Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-07

POiio0 tHdt tHCi C WdS SSttlCHiSul IOG
home and business purposes. for then the
buildings could be numbered on one hand
and none bore evidence Of long standing.
The streets were unpaved, and scarcely
was there a wagon track to be found.
and, as rule, lots. squares and streets
laid in the open. while in a few instances
crops were inclosed by worm fencing,
some of it taking in the street beds.
1t needs. therefore, no assertion that
there was grand sport here with dog
and gun: that there was pasturage for
the many cows kept by the old families
Of Washington. and ample territory for
the rambling boys of old.
Agreement With Greenleaf.
Under the agreement with Mr.. Green.
leaf In 1874. for the sale of lots to him
for $50 each. he to improve every third
lot and the building regulations requiring
the erection of substantial houses of
brick or stone. much of this ground
passed to him. Many were optimistic
then that through him, Norris ]. Nichol-
son. Pratt, Francis ]. Miller and others,
such buildings would appear, but they
were doomed to disappointment. OF such
lots, sixty-eight were sold at public sale
in 1909 to Moses Young of the State De-
partment for $65. These contained 5,265
square feet each. and the price was a
little over 1.5 cents per foot, while the
corporation values ranged from " to l
cent per foot. Not a single improvement
was listed in this section until the TWEEN
ties, and the ground first listed at cents,
between 9Th and 7th streets, was then
] cent: that between 7th and 10th, 1 cent.
reduced to II cent, and between 10th and
18th. " cent cut to an eighth and a quar-
ter.
On East Capitol street between 9Th.
7th and A streets north were twenty-six
lots of square S6s. in Prout's land. which
in 1875 was vested In the government.
These in 1900 were included in Moses
Young's purchase of Morris ]. Nichol-
sons interests.
Some Early Owners.
In 1920 E. 8. Burd ct al. had several; in
1888 s. Lewis and Charles Miller others.
and, In 1s45, John Owens owned near A
and 9th streets.
Eastward. square 297. fourteen lots on
East Capitol, A. eth and sth streets. the
property Of Prout and Walker, was d.
vided, Prout taking the east half of lots
/. 2. 10 to IA. The history of the west
half is the same as that of square S8S
Prout gave Noah Brashears a lease Of
1850 feet of ground on East Capitol
street for pinety-nine years at SO per
year. In 1888 s. Lewis had lots 6 and Z
Little the year after, and in 1916 to w. H.
Gunnell.
Between Sth, 9th, A and East Capitol
streets. square $40. of like plat. the lots
were divided, to Q to George Walker.
and those in the east half Of the square
to the United States. The latter has
similar history to the above. with the ex-
ception of T. Law being associated with
Morris J. Nicholson.
Joint Ownership With Uncle Sam.
In 1915 John Goulding had lots 1. 2. 10
and IL. which he transferred to J. Fry.
In 1920 r. Gilmore had 1 and g and E.
Burd Is and IA. In 1888 s. Lewis had
10 to II. to which p. NJ. Pearson Sue
ceeded to, and in 1910 Thomas Smith.
George Walker, In 1895, was vested with
title to lots 3. 4 to 9. and the United
States to the others of the ten lots in the
lines Of 9th. 10th. East Capitol. A street
and Massachusetts, avenue. forming
square 941. Greenleaf and assigns were
latter lots. In 1920 Alexander Kerr owned
lot 4. and in 1892 George Callard. and D.
which George Adams afterward owned.
and then w. and J. Willink.
avenue, East Capitol. 10th and 18th
streets, square 968. was vested in Mr..
Walker, but Greenleaf was also interested
for years. In 1922 James Read owned
the three lots, and In 1889 w. 7. Baldwin
was the owner.
The square north. 985. west Of Lincoln
Park, Of fourteen lots, ON Massachusetts
avenue. 10th. 18th and B streets. was par
titioned between Mr.. Walker and the gov
eminent. who took the west and east
halves, respectively.
A $500 Improvement.
In 1900 Messrs. Shaw and Birth bought
lot /. corner Massachusetts, avenue and
18th street. ]. 8. Lewis had lots 3. 4.
to IL. In 1916. and in 1910. in the par
tition Of A. Kerr's property, lots to 8
were included. In the 2Os a two-hundred-
dollar improvement on lot IL. on B street.
was listed to w. T. Baldwin.
Eight lots on Massachusetts, avenue, 9th,
10th and B streets constituted square $40.
Of which lots /, 2, 6. and were vested
In Mr.. Walker. In 1909 ]. s. Stephenson
owned lots and 5. and Shaw and Birth
Walker lots. and in 1917 J. Pickrell sue
ceeded. In 1921 parts of lot 1 were
owned by J. Miller. Michael Delany. w.
Good and F. Golding. George p. Atwood.
lot 1. 35 by 100 feet. on Massachusetts
avenue, for $35. and three years later
sold 1t to Mr.. Standby for 500. In 1923
w. w. Lowe leased lots 2, 8, Z and s. for
square feet at one cent per foot. In 1881
w. Davidson owned in lot 1, as did Will
liam Devices in 1886. Mr.. Lowe was q
resident here as a master bricklayer for
many years.
Col Tayloe an Early Owner.
George Walker was vested with title to
lot 2. square south Of 917, and the govern
ment with lot of the same, these being
on the lines of Massachusetts, avenue.
and 9th streets: square 81S. formed by
Massachusetts avenue. A and Sth streets,
was divided similarly. James Davidson
owned the Walker lots In 1913 and in
1889 E. s. Burd ct al. had the other. In
1889 Michael McDermott and w. G. Clark
were owners Of lot 2 as was w. T. Bald
win two years later.
In the division Of the eight lots 'front.'
ing Massachusetts, avenue, A, 7th and
Sth streets. square $685. the government
took those forming the east half OF the
square, Mr.. Prout the southwest fourth,
and Mr.. Walker the northwest quarter.
Greenleaf was interested in the govern
ment lots which had the same history as
those in squares above noted. In 1872
Col. John Tayloe owned lots 8 and 6. the
northwest quarter of the square, for
which the consideration was $117.92. In
1927 Julius Forrest owned them. In 1929.
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