The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-08

at Dixon and then at Long. he exclaimed
! 'Nassa Jake and Massa jim needer one
of your bosses has de race. Governor
Spriggs' mare wCn.'
Without leaving our imaginary con-
| ductor too long upon the primitive road by
| himself" said Mr.. Wineberger. let me
| relate one more anecdote OF Dixon and
| Long. Both were inveterate gamblers. and
| on one occasion. after deep play had re-
suited in DiNon's winning a large amount
Long departed and left him ami another
man, who had contributed 10 the winners
success by his losses, alone together
Ganr$,Icr DiNop's Prcdicnmcrt
1T was stormy night and Dixon hob
bled from one window to another looking
out upon the violent conflict OF the ele-
ments while his companion lay stretched
cut on sofa intently regarding him. As
Dixon had the bank money in his posses
sion he several times inyoluntarily ex-
pressed his desire to get home; while it
was evident it was not the storm alone
which prevented him making the journey
The fellow on the sofa AT length gave a
long y2wn, saying at the same time: Mr.
Dixon. if you are afraid 10 go home by
yourself l Will accompany you. Dixon
looked down on the PROSTATE form with 4
palpable start. YOU said he; why, you
| are the very man l am afraid Of -
AS the road passing the site of The
| now demolished race course and cock pit,
winds northeast and north, through what
Is now Soldiers Home park upon the one
| hand and Petworth on the other, let us
| notice incidentally that the latter ground
once belonged TO John Tayloe. the uncle
of Benjamin ogle Tayloe. who thus adj
| yertised it for sale some eighty years ago:
For sale. My farm Petworth, near the
city race ground
The Soldiers Home grounds. or. at
least, the greater part thereof were known
as HARDWOOD at the same period.
And now we come 10 Rock Creek
Church, the structure which gave its name
to the road. and the earliest sacred cdifice
to be erected in this locality. The first
church was built in 1913 The bricks of
the outer courses, or facings, were i'm
ported from England, and those used in
the inner courses were made from clay
in the vicinity.
The church was rebuilt in 17T5. and re-
modelled in 1865; the main walls. now
covered with English ivy. remaining The
same TO this day as in 17l9.
The old ehurchyard part of which
now comprises the cemetery. was known
as the Glebe. and was the gift of John
Bradford, the original owner of the prop
erty.
The road running in generally north
ern direction from the outskirts of the
city. passing between the grounds of the
Catholic University and Soldiers Home
and ending at Rock Creek Cemetery
where it merges into Rock Creek Church
Road. once started from the Capitol,
although no traces of it within city limits
can now be found.
The existence of this road" said Mr.
Wineberger has long been doubted. as it
cannot be found upon any map, nor is any
mention made of it, to my knowledge. ex
cept that contained in the following news
paper clipping, which. however. sufficient
~ demonstrates that as late as 1922 the
date of the notice. such a road ran from
the Capitol. although the portion described
is all that remains of it: Land for sale
at little more than half its value The
subscriber has for sale about 125 acres of
land directly north of the Capitol. and
about three miles distant from the city of
Washington, and adjoining the gebe land
of Rock Creek Church. The public road
leading from the Capitol northerly runs
through il nearly central. There is large
portion of young, thriving wood on it, the
greatest part Of which is chestnut which !
is Of quick growth. and the most valuable |
wood We have for posts and rails for fenc-
ing. There is on it a considerable emf |
nence that commands an extensive pros
pect Of the surrounding country for eight
or ten miles distant. Twenty-Five dollars
per acre will be taken for it. which is lit
tie more than half the price it ought TO
command. JOHN HOLMEAD'
The ProoisIand EState.
''Brookland. which skirts this road for |
some distance, is so called from its having !
been once owned by the Brooks family. all
the members OF which. as well Is David !
Benners and his descendants Cloth families |
being related by marriage). were buried |
upon the estate until within the past IT,
when the remains were disintered and re-
moved to Rock Creek Cemetery, where /
they now lie in a handsome vault
Besides contributing the ohu: en- gIoun ].
John Bradford gave a thousand pounds OF
tobacco then legal tender) toward the
support of the parish. the latter compri ing
all the territory lying between the Potomac
and PatuXert Rivers.
And now, skipping points of minor In
terest. We arrive at Chillum manor. or
Degges farm. as it was afterward known
the end of the road. Here lies, without a
stone TO mark his grave. Major Charles
Pierre L'Enfant. by strange fate thus
Tar removed. upon neglected country
road. from the splendid city whose avenues
and streets he conceived and planned. The
and of this old manor was patented In 1858,
and was sold soon after the close of the
Revolutionary War to a gentleman by the
name of Dcgges, who owned the ound
ipon the Potomac where Fort Washington
low stands. L'Enfant was a c,ose friend
and constant visitor of Deeges, ard vas
buried upon the latters estate, where
'edar tree, visible from the roadway. marks
he grave of the man 10 whom was given
he commission of designing our Capital
city"