Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-18
SQUARES 251 AND 252
"Seven Oaks Neighborhdod''
in Early Days of City.
NOW A VERY BUSY SECTION
Record of Transfers of Realty as
Sites for Churches.
NAMES OF THE RESIDENTS
Description of Some Of the Original
structures-considet zion for
the Deeds Given.

| The section of the city in which are
squares 251 and 252. between 18th. 14th.
G and Fl streets, was known in the in
fancy of the city as the Seven Oaks neigh
! borhood. based on the large oaks on a
knoll near the northeast corner of square
252. from which there was a gentle de-
| scent west and south to 14th and G
streets. with. when those streets had been
| graded pond in evidence after heavy
rainfall. Situated so near the President 8
| house and departments. the building lots
| on 18th street early changed hands, but
| there is evidence of settlement until
| about 1914, when Foundry Chapel was
I erected where the Colorado building now
| stands. other than d small building on
| 18th street. Nevertheless in the twenties
| nearly $4,000 was the taxable value of
| the improvements, and the ground ranged
| from to IL cents per foot. The first
| appraisement Of the ground was 3 cents.
| and for a number of years 1t was listed at
half that rate: and $50 for the house on
| 18th street assessed TO B. Fenwick.
This space was plated for two squares.
New York avenue, II. 18th and 14th
| streets bounding No. 251 To the south
| was %. In the former two lots were
| laid out and afterward cut into eight
| lots were laid out, and in 1896 the lots In
| each square were apportioned. Davidson's
! heirs taking title to those in 251. and they
with the United States and David Burns
| shared those In square 252 1t was on the
| latter square that the first settlement was
| made. 1t was a small house on lot IS
which. with lot ~ on 18th street. was
bought by B. Fenwick in 1899. Robert
Hay in 119S had bought lot II. at the
corner of 18th and " streets. and in I7aS
ha1 flo lots !,
Edward P1owden the three lots west on
II street. Charles Carter lot at 18th and
q streets and Robert Harrison lots and
| 4 west. In 1902 William II. Dorsey
bought on G and 14th streets five lots 8
| to II. and the next year he sold of these
10 and II to Thomas Snowden. With the
exception of lot II these were bought by
Henry Foxall for $50 in March. 1914.
and two years later, March ~. 1916 with
the brick chapel erected by him, he deed
ed lots 3. and part of 10 to Isaac
| Owens and others house of worship
| i'm trust for the members of the NJ T..
Church. designating 1t as the Foundry
| Chapel.
The original church was but 90 by 80
| feet in dimensions. fronting 18th street.
| and it was dedicated September 10. 1878
Rev. Nicholas Snthn. then and later a
prominent minister of the denomination.
| preaching the dedication sermon Or
| ganized In 1915. 1t was connected with
| the Georgetown church till 1917. when
| Rev. Thomas Burch became the minis
| ter In that year the parsonage was
| erected on street and a house for the
sexton adjoining. During the term of
Rev. John Lanahan IT was enlarged and
| basement constructed for the Sunday
school and classes. In 1854 a new build
Ing took its Place and the front was
changed to G street, and a dozen years
was sold. and. following the trend of
improvement, new church was erected
in the northwest. the Colorado building
taking the old site.
Erects Brick Dwelling.
Lot II. on 18th street in 1918 went to
Lloyd NJ. Lowe. and he erected substan-
therein many years. In 1S45 it was bought
by Columbus Alexander. then conducting
printing office near the Navy Depart
ment, and later prominent in the board
Of public works investigation. William
Campbell. colored Whitewater. bought
the property as home in the fifties. Lot
Is. on New York avenue, was bought in
1911 by John McClelIand, who soon there
after subdivided ii and erected three SUBJ
stantial brick dwellings. Mr.. McClelland
was for many years engaged in brickmak-
| ing and long was a guardian of the poor
and prominent in corporation matters, a
puDilc-SplrlteQ cltlZen, as were MS SOnS
| Capt John McClelland was for many
years commander of the Mechanical
Rifles. and in 1851 entered the Union serv-
ice as captain OF company. For years
he conducted machine shop. David Nc
Clelland is well remembered as an en-
| graver. and another son, George, was In
the shoe business.
! Lewis Clephane in 1909 had lot 81, cor
ner of 18th and III streets, which three
| years later belonged to Jacob Miller. and
Dor fo~fN i'm
| proved the same. In 1910 Francis Clarke
| succeeded to lots 20 and y, on which was
| q small house.
| In 1919 David Long leased part Of lot =.
on G street. and in 1920 assigned the lease
| to James Stephens. Two years later ).
| Stephens had deed for part of this lot.
| with two frame houses, and ten years
! after David Jones took a deed for his por-
| ton. narrow-front brick house was the
Jones home for many years. and Nanny
Jones' as the woman was called, was
known far and wide by the children who
bought tafy from her.
In 1875 John A. Smith had title to lot =
on G street. on which livery stable was
! conducted by William Galloway. and part
| of this lot in 1889. was owned by David
! Carroll. John A. Smith had title to lot ..
on G street, in 1925 In 1879 MIR. McClel-
I land WAS on lots % TO %. John Weaver
! and James Walker on 30 and Thomas Ar
| buckle owned in 2:'.
| In the twenties the assessed improve
| ments were on lot 9. j. Stephens. $50; G.
r. Maxwell. $3.50. and David Jones. $500;
lot s. Foundry Church, xl,jOO on dwell
ings: lot u, Lloyd NJ. Lowe. SLIGO: lot
Is. ETC.. John McClelland. $500 three
parcels; lot u. II. Forrest. $1,000 and
NJ. F. Clarke, house. $500. In 1888 David
Carroll bought the west part of lot =. and
| two years later Joseph Abbott had the
east part. John Wilson bought sublot |
| on New York avenue in 1885. The next
year James Spaulding had lot -. on III
street transferred TO Richard Manning.
| William Galloway had been conducting
| the livery business for several years on
| lot 81, which Mr.. Abbott Acquired in 1873
and soon thereafter the corner lot east.
MIR. Abbott erected frame dwelling ed
! joining the stable and carried on the