Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-16

home now being occupied by the Top
ham building. 1919 F street.
Aunt Julia" was one of the charac-
tiers of Washington. At the time Of
the accident which caused her death
she was ninety-eight years old. and had
lived In Washington since 1923. She
was born at Benedict on the Patuxent.
British expeditionary troops debarked
from their ships off that village pre-
paratory to the campaign against
Washington. She was a slave of WILL
liam Grindal1 Of Charles county, ana
Charles county, Maryland. in 1904. ana
her mother was a salve In whom there
was a large mixture of the blood OF the
Indians of lower Maryland. Julia was
given her freedom by her masters Will
and testament, and among the RECORDS
of Charles county Is this:
State Of Maryland. Charles county.
I hereby certify that Julia. late the property
Of William Grndall. late Of the county and state
nineteen y.ars Of age i've feet three inches high.
marked with scar on the left side Of her face.
Just above the cheek bone. occssioned by the
the last will and testament of the aforesaid
William Grindall, as appears by the testimony
in said will. which will bearing date the 30th
day Of September. 1871. was proved and record.
IN the tss af on
In testimony whereof hereby subscribe my
day Of July 1928 HUMPHREY BARNES.
Register of wills for Charles County.
Aunt Julia" came to Washington in
the year that Humphrey Barnes made
that certificate and it was because she
was leaving home that she needed that
paper to insure the continuance of her
freedom. Coming to Washington, she
was employed as nurse maid in the
Wallach family and attended Cuthbert.
Richard and Douglas Wallach when
w
nurse in the family Of Philip Barton
Key. A good many years before the
war she bought small house and plat
of ground on 18th street between
of that section of the city changed
during the war. she bought a two
story house on street. the number of
the building standing there today being
the property. paying for 1t $4,000.
The board of public works read5usted
the grade of that part of street to
make the street level. and Aunt Julia
house was left on a high bank, reached
from the sidewalk by a flight of stairs.
Aunt Julia did washing. ironing and
sewing in some OF the old Washington
families, nursed and sometimes 1t Is
related of her. that she once peddled
milk. Some time during the los Aunt
Julia, having improved her house, con-
verified 1t into boarding house, and
during the years she conducted 1t many
prominent public men. members of
Congress and government officials.
boarded there. It was splendidly fur
nished and the service was equal to
that Of the numerous other 'fashiona-
BILE boarding houses" of the period.
An effort was made in the COS to
wrest the street house from Aunt
Julia In 1889 she had married An
but lived until 1878. dying in his sew
enty-seventh year. Some of his rela-
lions, in 1892. brought suit for the F
street house, claiming that it had been
bought with his money. After long
litigation the case was decided in favor
drew Hanson, the ceremony being eel
ebrated by Father Donelan. assistant
pastor Of St. Patrick's Church. The
husband was a dance fiddler and
played at hundreds of the balls and
parties of early Washington. He be-
came blind soon after the marriage,
of Aunt Julia Aunt Julia sold the
property in 1902 for $4,000. Out of
toward the building of the Church OF
the Sacred Heart. on 14th street just
north Of Park road. Mount Pleasant.
She handed over the money to Father
MCGEE, who was of st. Patrick 8
Church and who, the Rambler believes.
was the first pastor of the Church of
the Sacred Heart. Aunt Julia was