Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-02
OLD SLYE'S ORCHARD
Use of Part of Square 316 in
City's Early Days.
GROUND VALUES INCREASE
Present Public Park Was Play
ground for the Boys.
TOBACCO BARN BLOWN DOWN
Settlers About 1910 Regarded as
Fine Gardener-Incident In
volving an Ugly Man.
GROUND VAL UES INCREASE
TOBACCO BARN BLOWN DOWN

| Slyes orchard from 1910 till in the TWEEN
ties was partly on square $40 between X,
L, 18th and 18th streets, though in 1898
some lots had passed to Thomas Snowden.
In 1896 there had been but eight lots laid
off. but in 1910 Davidson's heirs made
twenty-four OF them. A cent TO cents
was the increase in corporation value of
the ground in thirty years. In 1880 john
son HELEN had half of the + street lots
l to and in 1892. James a. Ken
nedy 8 and 10, on 18th store; Richard
Posey. part II, adjoining D. w. w. Bill
ing. part II and lot 10. The next year
the latter lot went to L. r. Evans and r..
F. Brown had lots 8 and TO- which in 1886
went to Mary Whitney; w. c. H. Waddell,
acquiring and 6 on X street. In 1889
Isaac Goddard owned lot IS on L street
and G.. w. Stewart, 10, and extending to
11th street. Mr.. Goddard three years later
acquiring the corner lot. In 1910 Thomas
Pickrell bought lots . and 10 on 18th
street. and David Munro lot II on L
street. Two years after John Plant had
the adjoining lot and the next year Thorn
as II. Langley, lot 10. next east, and
Thomas b. Griffin, lots 8 and 10, on 10Th
street.
In the thirties there are no improve
ments listed here, and it is believed
that Posey's house, two-storied
frame. was the first erected In the
part of the square. as well as in the
streets was being worked and some of
the land was in garden truck but the
greater portion grow thistle and other
weeds. At the northeast corner of the
ri in 1910 a
| large two-storied frame house, in which
he lived some years. Thomas Pickwell,
| in 1910. built a two-storied frame resi-
dence on 18th street and lived there a
year or two. Thomas B. Griffin. a dealer
! In boots and shoes. father of the assessor.
bought this house, and the one adjoining
making his home here. Later James w
Dexter. we'll known as police officer and
a lieutenant of the Washington Light
Infantry, lived here, and Elijah GU
rand. long a Treasury enlploye. bought
the house on lot 10, and 1t was the home
of that well-known family many years
Mr.. Langley. in 1913. erected small
brick dwelling l. street, having his
home here a few years He was brick
layer. and erected. as contractor, many
houses. Later he went into the wood and
coal business. Afterward a colored fam
lily named Dodson was here. In the God
dard house. at 18th and L streets. lived
DR.. James Talley for some years. and
slave woman in the family known as
Aunt Della" was a feature of the neigh
borhood equally as we'll known as the
popular doctor and his sons. She was
very stout. yellow woman. who made few
acquaintances with her color save through
errands of mercy. and 1t seemed that If
any one were sick or had been hurt she
was the first to aid. She was wont to
say, MY skin may be dark. but honey,
my heart is as white anybodys." A
doctors gig at the door was sufficient to
bring her out with some little knickknack
and the cry of a child who was hurt dis
tressed her the more if she was unable to
respond at once.
Playground for Boys.
The open space, now parked. at the
crossing OF Massachusetts, avenue and l.
street. was before the civil war covered
with grass, in which one or two wagon
tracks and some well-worn foot paths
marked the short cuts. In the late
forties it was the scene of bonfires and
was the usual playground when the boys
were acting in the open.
North of Massachusetts avenue and l.
street between 18th and 18th streets, south
of NJ street. was square 315, laid off in
eleven lots, and in 1886 the lots were vest