Taft Avenue is a north-south road that connects the center of Manila to Pasay and Paranaque.
The road was conceived to be a wide tree-lined avenue, flanked by broad pedestrian sidewalks, connecting the southern districts of Manila. It was built as part of the Burnham Plan for Manila of 1905.
Work started in the early 1900s, and through the years it was extended southwards. In 1915 it reached Calle San Andres (where the Quirino Avenue intersection is today). By the 1920s it had reached Calle Vito Cruz and was extended all the way to Baclaran by the 1940s.
The avenue is named after William Howard Taft, the first civilian Governor-General (1901-1903) during the American colonial period. He would later become President (1909-1913) and Chief Justice (1921-1930) of the United States.
It was briefly renamed by the Japanese as Daitoa Avenue during World War II.
Taft Avenue Landmarks:
- National Museum Complex,
- Santa Isabel College,
- Philippine Normal University,
- UP Manila,
- NBI Complex,
- Manila Science High School,
- Philippine General Hospital
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