Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-12
several of whom were teach

| ienshaWs. several of whom were teach
| erS
| Between New Jersey avenue, 1st, l and
| h streets was square 13S laid off in five
| lots. which, in 1895. was vested in the
| United States and the next year they were
| acquired by Mr.. Law. In 1902 Bernard
and X streets. and D. Watterson on New
Jersey avenue. The ground was valued
at cents, reduced later to ). and the i'm
| provements assessed to Doyle at $50.
| and later $3.50. and Watterson, $3.50 later
| $50 In 1913 John Moore bought at the
corner of New Jersey avenue and l street,
and j. H. Cross and Eli Cross, in 1919,
leased and later bought lot l, the south
! east corner of the square, of Mr.. Law.
Later Mr.. B!agden owned them. In the
| twenties, $500 of improvements was
charged to Eii Cross; $50 to Watterson;
$16o to Mr.. Law and $500 to John Moore.
Home of Blagden Family.
| The triangular square on the lines Of
! the canal X street and New Jersey ave-
| nue., No. I39. was better known BlaS-
denis from the fact that George Blag-
den, in 1901. settled upon it. and for half
a century it was the home of the family.
| The first purchase was from Mr.. Carroll.
| 6,SS} square feet fronting 30 feet on New
| Jersey avenue for ST 900, and he subse-
quenty acquired the who.e square. There
MIR. Blagden erected "A home, which later
| became the back building of a finer resi-
| dence. Two or three smaller houses he
| also erected on the square. In 1SuZ the
| improvements were listed a $500 and the
| ground . cents per foot. Later the build
! ngs were valued at $751; and the ground
| at cents per foot
Square 741, south of the foregoing, be-
| tween New Jersey avenue and the cana,
| X and l. streets, has a curious history
similar to that of square 40. opposite.
| There were eleven los projected and IN
| 1897 they were assigned to the govern
ment, but were speedily acquired by NAT.
! Law in whose family title remained tor
| fifty years. Some Improvement was made
! by him before 1900, and by others on
| leased ground The corporation books
| show that in 1902 the ground was valued
| at ) cents per foot and improvements OF
| S., 900 were taxed to MIR. Law, and 800
| each to J. Story and j. Swank. In the
| twenties the ground was valued at TO
cents and Mr.. Laws improvements at
81, 100. and later at $500. In 1913 there
was Il movement in the titles. in which
| Thomas Blagden. S. II. Beach. Benjamin
| Collard and r. Barry acquired title, and
four years later j. c. Fitzpatrick bought
| on New Jersey avenue.
Fronting the Canal.
Square 742, fronting the canal, New Jer-
sey avenue, L and NJ streets, was In 1t91
vested in the United States. and the same
year it went into Mr.. Laws hands. He
made some Improvements before 1900, and
others soon after. In 1901 R. G. Brent
and Michael Scott had made investment,
| and a few years later Richard and Car
rett Barry had followed. The improve
| ments were listed: T. Law. $1,000; X,
Charles. $500. and NJ. Scott, 81 500, and in
1902 and 1896 the name of James d. Barry
appears in place of that of Mr.. Scott The
ground was valued at cents per foot
In 1915 r. Handy purchased property
which ten years later went to George
Loyal. In 1919 S. P. Lowe had lease
| and later a deed to avenue property and
| Barton Milstead bought on the square.
| In the twenties Loyal was assessed on
81. 900 improvements, Law, 500, and Will
| stead, S400. Later Benjamin Pollard and
| J. Milstead were on the square, and in the
thirties Loyal was assessed on Sl,5O0;
| Law 500, Mistead, $500 and S. P. Lowe,
$500.
Benjamin Moore, the editor and pub
| Usher of the Washington Gazette, which
| antedated the Int ligencer, resided on the
| east side of New Jersey avenue near NJ
| street, in a house built by Law. There
| after when in the occupancy of Nal Will
| liam Gamble in the twenties 1t was known
as Retirement and IS now 1120 New
Jersey avenue. Maj. Gamble was pop
ular marine officer long attached to the
| headquarters here. Mr. Moore was by
| marriage connected with the Queens, and
aside from his prominence in journalistic
| circles was useful citizen, serving in the
| early city councils.
| Possibly the best-known residence in
| the olden time was that of George Blag-
den, and known by his name for the best
| part of the last century. Mr.. Blagden,
master carpenter was engaged a number
| of years on the Capitol, and was the
builder of many of the fine old buildings
of over century ago. Later he engaged
in the lumber business and owned much
property in the eastern section Of the
| city, and was honored with several terms
in the city councils and in other corporate
service.
llAlale a. &c