Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-29
PART0FPROUT'S FARM
Navy Yard and Three Nearby
City Squares.
INTERESTING LOCAL HISTOR
Thickly Settled Community Was Not
Anticipated.
SOME OF THE EARLY OWNERS
Busy Days During the War Of 1912.
Represented by Descendants.
Places Of Business.
ONE OF THE EARLY OWNERS


Near the navy yard Enclosure, east of Sth
street. south of K street and west of 10th
street, are city squares which have an in
teresting local history closely connected
with the legends of the yard. These squares
were, as was the yard. included in Prouts
farm, and within these lines when the Com
missioners laid off the city were the dwell
ing. barns and stables of Mr.. Prout, as
we'll as the graveyards of the Prout and
Slater families. 1t would appear from the
fact that in the original plan some squares
were not plated for building lots that either
thickly settled community was not antici-
pated, or that they were so left that the
ground could be sold by feet and inches.
Thus in the early deeds the ground sold or
leased was descibed by metes and bounds.
And though the establishment Of and work
in the navy yard date from 1900, and no
record appears Of transfer of building sites
for few years thereafter, there is little
doubt that some settlement was made 81
multaneously with the opening Of the yard.
There is well-founded tradition that some
of the pioneer mechanics, ship carpenters
and blacksmiths resided close to their
were as good as bonds, houses were erect
ed on mere verbal assurance that deed
or lease would be forthcoming. Then again
1t was early in our career as a nation, and
an age when there were wars and ru-
mors of wars" and there were few willing
to make permanent investments. Indeed, it
Is stated that most Of the original improve
ments were Of frame. when within short
distance there was an abundance Of clay
suitable for brick.
Title to the square between Sth and 9th
streets and L street and Georgia avenue,
No. $50, was vested in Mr.. Prout In 1895.
To the 9Th street front Samuel Baker, T.
Herbert and J. Ford, ship carpenters, had
deeds in 1902. Robert Brown, blacksmith,
the following year leased on 9Th street,
and Samuel N. Smallwood. carpenter and
later in the lumber business, leased on
Georgia avenue. William Parsons in 1895
had a deed for ground on Georgia avenue
and John Vint leased on 9Th street. Charl-
ton & Armstrong and G. Jarrad, Or Gerard,
in 1906 were lessees on 9th street property.
Residents Along L Street.
A man named Bernard in 1903 had lease
on L street, as also did Gustavus Higdon,
who established a dry goods store which
had an existence of thirty years. Mr.. Hig-
don in 1909 bought other property on L
street on which was an unfinished brick
house. William Prout had two houses near
by; T. c. Wright was assigned the lease
on Sth street made to Vfnt: John Hebron
obtained property on 9th street and G. Jar
rad on l. street.
For eight years. during which there were
busy times in the yard because of the war
of 1872 during which destruction was
wrought by the British, there was nothing
doing in the real estate line in that square
In 1917 Richard Charles owned on 9th
street and Samuel B. Ellis bought on Geor
gia avenue and Mary A. NJ. Hilton on Sth
goods b.
lished there by Samuel Hilton. Thomas
Reynolds in 1921 owned on 9th street, and
the following year Philip Otterback
owned on l. street George Adams in 1924
auctioneer, and for long time he was
collector Of taxes for the fifth and sixth
wards. Adams grocery was known here
for nearly half a century.
r The assessment books of the corporation
in 1925, showed a ground value of to .
cents, and improvements valued at s., 500
R. Brown, Ford & Herbert and s. Hilton
each had 100 and w. Elder $500 on Sth
81 $50, B. Bryan $500 and Jarrads heirs
$3.50 on L street; s. B. Ellis 5000 and
Thomas Howard $500 on Georgia avenue;
R. Dillon 500 and Thomas Reynolds 500
on 9th street.
Owners on 9Th Street.
Later in 1923, George Marshall owned on
9Th street; in 1881 Robert Clarke on Geor-
gia avenue; in 1888 John Martin on L
street, and in the fortes Richard H. Har-
ringtor on L street. The latter was widely
known as one of the four heavyweights of
the section, they averaging about $50
pounds, and for his proverbial genial dis
position.
In the square to the north, No. 929, be-
tween Virginia avenue, L, 9Th and 9th
and the title on the allotment by the
commissioners remained vested in Mr..
Prout. The first transfer was to James
Waugh of ground at the northeast corner
records than those of a deed to Zephorah
Corning to a house and lot on Sth street,
and leases to A. Waugh and ]. B. Potts,
appear till 1908, the corporation books show
Yates $3.50; Robert Clarke. $500; John Glib
bons, $3.50; William Prout $500; Cartwright
Tippett. $500; J. B. Potts, $1,000.
Mr.. Tippett had lease on Virginia ave-
nue. property in 1903, Mr.. Clarke on l.
street and Virginia avenue, and F. Kean on
L street in 1910. In 1914 Daniel Kealey
and G.. Higdon had property on Virginia
avenue; in 1915 George Adams had frame
house on L street and Philemon Moss
lease on Virginia avenue ground The
title to the Slater graveyard in 1915 was
vested in B. G. Orr, later mayor of Wash
iggton, by the heirs Of Joseph Slater, who
had resided on the square north. The exact
location is not given. In the same year
William Ensy, tailor, was on Virginia
avenue and later on Sth street; Mrs. Sarah
Brison owned on Virginia avenue and
leased on 9Th street. Edward Casteel had
a lease on a Virginia avenue house and
ground, and Helen Gilmour lease in l.
street. James Spratt in 1922 owned in
L street. James Spratt in 1882 owned a
house and lot in Sth street, and in 1925
Jacob Smull had lease on brick house
and lot on L street
The improvements about the period in
question were listed as follows: E. Cas-
teel $50 and $175; G. Hgdon $50: p Moss
$50; r. Clarke, $500; c. Tippett, 500, on
Virginia avenue; James Spratts heirs,
$3.50 and $3.50, on Sth street; Helen Gill
mour, $1,000, and G. Adams, 5000, on L
street.
Laid Off in Three Lots.
The square known $50, between 9th,
10th and M streets and Georgia avenue,
laid off in three lots, Nos 1 and 3 on 10th
street and No. on 9th street, in 1900, all
were owned by w. G. Chandler, one of the
heavy operators of that date. The ground
value in 1897 was cents, land .omaS