Norton Gets Melvin Hazen Name Removed from Rock Creek Park
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that the National Park Service (NPS) will remove the name of Melvin Hazen from the area of Rock Creek Park in the District of Columbia named for Hazen. Norton requested that NPS remove the name of the racist Hazen and informed NPS she would introduce legislation to do so if NPS did not remove the name itself. The area will now be known by its reservation number, 630, like many other areas of NPS land in D.C.
"I very much appreciate that the National Park Service is using its administrative authority to remove the name of Melvin Hazen from Rock Creek Park," Norton said. "As the President of the D.C. Board of Commissioners, Hazen chose to wield his power by promoting segregation, prioritizing all-white communities and marginalizing African-American residents. Labeling the majority African-American community in Reno City a ‘blight' that was out of ‘harmony with the general plan for the District,' Hazen orchestrated the demolition of this neighborhood, pushing African-American families out of the homes they owned in the District. The removal of his name from Rock Creek Park is long overdue."
Norton first wrote NPS on February 23, 2021, requesting that the name be changed. See press release.
The NPS letter informing Norton of the name change follows.
The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Delegate Norton:
Thank you for your letters dated February 23 and June 14, 2021, requesting that the National Park Service (NPS) remove the name of Melvin Hazen from Reservation 630, a park area and associated tributary within Rock Creek Park. The NPS has carefully considered the circumstances of the park's naming and concluded that the Melvin Hazen name should be removed from this park. Moving forward, the park will be referred to as Reservation 630.
As you noted in your letter, Melvin Hazen was a leading force in the systematic dismantling of Reno City in Northwest Washington during the 1930s and 1940s. As president of the District of Columbia (DC) Board of Commissioners from 1933 to 1941, Melvin Hazen was instrumental in the displacement of Black residents from this area to create what is now Fort Reno Park.
On May 20, 1942, the NPS administratively renamed what was then known as the Bureau of Standards Valley to Melvin Hazen Park in response to a recommendation by what was then known as the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. This action memorialized Melvin Hazen, who had recently died.
The naming of Melvin Hazen Park was a NPS administrative, rather than congressional, action. We have considered this history, as well as current law, regulation, and policy that govern our actions, and we have concluded that the NPS has administrative authority to remove the name. We do not, however, have the authority to rename the park in honor of any person, group of persons, historic site, or event because of restrictions laid out in the Commemorative Works Act of 1986 (Public Law 99–652; 40 U.S.C. chapter. 89)(CWA). The CWA says that the responsibility for authorizing commemorative place names on NPS land in Washington, DC resides with Congress. Therefore, this park will be officially referred to by its reservation number, as is the case with many other NPS parcels in DC. We will also remove the Hazen name from the park's trail and community garden.
As mentioned in my previous letter to you in June of 2021, while the stream in Reservation 630 is commonly referred to as Melvin Hazen Stream, we have confirmed with the US Board on Geographic Names that the stream has no official name.
We are working to acquire new signage which reflects the name removal. While the installation of the signs may take some time, we did not want to delay the news of the decision to remove the Melvin Hazen name from the park.
Thank you and the D.C. officials and residents who raised the question about the appropriateness of Melvin Hazen's name on Reservation 630. The removal of his name is an appropriate decision, and we are pleased to have this opportunity to share the news with you and your constituents.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at Kym_Hall@nps.gov or Beth Porter, National Capital Area Legislative Specialist, at Beth_Porter@nps.gov.
Sincerely,
Kym A. Hall
Regional Director
Region 1 - National Capital Area