MY SUMMER INTERNSHIP HAS JUST BEGUN

and already I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of this city. Today (sunday) i spent most of the day working on projects that weren't officially work related, but more for personal interest and conferences.. My main focus thus far in Washington D.C. has been for HALS. My writt

en work deals with the civil war defenses of Washington D.C. I have been addressing the issue

from a number of angles mostly about what is left there today as we are/planning a massive survey of the fort's remains. Also a topic that I have fallen in love with is the discussion of the

ring forts in the 1902 Senate Park Commission Plan or McMillan Plan as it is better known (named after the committee's chairman the Senator from Michigan) One aspect of the

McMillan plan almost completely looked over and forgotten was the idea of taking the left over green space, which was naturally left from the fort remains and turning that built up high ground into a ring road around the city. This would have completely altered the city as we know it today. In some cases this ring road has been realized and even reflects its original intent. Today they are named things like, 'military road', for example. Below is a photo I stole from the internet that shows you where the forts would have been

located and where said ring

road would have also connected them.

Finally, I have gotten to see a lot thanks to this internship. I have been able to see Tudor Place I've uploaded another stolen picture.below.

I've also gotten to go all throughout the Perry Belmont estate, which is also known as the International Temple for the order of the Eastern Star. It is jaw dropping. It has been maintained in GREAT condition and although it could be very easily turned into a museum the Easter Star has done a great job changing little of the original fabric. See stolen picture below.

I've gotten familiar with navigating the city of washington. I am fully reliant (I'm proud to say) on public transportation. Although it is sometimes a head ache.

I've also become comfortable with using the Library of Congress, which is an awe inspiring resource that makes me want to do the work I'm doing.

It didn't dawn on me until after I actually sunk my teeth into the work that I'm doing here how amazingly educational and fulfilling the work I am doing here is. I feel like I just began, but some how I have felt more complete by doing work I love. A fellow intern of mine made the statement -it was something like this

'we're pretty much the same in that we'll never make a lot of money, but as long as we get to go around looking at architecture, doing research and writing about it for all the world to be exposed to it. We're going to be fully content. We have truly found our labour of love'

I couldn't agree more.

MORE IN A FEW DAYS.