April 30th, 2007. The howl of sirens awake sleeping neighbors. Suffocating smoke billowing out into the empty streets. One morning, one destructive morning completely changed and challenged the community of Capitol Hill. Eastern Market caught fire early that morning, completely destroying the physical structure of the market but simultaneously reigniting the passion and determination of its community. Neighbors flocked to the market to watch their beloved community center burn down. “"This is devastating," said Kimberly Konkel, 35, a regular at the market. "I'm surprised how emotional it feels to lose a building."” ““This is a real blow to the heart of the community," said D.C. Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6). "This is going to be a time
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The original Eastern Market, built in 1805, at Seventh and L streets SE, struggled greatly throughout the entirety of its existence. Eastern Market was built along with Central and Western Market, having been included in Pierre L'Enfant's plan for the District. Its first major obstacle was a destructive fire, setting a grim tone for the existence of the first Eastern Market. A great fire damaged the market and its neighbor, the Navy Yard, during the British invasion of 1814. The struggles continued; the civil war greatly disrupted operations and patrons dwindled as Southern Maryland suppliers settled across the Anacostia River. By 1871, the market was at an all time low, with few clients and unacceptable conditions (Ackerman, "Eastern Market's History of Survival."). This Eastern Market was not a vibrant community center, strongly founded on the support of its neighborhood and patrons. While this Eastern Market was unable to survive and set an uncertain tone for its future, the resilience and strength of the modern Eastern Market not only survived the past repeated but supported the market to what it is …show more content…
This period of reconstruction was unstable and the country required architecture to symbolize the solid, reliable, powerful country they wanted to be. Coming to America from his birthplace, Germany, heavily influenced by Karl Marx, Cluss’s architectural style reflected many of those values. For Eastern Market, he designed a principally utilitarian space. His work relied on craftsmanship with an understanding and emphasis on the individual bricklayer, and gravity that created an atmosphere of endurance and a lasting promise to its patrons. He created an open, one story space with high ceilings, large windows for natural light and a stall arrangement. His plan also introduced a unique shopping experience: rather than aisles and cash registers, he created a bustling, disorganized space with stalls in both sides. His architectural plans forced shoppers together, creating strong relationships between the shoppers and the shopkeepers (Kennicott, Philip. "Eastern Market, Corner Store And
The original Eastern Market, built in 1805, at Seventh and L streets SE, struggled greatly throughout the entirety of its existence. Eastern Market was built along with Central and Western Market, having been included in Pierre L'Enfant's plan for the District. Its first major obstacle was a destructive fire, setting a grim tone for the existence of the first Eastern Market. A great fire damaged the market and its neighbor, the Navy Yard, during the British invasion of 1814. The struggles continued; the civil war greatly disrupted operations and patrons dwindled as Southern Maryland suppliers settled across the Anacostia River. By 1871, the market was at an all time low, with few clients and unacceptable conditions (Ackerman, "Eastern Market's History of Survival."). This Eastern Market was not a vibrant community center, strongly founded on the support of its neighborhood and patrons. While this Eastern Market was unable to survive and set an uncertain tone for its future, the resilience and strength of the modern Eastern Market not only survived the past repeated but supported the market to what it is …show more content…
This period of reconstruction was unstable and the country required architecture to symbolize the solid, reliable, powerful country they wanted to be. Coming to America from his birthplace, Germany, heavily influenced by Karl Marx, Cluss’s architectural style reflected many of those values. For Eastern Market, he designed a principally utilitarian space. His work relied on craftsmanship with an understanding and emphasis on the individual bricklayer, and gravity that created an atmosphere of endurance and a lasting promise to its patrons. He created an open, one story space with high ceilings, large windows for natural light and a stall arrangement. His plan also introduced a unique shopping experience: rather than aisles and cash registers, he created a bustling, disorganized space with stalls in both sides. His architectural plans forced shoppers together, creating strong relationships between the shoppers and the shopkeepers (Kennicott, Philip. "Eastern Market, Corner Store And