Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-01

streets. In 1925 w. b. Brown had a K
street lot which went to A. Almond. Mrs.
A. NJ. Thornton i'm 1880 had lot on
| street. In 1893 Samuel Brereton had lot
4 after buying lot ; on l street. M. JET
| fers in 1886 bought lot - which afterward
| was bought by J. G. Mcdonald. In 1SSS
| lots t. and IL. corner 18th and X streets,
| were owned by Miss Parmelia Clapdore.
| and the following year Mrs. Ann NJ Fitz-
| hugh owned at 18th and * streets lots Ia
| to ~. In 1910 Thomas Corcoran had lot
| u on street and the next year Anthony
| Preston owned lots = to II. selling after
ward to w. w. Corcoran. In 1915 Charles
L. Mccarthy bought lot 10 on 18th street.
erecting Il residence to which he moved
| from the square north.
Colored Presbyterian Church.
In 1s41 colored Sunday school in the
neighborhood led TO the organization OF
Presbyterian church under Rev. j. r.
Cook prominent as colored minister and
school teacher, the father of John f. Cook
| of the board of education and Prof. q.
F. r. Cook, former superintendent of the
colored schools. This organization at once
set about securing place of worship. On
18th street lot was selected. though IL
was occupied, David GlascO having a
house upon 1t and the title to the lot be-
ing w. w. Corcorans. The pastor. Mr.
Cook. and the trustees. David carroll.
Charles Bruce and A. A. Cook. secured
lot and house. the price being 500 for the
lot and $62J for the house. The latter
was converted into place of worship
and from the first the congregation pros
pered so much that long since the for
mer structure gave way to handsome
brick edifice. Mr.. Cook was the pastor
from 1871 to 1855 and also engaged In
school teaching.
Square No. 217 between n T. and 14th
streets and Vermont avenue has
unique history. having laid in a state
of nature. devoid of any Improvement
and apparently known only on the tax
books and in the land records assessed
on valuation of l to > cents per foot
till war times. This. when the city was
laid out in the Davidson parcel and
plated for ten lots. which in 1906 were
vested in Sam Davidsons heirs and
were so held for over seventy-five
years. The ground was originally roll
ing, all OF it above the established
grade, and from the forties to the civil
war was known for it's proximity to the
grocery onsthe square north as ''DaleyS
HILL"
Boys Playground.
The boys of the city made a play
ground of it, and here in the more simple
games of town ball. box" round
cat prisoners base were the first
principles of base BALI learned by our
forebears During the civil war there
were some of the; New Jersey and other
regiments in camp here. In 1866 john
L.. .kidwell of Georgetown bought the
whole square from the Davidson heirs
and since it has been greatly improved by
the Cochran Hotel and other fine build
ihes being erected thereon
The square numbered PIG west plated
for seven lots and vested in Samuel David
son in 1896. was held by his heirs till 1919,
when the title was conveyed by Ann
Stansbury to Commodore Stephen Decatur
and Col. George Bomford The ground
was listed in 1903 at . cents. and reduced
to 1 cent, remained at that figure till the
twentfes, when 3 cents was the rate. A
subdivision into tWenty-o ne lots had been
made before, and in 1925 Joseph Warren,
colored. bought lots and ), at the south
west corner of the square. Lots 6 to IL.
the 18th end 1 street fronts, were in the
Mrs Susan Decatur. At that period there
were improvements listed to Joseph War
rem, $AoW on lot 4: to Col. Bomford, $50,
lot 5. and Mary Wilson, $780, lot I.
On Vermont Avenue.
In 1926 lot 1, corner of Vermont avenue
and X street, was bought by F. Janorot.
who erected small building upon it.
Two years later E. Hendley bought a
frame house, lot 9; l.. Kervand had lot
L in 1898. and soon after Susan Wilson
was on lot IA, on Vermont avenue, and
S. P. Franklin on lots Is and II south.
In the thirties the improvements were
assessed to F. Janorot. 800 on lot 1 and
to Col. Bomford 5000, $500 ana 81 600, lots
to T. X street: $500 each. lots l. and Ii
on l. street. and 5000. lot % on Vermont
avenue. In 1886 lots to 10 went to II.
c. Slade and the next year w. F. Porter.
through Gen. Van Ness. took title to IL
and L. In 1888 James Butler had lot )
and obtained lot 4 through William Rhodes
the next year, and and 10 of Charles
Hbbs. The latter retained lot :. S. Hol-
land had lots q and and G. Hartman
owned IL and II, which three years later
went to Joseph Edwards About 1910
James Penny had lot S on 10Th street and
John H. Drury lot 1, Vermont avenue
and X street.
John n. Drury, Artist.
William B. Laub. a grocer at 18th and
F streets. lived at 18th and streets;
Aquilla Ricketts,, in similar business on G
near 18th street, lived on Vermont ave-
nue. between H and streets, as also did
Robert Harrison, carpenter and Rob-
ert McMorland, Charles F. Mccarthy, also
a carpenter, lived i'll the early forties on
Vermont avenue north of X street, soon
after erecting a residence of his own on
18th street between / and X streets. Then
there was Drury's grocery at 10th and X
streets, and John II. Drury lived in the
house and engaged in his work as a
painter, ldter In lie setting IN chicago
as an artist. Mr. Drury is living in
Georgetown. and though above ninety
years of age. uses the brush and easel,
recently turning out some studies of ami
NAL life. Joseph Edwards master pas-
terer, had several houses at the north
west corner of the square, where he long
lived. Mrs. Edwards was a dOctress of
some local fame. and i'll cases of felons,
cuts. bruises. burns, ETC., had much Sic
cess. Richard Harrison, an employe of
the State Department: Samuel Coomes,
an employe of the land office. and Thomas
Mahoney, Il tailor. lived in three frame
houses on the north side of l street.
Barney Curran. carpenter and builder.
later of the building inspectors office, and
Thomas Il. SpriggS, pump maker, had
their shops on 18th street north of J
street. Miss Pamela Clapdon lived near
18th and * streets
Near the colored Presbyterian Church
lived genial character in the person of
Terence McManuS for years d doorkeeper
at the White House.
Disappointed Millerites.
In the days when the Millerites were
looking for the end of the world there
were a few women in that neighborhood
so confident that they made preparations
for the event. The believers, attired in
white, robes, assembled and engaged in
singing, prayer, meditation and religious
conversation and awaited the call % a
better sphere. They waited in vain and
though some were inclined to the belief
that there had been an error i'm the cal
culation others became apOstates and put
away their gowns. 1t was a long time
thereafter when phrase about going to