Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-22
NEAR NAVY YARD CATE
When Forest and Field Gave
Way to Open Streets.
RAPIDITY OF development
More Than Twenty Buildings on
Square 900 in Year 1902.
ASSESSMENTS OF EARLY DAYS
Names of the Owners and of Those
Who Held Leases-Incidents
Of the Times.

In the neighborhood of the navy yard
gate at an early day forest and field gave
way to open streets and human habitations.
While in other sections more extensive
private improvement was made, probably
in no other portion of the District were
homes made more rapidly than between
7th and Sth streets south of Virginia ave-
nue.. The navy yard having been opened in
1900, the mechanics employed there looked
for homes convenient to their work; and
in a little time the two squares south of
Virginia avenue were dotted with houses
Of brick and frame. That settlement was
evidently not anticipated by the Commits
sioners of the federal city, for the square
known as 9O6 was laid off for only six and
square 9O7 for only four original lots. BY
1sO2 there were more than twenty build
ings on the former square. No. 9O7, the
east half of which is now used by the Capt.
tai Traction Company, was behind the for
mer IN development, at least in number OF
improvements, title to the east half long
remaining with VIM. Prout, the original
proprietor. There were eight buildings on
the square In 1902, valued at about Sc, 600.
In square 906 between Virginia avenue,
L, 7th and Sth streets, all of which in the
division by the Commissioners was as
signed to VIM. Prout, the proprietor, much
of the original Improvement was on leased
ground. Though there appears on the title
records nothing prior to 1902 on the assess
ment books of that date: when the ground
Is rated at cents, the following improve
ments are listed: s. Fowler, $500; W. Shaw,
$500; r: Delphy, $1OO; J. B. Wimsatt, $500;
L, White. 500; L. and E. Edelin,, $1,000; L:
White, $500; James Friend, $500; Robert
Rose, $500; VIM. Brashears, $500; w. Prout,
$3.50; P. Moss, $500; Joseph Johns, $500; s.
Nov NoWland, $500; J. Cox, 500 J. B; Parsons
and E. Perry, $500. Five years later appear
the names Of Deborah Green, $3.50; VIM.
Smith, $500; ]. Vint, $1,000 and $3.50; w.
Shaw, $1,000, and DR.. N. Brashears, $500.
How Squares Were Plated.
The square was plated for only six orig
inal lots, and but few of the early settlers
wanted more than sufficient ground for
homes or business places. and conse-
quently there is difficulty in associating the
exact location of the improvements, par
ticularly those on the four corner lots. 1t
would appear from the fact that the cor
for Improvements that some were made
before the titles were passed; and there is
reference to lease made of lot 4, corner
of Virginia avenue and 18th, in 1901 to
James Friend, who established a bakery
there In few years, or in 1903, however,
he went to the neighborhood Of 18th and M
streets, then a point where the trade from
Prince George county coming over the
bridge was caught.
Benjamin Gilpin in 1903 acquired lot 4.
on which Levi White had a lease. In 1904
w. ADAMS naQ q lease on lou ( on Il street,
which he assigned to George Sinclair, Chas.
MacNantz later leasing this lot and lot l,
at the southeast corner of the square, to
Phi1fmon Moss. In 1905 the Adams lease
was assigned to Jere Booth and ]. B. VIM
sett The same year Electus Edelin, had
part lot 3 on 7th street. In 1906 Joseph
Johnson, S. N Smallwood afterward
mayor and ]. B. Parsons held by lease
lots 3 and Tth street, and the year
after Thomas Young and N. Brashears
owned there in fee, as did Bernard Bryan,
on lot l, corner of Sth street. In 1S0S Rob-
ert Rose, long master gun carriage maker
in the yard, bought the corner of It'll street
and Virginia avenue, where he resided: and
DIR. n. Brashears bought Virginia ave-
nue. on that lot, as also did S. Russ. The
ground was described by metes and bounds
until 1S49, when it vas plated for five
sublots.
Holders of Leases.
Sarah Brison in 1863 bought lot 8. corner
Virginia avenue and sth street; S. Fow-
Ter, part of 1; D. Bates. part of 4. and
VIM. Smith, a school teacher. had lease
on lots and on Virginia avenue and T.
c. Wright bought the lease of Bryan on
lot /, corner of Sth and L streets, and VIM.
Cooking owned the fee the following year,
while Col Wharton had lease on the
had lease on lot l and H. Somerville had
1t two years after. VIM. Gray in 1914 was
on part Of lot 5 on Virginia avenue. In
7th street, which the year following went
to Robert Rose, who bought the fee. About
that time G. Carson had an assignment of
lease on Virginia avenue II. Awkward a
deed on lot on L street. Peter Sherron
property in lots 8 and 9, D. Kealy, jr., and
Sarah Kealy the corner of Virginia ave-
nue. and 9Th street with a frame house; HI.
Dorsey an assignment of lease on lot and
James Spratt deed to lot g.
BY the twenties the ground had reached
a value Of to II cents and the improve
70 p,,,ltf cd oil q r.
penter. with a $1.7OO property; H. Dorsey
$500: Philimon Moss, tavern keeper and
city councilman. $1,000; A. G. Cazenove,
s6O0; H. Awkward, $3.50; F. Wharton heirs,
$500; Electus Edelins heirs, corner 7th
street, $1,000, on the L street property; ].
B. Parsons, blacksmith $500; ]. Johnson,
$3.50; J. Wilson, 5000; d. Bates, 5000, and
7th street, $500; Owen MacCue, grocer,
$780, Sarah Spratt, 500; Mary Hayes, $50,
on Virginia avenue; w. Gray, 500; Mary
Kirby, 500; Spratt's heirs $3.50; ]. Dobbyn,
1900, tavern on Sth street.
Some Of the Residents.
Eli Cross, a grocer, in 1890 had a lease on
parts Of lots and on Virginia avenue.
Harvey Crittendon bought brick house on
street and c. Bentley bought in lot and
Jonathan Prout in Its and 5. In that
decade George Adams took an assignment
of lease in lot l and Benz. Bean one in lit
Sand Mary A. Conner bought part Of 9,
the Dobbyn property; John Little, lease
in lot 3, and Philip Otterback, part of lot
1 at L and 9Th streets.
In the forties James Gull, a justice of the
peace bought on Sth street part of lot 6.
John Smallwood assumed the Little lease
at 7th and l. streets which later went to
Mrs. Pie, grocer. G. Hartman, a baker,
bought parts of lots 5 and q, on Virginia
avenue. and John S. Stillings, a cabinet
.&-lv1