Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
EARLY WASHINGTON
Many Wide Stretches of Unoc-
cupied Squares.
CONDITIONS IN THE FIFTIES
Southwest Highly Favored for Homes
and Business.
COLONIAL HOUSES AND GARDENS
Some Of the First Owners Of City
Property and the Assessed
Valuations.
COLONIAL HOUSES AND GARDENS

In the square between M and N and Az
and 9Th streets southwest known as 5O2,
there were few improvements made prior to
1900. and much of the city north OF this
as far as street remained entirely clear
Of improvements for almost fifty years, if
We except the gravel for walks and road
way of mother earth in the line Of Az
street. There was, therefore, an open COM
mon across which was foot path worn by
the few employees of the arsenal who lived
up town.
In the early days. James Greenleaf, Rob-
ert Morris. John Nicholson, Thomas Law,
John Ashley, Samuel Elliott and many
Others were prominent in developing that
part of the young city as the eighteenth
century was about to close. 1t can, there
fore, be regarded as one of the historical
localities of Washington, and that it was
thought by the early owners to possess ad-
vantages for residence and business pur-
poses is seen from the fact that those
named above invested there The archives
speak Of fifteen houses being erected on
each of three squares before 1895. Two
years after there appeared an advertise
ment of nail factory upon square 502.
This square, SOP. between Az, 9Th, NJ and
streets, is within one of Motley Youngs
tracts which embraced all of the south
sixty-foot street known as Union street
and alleys. The seventy-four lots We're in
seven blocks.
Greenleaf in the Southwest.
There were but twenty original lots, as
plated by the Commissioners, but Green
leaf, in 1884, came in possession made
new subdivision and building commenced.
In the next year Thomas Law had a mort
gage on much Of the Greenleaf and Morris
and Nicholson property, and arranged for
lease on the southwest corner of the
square of sublots Ii to 10. On the corner
of 9th and N streets had been erected
the house yet standing, and this was his
first residence in Washington. He, how
ever, occupied it but a short time under a
lease Of Judge Cranch, then Mr.. Green
leafs agent. for contemplating the marriage
with Miss Eleanor Custis daughter of G.
w. P. Curtis, which took place March p,
1876, he was the occupant only till his
home on New Jersey avenue and street
southeast was sfinished in the summer of
that year. This house was afterward oc-
cuped by Richard Bland Lee, for many
years judge of the orphans court.
In 1795. Capt. W. NJ. Duncanson appeared
as an owner on the square, and John Mich
olson transferred to John Ashley moiety
of fifteen houses The following year
Nicholson mortgaged a brick house on lots
A and 45 to Capt. Duncanson. This house
was a large brick dwelling In the colonial
style and originally frOnted Union street
1t was of two stories, basement and attic
with dormer windows, and the out-build-
ings. including stablery and smoke house,
suggested that the protector looked to am
pie room and comfort. In 1903 it was as
sessed to Pratt, Francis & Co., at valua-
ton of 81 200 but the lots upon which it was
erected were in the name of Samuel Elliott
jr., a nephew of the Greenleafs. In 1917
with the lots 20 to "a, fronting on ~
street, II went into the possession of Peter
G. Washington, who, for long years, was
in departmental service, during which
time he was also in turn auditor Of the
Post Office Department, chief clerk and as
sistant secretary of the treasury.
The Old Byington House.
This property, which included the south
west part Of the square, in the twenties
was owned by the Bank Of Washington, and
Samuel Byington, after tenancy of a few
years, in 1897, bought the property. Mr.
Byington resided here while master smith
and armorer at the Washington Arsenal
from which position he was taken about
1856 and placed in charge of the armory
erected at 9th and streets southwest, and
later was placed in charge of the United
States Armory at Harper's Ferry.
BY the time Mr.. Byington took possession
the trees and shrubbery planted years be-
fore made an ideal place for a home fruits
and flowers thriving, while there was no'I
need to go off the place for vegetables
Some portion of it furnished an ideal pic
nicking spot for the children of the neigh
borhood Later Mr.. Byington sold parts of
his place to the parents of Rev. Father
Stafford on AZ street, and it was here
that Father Stafford was born.
RSd1ty 0WucIS III 4t06.
In 1897, the wel-known Michael Shanks
bought lots twenty-one and forty on 9Th
and Union streets, when he erected nail
factory which he conducted for some years.
After purchases by James Dent Of lots
twenty-three and thirty eight, l.. Green of
twenty-three and thirtynine. Joseph Reed
of lot forty-three, l.. Griffin of twentysfour
and ]. Sinclair Of forty before 1900, several
years passed without any more deeds pass
ing.
The corporation in 1903 placed a valua-
ton of three cents per foot on the ground
$500; Joseph Cox, $5,4OO; James Dent
$500: w. Prentiss, 5000; Joseph Reed.
49, 100; NJ. Shanks, $4,000; Pratt Francis &
Co. 5000. and C. McNanty, $1,000
In 1910 Francis Clark secured lots q, on
9th street. and 80, on Union street, and
later about 1877 Overton Carr, trustee,
conveyed forty lots on Union. M and Az
streets to Samuel Elliot jr., and l.. L.
Lewis acquired lots and on N street.
The following year Lund Washington
AZ street and leased l and on N street.
In 1919 R. PARROT had two lots, % and 43.
William Brent owned in 1921 10 and 10, and
Thomas Dorgherty and II.
In the twenties the value of the ground, |
according to the assessors, was cents per
foot, and on improvements as follows: r. ,
Bland Lee, 5000 on lot 49, 9Th and N
streets. and $500 on lot 80; Mrs NJ. Mac
.
81, 800 on lot A. and the Elliot heirs, $3.50
on lot 40. on Union street. Ten years after
ward the ground rate averaged cen-s Der
foot, Mr.. Lees property had been reduced |
to a $1S00 value. Mr.. Washington to s., 200
ON one piece and a like amount charged
to him on lot IL. and the Elliot assessment
was reduced to 500.
In 1927 E. s. Lewis and w. Wade leased
lot is on AZ street. Mrs. I. B. Palmer
bought lots to II on N street and ~ on
Union street
Some Early Transfers.
In 1897 Mr.. Byington bought the WASH |
ington lots. and the following year ]. Night !
ingale took the lots bought by Mrs. Palmer,
turning them over in a year to ]. F. Webb.
81 on 9Th street 30. and SO on Union street
and So and 6S en- Az street Mr. Byington
added lots and 2. corner of AZ and N