Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-10
| NAMED RODGERS ROW
Buildings Erected in Closing
Years of 18th Century.
LATER SITE OF CAR BARNS
Block of Brick Structures Completed
in 1897.
EARLY ASSESSMENT OF VALUES
Squares Embracing What Was Known
Among Sportsmen as Peni-
tertiary Marsh.
EARLY ASSESSMENT OF VALUES

a n0e specimen OIL tne UullulHSS ciSStOo ia
the closing years of the eighteenth CEN
tury-the block of brick dwellings best
known as Rodgers row, on the north side
of P street west of Az street, which was
demolished a few years ago when railroad
car barns were established there. This
stood solitary and alone, an improve
ment between those In the square north
and the small buildings which at the end of
the point comprised the arsenal. The lat
ter on which were a few shops before 1890,
had become a depot for military supplies in
1907, and was garrisoned by single COM
pany in the war of 1872 during which the
buildings were destroyed. But Immediately
after the war the yellow buildings, yet
standing, were erected to constitute the
Washington arsenal now within the grounds
of the United States Way College. The
reservation for the arsenal extended orlgl-
naIly as far north street only, ana
about lS2S the penitentiary Tor the DlStrict
of Columbia was located on that street and
northward TO the row was open common OF
folds some cultivated with here and there
a few trees unbroken save that in the thif-
ties al about r street, was a lone frame
dwelling.
ton of the Motley Young domain. and much
of it went into the hands of Greenleaf
shortly after the laying out of the CITY,
Square No. JO4, the site of Rodgers row,
is within the lines of O. p Az and Water
streets In 1874 Il was plotted by Green
leaf into twenty six lots, but it appears 1t
was not long in his name, for Morris &
Nicholson in 1875 came Into possession. and
later Thomas Law and VIM. M. Duncanson
were associated With 1t.
Completed in 1907.
1t is believed the erection nj this row
was commenced by Mr.. Greenleaf, con-
tnued by Morris & Nicholson and COM
pleted by Pratt, Frances and others by
1897. for in that year lots 1 and on which
the row was erected were conveyed to John
Ashby who was of the latter company, and
in 1909 Pratt, Frances ct al. were assessed
on fine ground three cents per foot and on
the buildings $4,000, the latter valuation
in 1907 being reduced to 5000.
Not until 1917 does there appear to nave
been any movement in the real estate here
Samuel Elliot, jr, then taxing u'le ior
over half of the square, lots to %. inclu-
siye on the west and north fronts. Ihe
next year. 1918. he sold over half or the
west front lots 9, 10 and part OF IL, to Ben
jamin G. Orr. then mayor OF me CITY, ana
the latter sold this to HAYES Goldsborough,
who about the same time acquired lots )
to s. which included the west half of the
row. In 1919 Mr.. Orr acquired the two
houses, on lots and =. which went to key
Luther Rice, treasurer and agent of Co
lumbia College. and W. H. Crawford, Sec
rotary of the Treasury. Later they We're In
possession of the college again, at which
time. in the thirties, they are mentioned as
of value of $4,000. though assessed at
less than one-third of that sum.
Named in 1920.
The name Rogers row was attached about
1920, when Commodore John Rodgers
bought the two fine houses on lots 3 and
4 and lots . to 10 as part of IL, fronting
I, no moved in
the west house of the row and took up
his residence for ten years or more in
the thirties moving to the fine residence
erected by him in 1881 on the east side of
Lafayette square. long known by his name.
Afterward it was known as Mrs Latimers,
and subsequently as the Club House, the
site of which is now covered by the Be
lasco Theater. While living on the point
and after. till his death In about 1885, the
commodore was president of the navy COM
missions AS next door nelshbor ne mad
the well-knoWn Commodore A 3. WadS-
worth, who had been the popular comman-
dant of the Washington navy yard and
long a bureau chief of the department.
These, with other neighbors, were con-
genial and were exceedingly popular in
that section. While there was little gar
dening ground attached to Commodore
Wadsworth's residence, Commodore Rodgers
had a large and well-arranged garden or
flowers and vegetables, besides a number
of fruit trees. In the former his family
and friends took much pleasure. and it
was as much appreciated for Its beauty as
for it's utility.
Proof of Commodore Rodgers popularity
is found in the fact that he was president
of the Potomac Fire Insurance Company
and a member of the board of aldermen
in the twentieS. Opposite his residence,
south of p street. small grove of trees
was utilized by the younger people for i'm
promptu picnics. The breezes from the
river and never-failing supply of fine
hn1r cd
their enjoyment. 1t is related that the old
seadog and his friends were not strangers
at these gatherings.
The Columbia College in the tventies was
assessed 81. 100 on it's two houses and Com
modore Rodgers $500. and the ground was,
at its old valuation, then three cents per
foot.
Some of the Residents.
Among the residents recalled are Capt.
John Carter. Commodores Rodgers and
Wadsworth. Jonathan Seymour, Jerry
Brooks (colored). John Moore and John
Peake in ancient days. Later owners were
Col. Ritter, H. NJ Moffitt, Michel Nourse,
Thomas Hughes and S. Yorke Atlee. About
the fifties and sixties they included Craven
Ashford, long the clerk of the penitentiary
G. GLADDEN. and A. Heller, carpenters, on
o street; Col. r. w. Ritter, clerk in the
treasury: John NJ. Wilson of the arsenal.
Mrs Mills, s. Yorke Atlee, clerk; Rev. c.
w. benson, wen KNOWN also as d writer
as was Mrs. Denison.. the author of That
Husband of Mine.
AS has been stated the plated squares be-
tween and Il streets were for long series
of years unimproyed. In the forties a.
Brundage bought lot on Az street, near r
street and had a frame house thereon, in
which he was convenient to his work In the
arsenal The same may be said of the sew
eral squares south of NJ street and between
a. street and James creek. or. as called,
the Pentiary marsh, by the many sports
men who enjoyed hunting there.
There Is a similarity in the history of each
of the squares, more properly divisions,
the early owners being the same as those
noted in square 500. Square sos, west of Az
street and between and Q streets, was in
1874 in the name of Notify Young. and In
1887 was conveyed by E. Fenwick to Samuel
Byingtou then master smith of the arsenal
from whom the government bought 1t In
1857 Square 500 from the Youngs In 1874
went to Greenleaf w. NJ. Duncanson and
Morris & Nicholson In turn. and through
corporation title to VIM. b. Todd in 1887.
In 1857 1t went to the government square
south of 5O6. In 1887 1t was bought by j.
B. Kibbey and sold to the United States
twenty years after. as well as the square
| south of SOC.
Feet Of hat N ord n,