Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-28


history IT appears no taxable improvements
were made IN lS06-07. on January of
the latter year deed is made from VIM
Prout to Thomas Tingcy and Peter Miller
Tor lots 6 and T. square S77 in trust for
the Protestant Episcopal Church. This re-
cites that as subscriptions had been re
! corded for building church and doubts
had arisen as To how the money should Ice
held and dlsburscd this conveyance WIS
made to the parties named IN trust to
| receive and dishurse the moneys due for
the work, etc, and hold the property for
the church. 1t appears from the records
OF Washington parish that In 1875 Episco-
pal church services were held in tobacco
barn near New Jersey avenue and - street
southeast. that Rev. Grurgr Ralph was the
first rector. and, the parish then including
Georgetown. minister. Rev T. CAN'T.
was in charge Of that portion of the work
II appears that on April :, lNof. new
vestry was chosen Commodore Tngey.
Peter Miller. Thos II Gcllcs. Egtfrr Cp,k c
John Dempsey. Andrew Way Tturups
Washington and II. AeNan Ter. W ~ Il 'n.ie
register and Roy. \ +. Mccormick rector.
Offers were made by Tbos l'3w ana MIR
Carroll of site near the Capitol and hy
Mr. Prout Of the one in question. ON con-
dition OF IN" erection Of a church within
one year Mr. Fruut's offer was accepted
and the church opened for service August
March proceedings Commodore TinGcy.
Messrs Cooke. Miller and rrmpslc Of the
old board and Griffith Coombs. David Slater.
Henry lnSle and VIM. Prout
Building Consecrated.
The building became free of debt ~ Oc-
toher $. 1909 on which day II was conse-
Grated by Rt. Rev. Thomas j. Clagglt.
bishop of Maryland Since this time the
bounds OF the parish have been contracted
until they include only Southeast Washing
ton Through the IN nistrations OF Nj. Nc
Cormick till lS23. Rev Ethan Allen til
1870; Rev. +. w. Hatch TIL lS{5. Roy. II.
II. Bean till lsis and Others it has fulfilled
its mission. Through It's long NE the
church has numbered among Its commune
Giants officers and attaches OF the navy
yard and barracks. and il is recalled that
during the life OF Gen. Henderson. long
years a vestryman. many of the boys IN
der training in the barracks were regular
attendants
During the rectorshp OF Rev Ethan AL
len. who served from 1923 to 1890. the rec
tory was built on the lot west OF the
church and is so used today.
Until 1920 there were no transfers OF
property in this square. and then the two
lots 10 and II, at the southwest corner OF
the square. were sold to DR.. John Harrison.
L. S. N, then in charge Of the naval hos
pital. These were 75 teet front on q street
and nearly 100 feet on 9th street and the
consideration was 10 cents per foot although
| the corporation value the square
only cents. DIR. Harrison built home
here In which he lived number of years.
The property went into the hands OF VIM.
Richards in 1912. and two substantial brick
dive 'lngs took the place OF the former
house. The Richards home was here. as
father and son lived here for many years.
i The late James II. Richards well
known among the volunteer fremen. the
Odd Fellows and other orders. He was In
| the brickmaking business.
James Diggs. a ship carpenter in the navy
| yard In 1920, leased the lot west of that on
which the rectory stands. and erected
| small frame cottage. set well back from the
| street. This was valued at $50 In the
| twenties Diggs name disappears from the
| records in 1880. and that of Parsons, to-
| gether with record OF $1,000 improve
! ment on the lot. appears on the tax books
! In 1888 Joseph Cowperthwaita became
the owner of lots fronting on G. street. be-
tween the church and eth street. and s. A.
II. Marks. three years after. bought the
| west lot, 5. where he built fine residence.
and soon after Jesse Ergood and James
Peake and Malinda Smith owned lot 3.
and James Gordon had lot 2
Odd Fellows Purchase.
April 4. 1s43. lot and part of "a. at the
southeast corner vi the square were bought
by Union Lodge. No. T.. and Harmony
Lodge No. Q, /. o. o. F., from Richard
Barry. The deed was made to Peter NJ.
Pearson, John Keithey, John D. Bland. Mr.
Bristvn.-S. Nelson. and Adam L. Rose as
trustees. A two-story brick building was
! erected with a lodgeroom above and hau
| below and for several years il was the odd
| Fellows Hall for that section, and long one
| of the public schools was located on the
/
the teacher here, having both boys and
! girls under her charge, and there are rev
| old people still living who were her pupiis'
| and who have grandchildren attending the
! training school which now occupies the site.
| John L. Club of the marine service, ana
| who was fife major of the band In 1S42,
! bought eight lots on 18th street but In Few
wears sold most of them. ID. kleiss X. Nj.
| Coombs, John Cox. c. Lyons, c. Newton
| and W. Cook buying some of them
/ Some others on this square were Mrs;
| Burdine. mother of Alfred, James anu
Charles Burdlne; W. Roach, IL. SiinohuS
| and F. Clifton.
| The triangular square formed by South
Carolina avenue and f., 9th and 9TH streets,
| was laid out into twelve lots and assigned
| to Mr. Prout in 1875. The lots at the west
| end of The square in 1900 went to DAVID
| Slater. In 1915 b. G. Orr had a deed for
| lot but the next year John Chalmers leased
| the whole square, and in 1918 transferred
| his lease to s. Elliot, jr. The ground was
valued at cents foot for the hrst ha1
| of the century. and the only improvements
were in the name of J. Chalmers, on lot
| l. corner of 18th and f streets. In 1916 ne
held the square by lease. Mr. Prout the
| following year bought the west end OF the
square. In 1922 it was in the name OF tne
| Bank of Washington. and in 1880 joel
Crittenden owned all excepting lot D. whlch
was in the name of W. w Corocran.
In 1913 Thomas Kelly secured lot by lease.
The year following the lot went to John
Hall. and Patrick Sweeney held lease IN
fee title of the whole square was held by
II. Bradley and later by George Il. M
knight.
First Resident.
The first resident is believed to have been
F. w Duvall, the naval storekeeper, whose
home in the twenties fronted on 9TH street.
The square which for years bore the
name of the Naples and on which resided
Mrs. Briggs. who Well known in
Journalistic circles, is one of more than
ordinary interest. 1t is No. $40, within the
lines OF 9Th 9Th and ID streets and South
Carolina avenue. and although on the plan
of the city it appears as "A collection or
twelve building lots. until recently 1t was
kept intact. In 1896 Capt. w. Mayne Dun
canSon bought the square from the United
States and the same year sold ii to J. 5.
Robertson. 5000 feet OF II, on condition
Il Ut he build upon 1t within three years.
T. 1891 James Ray had the. rest of the
square 2SOtD feet. on the same condition.
Robertson failed to build and the land was
conveyed back to Duncanson. The nous.
was erected in 1896 and Capt. Duncanson
took up his residence here, living in fine
style But misfortune overlook him. and his
property became incumbered. Before his