Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22
HISTORY OF A SQUARE
Events in the Development of
Block No. $50.
VALUES 100 YEARS AGO
Between the Present Lines of 18th,
18th, H and I Streets.
COUNT DENEMON'S BUILDING
Home Of French Minister Among
First in Section-School for Col
ored Children There.
COUNT DENEMON'S BUILDING

; ored Children There.
; A century ago square No. $50 on the
present city plan was looked upon as part
. and parcel of what is now the next
, square to the north. and 1t was many
years before there was even a semblanct
. of a dividing line. The stream from
. Franklin Square the east made
! natural boundary on the line of 18Th
. street. the much used road in 18th street
. bounded the block on the west, and from
the twenties H street took on the appear
: ance of thoroughfare. BY the thirtie:
the square became somewhat of mote
. through the erection of several imposing
: buildings on the H street front by Coun
Denemon, and a school for colored you'll
. was also established in the block.
. There were thirty lots plotted in Thu
square. which. in 1916, were vested in The
. United States. and in 1900 several in the
. southwest portion were owned by David
.. sons heirs. cent per foot was tn.
. original valuation made in 1902. The
. first settlement in the square was made
! In 1909 on lot 10. at the corner Of 14tf
!. and H streets. by Henry Smothers. He
, afterward opened the school for coloreG
, children and continued its management
, as late as 1894. John w. Prout succeeded
. to ownership of the school, and he held
the property for the next ten years. Be
fore 1920 Col. r. Cults and Richard
= Smith owned many lots. In 1897 Lethe
! Tanner. a veteran of the Cook family
bought the corner lot, and for fifty years
or more the Tanners and Cooks lived
there Their property was listed at a
value of S1.4OO. There was a two-story
| f,.n, II Ilty,tr n ylrn n
Mrs. Tanner conducted variety store.
The schoolhouse was a small frame
building. and in this holding Mr.. Prout
was succeeded by John F. Cook in 1884
Mr.. Cook served as Schoolmaster Till his
death in 1855. It was here that the Col
ored Presbyterian Church, which for
many years afterward stood opposite Nc
Pherson Square, was first organized IN
May, 1912. The school teacher was the
) first pastor and was as successful in the
church as in the school. His sons, John
F. and George F. Cook. both became
teachers of note. The former taught his
own school near 18th and X streets until
the colored public schools were estab-
lished in 1867. He later became collector
of taxes and is now a member of the
board of education. George F. Cook sue
ceeded his father in the II street school,
and was the first superinte ndent of the
coiored public schools. Among the fam
lilies who were represented in Cook s
school were the Lewises. Shorters,
lThomases, CAROLS. Datchers, Poseys
and Dodsons Those being the days OF
Taught under some difficulties. for at
times incendiary remarks or pubilcatlons
and escapes Of slaves by the under
ground railroad would excite the white
neighbors of the school and boys would
vent their spleen by stoning the school
house and pupils
Purchase by French Minister.
then the French minister. invested on the
square, first acquiring the five lots ex-
tending on II street from 18th street to
the center of the square. AfterWard ne
became the owner of nearly half the
square On lots to there were erected
three fine brick residences of three stories
each, and Count Denemon made his home
in the center building of the row for a
few years Massive iron chains hung on
low stone pillars suggested the name OF
the chain house, but the "Denemon build
}, ings'' and French minister's we're the
more dignified names. At that time the
ground on H street was valued at 12E
cent?. a foot. and the buildings were as
sessed for $1,000. For a few years Count
Denemons house was the official home
of the French legation. and 1t was the
scene of many society functions. The
count made slight improvements on other
parts of his property asgreSatins IN
value about $1,OcO. The values on the
ground in the square other than on Fl
street were from 4 to 10 cents per foot
About 1884 Baron Surrier succeeded the
count as minister, and occupied the resi-
dence for a few years.
There was q small house near the cor
ner of 18th and l streets in which a col
ored woman, Aunt Betsy PEARL lived
Andrew Irvine married her daughter and
later erected a small brick house About
90 I'll.
into the hands of r. LIE Colt, and later
the buildings were owned by Commodores
B. w. Kenyon. Granville S. Cooper and
S. S. Gouvenur. and Surgeon H. S Has
kill, U.S,N. The two last named and
Rev. DR.. Smith Pyne of ST. Johns EpiS-
copal Church were residents there in the
forties, and Gen. Winfield Scott occupied
one of the houses some time in the tifties
In the meantime there had teen some
settlement in other portions of the square.
Mrs. Mary f. f. Allen bought lot II and
John McDuell ~ and L. on ,14th street:
John Onsley, 81 on 18th street In 1881 \
NJ: Laub had 10 and Ii on 18th street
which he sold to James w. Shields in
1884. In 1886 J. Watson had lot II and
Thomas p James lot on III street. In
the forties Mrs. A. X. Lowe had lot 1:
on 14th street.
List of Early Residents.
Mr. McDuell erected a row of two-stor,
listed at s., 500 Mr. Ousley, gardener al
the White House, had a o-story dwell
ing on 18th street taxed at a 500 value
NJ Shields. a messenger in the Treasury
erected a three-story frame residence or
18th street
In the forties other than those already
named, the following were re Sidents ir
ing square: Robert Reeves Martin Rene
han Mr. Gallagher and Thomas Odel
on 18TH street: Mrs. McArde, John p
Helton John Trenholm on fifth street, and
Thomas Williamson on l street Mr.
Renehan, as his name indicates was OF
Irish origin, and for years was a door.
keeper at the White House. Here he full,
sustained the reputation of his nation.
alitE for wit. and his witticisms through
the many distinguished people he me,
were given worldwide circulation. I,
is related that in President Tylar's day
he averted threatened dismissal by asking
the President If he intended ito drive
the last martin from the box" On an
other occasion the President told hin
some complaints had been made of his
conduct. And do you believe them?'
Renehan replied. IT'S a very bad mar
no finds fault with. and your ex-
cellency is a very good man, for I've
heard hundreds say much worse things
about you than any would dare say OF
me-
After his labors at the door of the