Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-01


be kept i'm mind that square of land
when this fashion prevailed did not cost
as much money as small building lot
sometimes does today. More room was
needed in the olden time because many
domestic industries We're carried on at
home that now done in outside
plants The fruits Of the garden were
preserved and washing was not sent 10
the laundry
There seems to have been a greater de-
mand for domestic privacy than now
The early Washingtonian who could af-
ford IL built brick wall so that passerS-
bf along the street could not See within
the garden. The loungers in the garden
We're secure against idle scrutiny. the
family could take quiet stroEs up and
down the boN-hedged brick ~ gravel
walks or play croquet without obtrusive
witnesses.
The Decatur house. Jackson fpiace and
n street opposite the northwest corner of
Lafayette Square retains one of these
venerable walls. The house is one of the
capitals landmarks and il bears a bronze
tablet announcing that This house was
built in 1879. was the home OF Commodore
stephen Decatur. who diedl here March
% 1soo. from wounds received in "A duel
with Commodore Barron" and that
among other distinguished men who
nave lived here We're Henry Clay. Martin
Van Buren, and Edward T. Beale'' Th,
old wall extends from the rear OF the
house westward on III street half way to
l'th street. Ii is of the same drab color
as the house and is SO high that no view
of the garden il ncloses is to be had by
persons passing along the street.
* X
The garden wall of the Riggs home
north side of I street between 10th and
18th street, is one of the longest of the
surviving garden walls OF the city. IL
extends quite a distance on | street east
and west of the house. and out OF the land
behind ii rise numerous old trees Part OF
the wall of the garden at the rear of the
home OF the late w. w. Corcoran still
stretches along the Connecticut avenue
side northward from III street
The Tuckerman or Porter house at the
southwest corner of | and 10th streets.
mas a garden wall that extends southwark
on 10th street TO the alley north OF the
Hay house. This tall brick wall with
panels and pilasters is surmounted by an
iron picket fence, and over this vines
have festooned themselves. Six panels OF
the wall stand on ! street and the vine
growth is creeping over this section.
The long. dun-colored brick wall OF ST
Johns Church is familiar to travellers
along 10th street. One feature OF the wall
Is the wooden lattice work TO heighten
the barrier between street and the shady
churchyard.
4htTe Is d snort DTlck wall on the east
end Of Chamberlin's. On this the / street,
side Is wooden gate in a brick arch. and
there are six false windows in the face
OF the wall. The place was tenantless
Tor long time. but lights shine there
now In the evening. 1t does not seem so
long ago that Chamberlin's was the
third branch OF Congress. and that legis-
lation before being enacted at the Eapi-
tol was often passed at Chamberlin's.
Welckers was down the street and
Wormley's was a square away These
hood has changed. Time flies everywhere,
but in Washington it travels faster than
that.
A number Of ancient garden walls re-
main around houses west of the State.
War and Navy Departments building.
There is the old Fuller house. at F and
18th streets. 1t retains high brick wall
on top of a green terrace on both the
south and east fronts.
The Octagon house has a wall on the
New York avenue and 18th street sides
An old gateway in the 18th street wall
seems to have been long closed.
That big Old structure strongly reminis-
cent of wealth at the southwest corner
of F and 18th streets, now occupied by q
branch of the bureau of insular affairs,
has wall on the north and east sides.
The wall shows many marks of age and
over the topmost bricks tower the crowns
of several old trees. This house was the
home of William Writ, who. with other
distinctions, was Attorney General in the
cabinet of President Jackson.