique gem in the city’s emerald necklace of parks and boulevards.  Located on axis with Capitol, the same distance as the Lincoln Memorial, it belongs to the city’s symbolic landscape.

Please read more about this project via McMillian Park Landmark.