Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-19
BEYOND THE POTOMAC
Pretty Settlements in Alexan-
dria County, Virginia.
NEW TOWN SPRINGING UP
Modern Conditions Being introduced
in Suburban Places.
TWO HUNDRED NEW HOUSES
Picturesque Homes Of Washington
ians in Nearby Old Dominion
Counties.
NEW TOWN SPRINGING UP
TWO HUNDRED NEW HOUSES

Counties.
At this season of the year. when the
call of the wild" or probably more prop
erly speaking. the "call Of the garden
rake and hoe and spade" enters mems
veins with greatest insistence. most OF
the thoughts of the waking hours OF
scores upon scores of citizens of the city
are turned lOngingly toward visions Of
the country and the suburbs where there
may be found free play for the vigorous
side of human nature Washington has
been pretty thoroughly built UP in its
NORTHERN semi-country sections, and when
the problems of rapid transportation to
and from the necessary daily tasks in the
city come up for consideration. the
: urban residents happy thoughts OF coun-
try life in the summer time are often
rudely shattered by the realization of
wasted hours in transit between business
and home.
In ali the environs of the Capital city.
however. none affords more ready means
' of access these days than the growing
settlements just beyond the Potomac river
In Virginia. and the Old Dominican is
claiming a constantly growing number of
(. the lovers of suburban life. Since the
and the improvement of the service of the
. Washington, Alexandria and Mount YER
!, non railway many Washingtonians have
4, joined the ranks of the commuters in
: daily journeyings to and from st. Elmo
;. and Del Ray. recently merged into the
: town of Potomac. and Lloyds and Brad
: dock Heights stations.
Potomac now has the advantage of
:. connection with the. city water service of
, Alexandria, and the further plans for the
improvement of the little, borough in
clude the installation of modern lighting
systems. paving of sidewalks and i'm
provement of streets. During the past
year nearly 200 new houses have been
built in Potomac. and many more will
be added. II is said. during the ensuing
spring building season. BraddOck
many. years ago. and the promoters dedi-
Gated land for streets and alleys in most
approved fashion. The prospective SET
Element was provided with water sys-
most of the lots. and all connected with
a great central reservor-tank, raised high
in air on heavy wooden supports. which
drew its supply of water from deep
artesian WELL Further than this the
projectors of Braddock Heights laid out
a central plat a park. with winding
paths and flower gardens and summer
houses. and altogether it was made a
most ideal suburb.
Building Activity Resumed.
Probably the only fault that could be
found with the plan to attract urban in
vestors to this pretty tract was that it
happened to be a dozen or more years
In advance OF the times. Evidently the
tide of commuter immigration was not
ready to move. because Braddock
Heights. aside from the erection Of four
or five houses. did not prosper. The
water system froze in winter and the
windmill attachment vanished in a
miniature tornado, never to be replaced.
The little park became waste of
weeds and rank growing grasses, with
only a few struggling flowers as me-
mentoS of One-time grandeur.
About two years ago the subdivision
manifested signs of returning activity.
were attracted by the beauty of the
site, which lies on the side OF high
hill. and with magnificent views of the
Potomac river and the valley FOR miles
in all directions. and of the Capitol: the
Washington Monument and most of
Washington in the distance. Within the
year 1907 fully half a dozen new houses
were built in the subdivision. and even
the cold rnanths of the past winter also
had their quota of home construction.
while the present spring season prom
Uses to be the most active in the history
of the section. Braddock Heights and
its immediate vicinity now claims fully
fifty houses and a constantly growing
population.
Just north Of Braddock. Lloyd station
offers the most convenient point from
road may reach their homes. The road
over Lloyd hill is the recognized short
cut to and from the railroad for all the
region, even to and beyond the Theo-
school in Fairfax county. Braddock
road is sharing in the attentions OF
nomeseekers. and much building is TAX
ing place. while still more Is in con-
1Nlr h n
between Braddock Heights proper and
the I.eesburg turnpike. The home OF
Dr. David n. Rust in a handsome grove
of fruit and shade trees. situated on one
and with it's lawns sweeping down to a
frontage of nearly mile on the Brad
dock road. has long been one OF the
most attractive of the entire country
approach fairly radiate the traditional
hospitality of the Old-time southern
home.
over the tops of the trees in an interven-
ing woods. is the home of John L. Pro-
sise. president of the Morrison Paper
Company of Washington. typical C!o
Dominion mansion, screened on all sioes
by century-old trees and approaches py
haIf-mile driveway winding through the
woods and along the brow of the hill and
terminating in the midst of a beautifu
flower garden in front OF the mouse
Suu another mansion OF the same gen
erous proportions is the home or MIS-
Frank Hume. standing. too. on the bro"
of the same ridge of hills. and sur,
rounded by a grove OF masninceht oar
trees In his lifetime the late Frank
Hume. head of one OF the largest mer-
camille firms in the Capital city. tooh
particular delight in the cultivation OF
fine grove Of cedar trees which gave al
atmosphere of almost absoluts seclusion
screening the house entirely on us eastern
front.
Historical Reminders.
This whole section of Alexandria ane
Fairfax counties is rich in historical as
sociations Braddock Heights and Brad
dock road take their names from Gen
Paddock who. before his disastrou:
march upon Fort Duquesne. camped To-
weeks on the Virginia hills and laid GU
the trail which became the Braddoci
road OF the present day. In civil wal
times the whole range of hills was seam
ed with the trenches of the Union soldier,