Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-10
IN OLD WASHINGTON
Some Interesting History of
Southwest Landmarks.
PLACES ONCE GARDENS
Familiar Names of Early Proprietor
ship.
MEMORIES OF ISLAND DAYS
When Houses Were Far Apart and
Pioneers Had Commons for
Kline to Browse.
Written for The Star.

occupied portions of it for homes or gar
dening purposes before 1920. Though plat
ted into building lots very slowly and
houses appeared after some interval. the
first to appear in the records was one on
the north side Of F street between 18th
and Sth streets. in the thirties. In the
previous decade, however. as early as
1915. a we'll known resident family was
represented in the square south by one
ancestor, but If he then had a residence
here it was lonely one on the commons,
in which there were some patches Of
to street lines. That these conditions eX-
listed sixty years ago is proven by the
fact that boys who formed acquaintance
with hoe and plow thereabout still live
there; nor have a number forgotten how
they drove home their cows from the
commons.
The fact that within these lines the i'm
prOvements prior to 1850 were mostly Of
frame indicates that the great middle
class, the wage-earners. predominated.
and in the main owned their homes.
Even now the scenes and incidents in the
quiet. orderly neighborhood in which the
younger portion enjoyed the frequent par
lor entertainments, the serenades Of anna
teur musicians, are recalled with pleas
ure
In Days Of Troubadours.
Staid old citizens. including even min
listers. were at times the subjects of
compliments by these bands and glee
clubs. On one occasion the strains of
Love Not" and other sentimental pieces
called out a young clergyman who had
been conducting a revival and who was
suspected Of being engaged to relative
Of his landlady. Whether the musical Sc
lection was made with reference to the
sentiment or the music is not known, but
the minister acknowledged the compli-
ment of the call. the company was in
vited in, treated to refreshments and
passed an agreeable evening That the
minister became at once popular with the
young people was soon evident. and in
after years when he and his wife and
family came back to Washington to &C
cept a charge the cordially of his well
come was hearty and mutual.
Near by lived couple. the male men,
Der Of which was we'll up in years and
the wife a mere child. and though to all
bors predicted that they could not over
come the disparity Of age and would sep
arate In time. In a year or two the ex-
pected happened. The man failed to re-
turn one day from the place Of his en-
ployment. The wife was distracted. A
hat was found the next day on the banks
of the canal. 1t was identified as belong
ing to the missing hubby. Thereupon the
wife came to the conclusion that he had
committed suicide by drowning and that
she was a widow.
Some time later she returned to her
parents in the country with her young
child. a few years after 1t was found
that her husband had gone to his old
home in southwest Virginia and was liv-
Ing with his first wife and family.
Appreciation in Values.
Although a long time in throwing off
the original conditions and bearing
value of but a cent per foot on the cor
poration books, there was some growth
in this section by the thrties and there
ensued an appreciation in value as high
as cents per foot on 7th street, cents
on F street and as low as 3 cents In
other parts. But little of the ground
passed by tax title. comparatively fewer
tenants being here than in any other sec
ton. Though some ground was plated
into many building lots to a square and
purchasers bought blocks OF them, 1t is
noted they remained unimproved for a
long time; in fact. some until about 1850.
The square known as All, bounded by
d, f and Sth and 9th streets, vas laid
off for forty lots. facing east and west,
and though in the division in 1897 1t was
placed in the name of Motley Young, the
original proprietor. four years before it
had been sold to George Harrison and
Samuel Sterritt.
/
1903, and, in 1904, J. Crawford owned
five lots, and the next year J. Gardner
and c. G. Polake had the same number.
James Delaney. In 1906. and William
Thirty years after John N. Trook leased
four lots on Sth street and here planted a
garden. l.. o. Cook. in the forties, owned
property in this square.
Site Of Episcopal Church.
In May. 1851. he sold the lot at the
southeast corner of 9th and D streets to
the vestry of Grace P. E. Church. Here
was erected the frame Gothic structure
for the congregation OF which Rev. Dr.
Alfred Holmead was the rector for thirty
years. A fine brick church edifice, with
parish hall, is now the place of worship
of over two hundred communicates.
The square opposite 435 figured in the
transa ctions of James Greenleaf, and in
1898 it was bought by George Sweeney Of
S. Elliott, jr., and a subdivision was made
bought one Of these In 1923. and in 1920
John Warden secured one and J. and w.
Sawyer and L. s. Beck two each. John D.
Boteler bought three lots in 1880 and
Sheriff bought lot and in 1899 c. w.
Boteler owned one. These were nearly all
on 7th street. and it is known that a num-
Der of houses We're erected. Mr.. Farlan
III,
mother of the we'll known George L.
Sheriff. for years in the wood and coal
business. and II. Harvey, carpenter,
were residents here in the thirties. Later
in the forties were John Chancey. car
penter the father of the we'll known
Capt. ]. T. Chancey; George P. Maxwell,
plasterer; William Cropley, printer:
Thomas Brashears. shoemaker; James
Mcdonald, hackman, and John Angel, a
cabinetmaker. James Burch resided on r
street
In the fifties, with Others there were
George Garrett, carpenter: Craven Ash
ford many years the clerk at the peni-
Tertiary. and a Justice of the peace,
grandfather of our building inspector. and
John Sheetz, one Of the best known hack
men of his day.
Rather Tardy in Progress.
The fourteen lots in square 412, be-
tween Z. F, Sth and 9th streets were also
very tardy in taking on city conditions,
remaining in possession of the Youngs
until 1888. when they were bought by the
well known Simon Frazier. A. garden
was cultivated by him. and for some
years he resided on the northeast corner
of 9th street. but later. while employed
in one of the departments. made his home
near the patent Office A large brick
house was his residence In those days,
and in the fifties two houses were erected
on E street.
Mr.. Greenleafs contract with the COM
miSsionerS for city lots included the six