THE GARDEN

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Sportswriters of yore used "garden" as a synonym for "outfield". Today the simile is a poor fit. A modern baseball outfield is a high-tech lawn whose mowing is a combination of art, science, and black magic.

The 1300 block of Half Street SE will become a pedestrian plaza, while its southern blocks will reach the outfield near the left field foul line. Today Half Street is lined with storage lots as well as garages and warehouses, often of indeterminate age and showing signs of much hard use.

An exception is the Washington Sculpture Center, whose potential displacement is often cited by the press as an unfortunate trade-off in redeveloping the neighborhood. The building that houses the Sculpture Center was built as a sheetmetal shop in 1937.

The pleasant art deco-accented garage across the street was once a service facility for REO trucks. However, the concrete "A" on either side of the door probably refers to the Action Fuel Company, its co-builder in 1936.