Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-01
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 az
Fine Gardener-Incident In
volving an Ugly Man.
TOBACCO BARN BLOWN DOWN

Slyes orchard from 1910 till in the TWEEN
ties was partly on square SO between u.
l.. 18th and nth streets. though in 1899
some lots had passed to Thomas Snowdeu-,
In 1886 there had been but eight lots laid
off. but in 1910 Davidson's heirs made
twenty-four of them. \ cent to cents
was the increase IL corporation value OF
the ground in thirty years In 1870 John.
son HELEN had half of the X street lots
/ to and in 1892, James A. Ken
nedy, . and 10. on 18th store; Richard
Posey part IL. adjoining D. W. W. Bill
ing. part II and lot L. The next year
the latter lot went to F.. E. Evans and F..
F. Brown had lots . and 10. which in 1879
went to Mary Whitney, W. c. H. Waddell.
acquiring and on X street In 1899
Isaac Goddard owned lot Is on L street
and G.. w. Stewart. 10 and extending to
18th 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 Il on /.
street. Two years after John Plant had
the adjoining lot and the next year Thorn
as II. Langley. lot L? next east, and
Thomas b. Griffin, lots and 10. on 18th
street.
In the thirties there are no improve
ments listed here, and it is believed
that Posey's house. a two-storied
frame, was the first erected. In the
forties the ground on the southern
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
square Mr.. Goddard erected, in 1S42. a
large two-storied frame house. in which
he lived some years. Thomas Pickwen,
in 1870 built a two-storied frame resi-
dence on 18th street. and lived there .
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 employe. bought
the house OF lot TO- and IL was the home
of that well-known family many years.
MI Langley. in 1913. erected a small
brick dwelling on /. street having his
home here few years. He was a brick
layer. and erected. 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
DIR. james Talley for some years and a
slave woman in the family. known as
Aunt Della was feature of the neigh
borhood equally as we'll known as the
very stout. yellow woman. who made few
acquaintance with her color save through
errands of mercy. and it seemed that if
any one were sick or had been hurt she
was the first 10 aid. She was wont to
say. My skin may be dark, but honey,
my heart is as white as 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 /.
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 aud
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 M street. was square 3D. laid off in
eleven lots, and In 1896 the lots were vest
ed in Davidson's heirs and the United
States. Originally one cent per foot in
value in 1907. half cent in the twentjes.
reaching one and half. with no improve
ments charged save 500 to Davidson's
heirs. there was little change of ownership
till 1879. In 1910 Davidson's heirs SUBJ
divided lots . to Is into fourteen parcels.
Greenleaf and John Dickerson with tho
-Davfdsons, had been interested before.
Then James a. Kennedy had lots | and
to II, the east front of tho square The
next year Leonard Harbaugr had lot 10.
w. Mel. Cripps lot T. northeast corner OF
the square. and VIM. Coltman, lots 3
and . on 11th street. Lewis Johnson
bought lots and III on southeast corner
In 1888. and in 1885 J. f. Callan had lot Z
at NJ street.
In 1899 John r. Nourse had lots l.
and IL. which included the south and
northe asst corner of the square. Mr..
Nourse erected near 18th and l. streets
two-storied building as his residence
ana lived here for years spending Office
hours at the Treasury and others in beau
tifying the grounds. In 1910 w. Fl. Clam
pitt carpenter and builder. bought SUBJ
lot >. on the south front Of the square,
and substantial improvements followed
Clampitt improved his portion and Charles
f. Wood and John p. Hilton carpenters.
who purchased the LOT adjoining the same
year also. three fine two-storied and
dormer frames appearing. William
Campbell the same year bought lot 10.
on 11th street: in 1871 Philip Atwell sub
I. and p. Jackson. in 1872. sub g. on 18th
street. Arthur l.. McIntire in the latter
yetf DOuSn1 lOI 4. corner OF nth and NJ
streets. and "A few years after erected a
fine three-storied brick residence In this
year Marie w. Van Zandt bought tbs,
frame dwelling at the northeast corner
of Massachusetts avenue and 18th street
and here resided for many years Col
j. b. Van Zant. veteran Treasury clerk
secretary of the city councils in the early
days and justice of the peace. Two sons
were officers OF the navy-Joseph an
engineer who died long years ago AMI
n b. who had feached n lieutenancy in
the United States navy before the civil
war and then high rank in the Confed-
crate navy.
Erection of Residences.
The same year William Pope. in early
life a butcher, in middle life connected
with the National Era and later a Treas
ury clerk. bought on Massachusetts ave-
nue. and erected a two-storied building,
vet i'm service as the back building of one
Of tho fine residences erected after. Ad-
Joining Mr.. Pope the east Jonas =.
Keller. then a patent agent. erected
th-ee-sto DRIED house and afterward Maj.
Nicholas Vedder was resident here. Rev.
John Robb. at one time chief clerk of tho
general land Office. and Mason Campbell
were on Massachusetts, avenue in the az.
ties.