The Capitol View Neighborhood Library is part of the
District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) System. It was opened to the public on January 23, 1965, after 10 years of advocacy by the
Capitol View community.
History
The Reverend Sister Patsy Allen, President of the
Marshall Heights
Marshall Heights is a residential neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is bounded by East Capitol Street, Central Avenue SE, Southern Avenue, Fitch Street SE, and Benning Road SE. It was an undeveloped rural area occupied by extensiv ...
Civic Association, petitioned the
Senate Appropriations Committee in 1963 to provide funds for a public library. Her request stated that "every moment delayed serves to undermine the educational structure of our children and adults as well.
Originally opened in 1965, the Capitol View Library was modernized beginning in 2017 to support more library services.
Improvements began with the renovation of the library’s interior in 2017. That phase of work increased the public spaces in the library by expanding the spaces for children and teens; adding more meeting rooms; replacing the furniture; and creating a new computer-training lab. The building’s
HVAC
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality. HV ...
and lighting were also replaced, improving the efficiency of the library, helping the building achieve
LEED Gold certification.
The exterior renovations began in 2018. During this phase, a new facade was installed, new windows were expanded to provide more natural light, new fencing was added to the rear, and the plaza in front of the library was upgraded. The renovations included a sculpture designed by
Davide Prete Davide is an Italian given name (common) and an Italian/ Filipino surname (relatively rare), and may refer to:
Given name
* Davide Alviti (born 1996), Italian basketball player
* Davide Ancilotto (1974–1997), Italian basketball player
* David ...
, which joined other public art already on display at the library. His work was selected after the
DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the Library solicited professional proposals from local artists or artist teams. This opportunity was only open to resident artists and artist teams residing in the District of Columbia.
See also
*
District of Columbia Public Library
*
Marshall Heights, Washington, D.C.
References
External links
DC Public Library" Capitol View Neighborhood Library page{{Authority control
Library buildings completed in 1990
Public libraries in Washington, D.C.