The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-11-20
Southwest Citizens Associations Study
OF Section Stirs Pride of Dwellers There
Financial and Commercial I'm
portance Hardly Realized Un-
til Bank Deposits and Trade
StatisticsAre Revlewed-Has
Played Important Part In
Three Wars-Many Historical
Spots.

~~~~S~~>~@s
rolled on its membership list every
eligible citizen In the southwest sec
ton Of the city. making II the only
100 per cent association in tina city.
Headed by NJ. j. Driscoll, chairman
of the membership committee. q drive
will be made to enroll members In the
association by telling them the advan-
tages of the citizen associations and
also to show them their section in .
new light.
Membership committeeman have
learned that the southwest branch Of
the American Security and Trust
Company had deposits Of more than
$1.700.000. which 10 more than many
banks In American cities have and en-
coeds the deposits Of many small
banks in other sections Of the city.
The Southwest Citiseus' Association
70 also one Of the few associations In
washington that has decided
boundary marks. its boundary being
The marks set by the Federal Govern.
ment for a separate section of the
city. The territory embraced by the
association includes everything south
Of the Mall and west of the Eastern
branch.
Many Historical Marks.
In addition to this, stress will DO
laid upon the fact that the southwest
section Of the city abounds in histor-
ical spots. Before the advent of tho
steam railroads, the southwest Sec
ton was the principal section Of the
city, both In regards to commerce and
residences. George Washington thought
so well Of southwest property that he
invested in II. The invention of the
steam railroad engine. however. put
an end to most Of the ambitions of
Washington as a big commercial port.
but even yet it has a commercial bust
ness Of magnitude that Is little sus-
pected by residents Of other sections
Of the city, and even some Of the resi-
dents Of that section.
The southwest teens with recolleA-
tons Of the days Of the civil war and
the early post Colonial days. On four
and-a-half street still stands Wheat
row, the first row of houses built in
the city. They run from 1913 to 1921
Four-and- a half street and were erec,.
I'd by syndicate headed by Robert
Norris. the financier Of the American
Revolution. In addition to Robert
Morris. the syndicate included such
prominent men of their time as John
Nicholson, comptroller general of
Pennsylvania. and James Greenleaf.
merchant and American consul at Am
sterdam. This syndicate and Mr.. Law
and Daniel Carroll. of Duddington,
built all the places which were In
readiness when the Federal Govern
ment moved to Washington In 1900
These houses, built more than 121
years ago, are still standing, strik-
ing example Of the excellence Of con-
struction Gin the old days"
"Reminiscences Of Law.
But still older than the Wheat Row
is the house at 1889 Sixth street south
west, used as the home in 1875, OF Rob-
ert Law. son Of the Lord Bishop of
Carlisle. who was the brother Of Baron
Peterborough. Mr.. Law was the ruler
of a very populous district in East
India. He was talented and eccentric,
and many strange tales of his conduct
are still to be heard among the older
residents of the city, who have had the
stories handed down to them from
past generations.
One of the stories Is to tho ef-
feet that Mr.. Law brought with him
body servants from India who pos
-sessed all the arts of Eastern mys-
ticism and made life a horrible
nightmare for the few persons who
lived in the immediate neighbor-
hood at the time 1t Is also said
pomp Of an Indian potentate.
He invested his fortune in Wash.
ington lots and improvements and
married Elizabeth Parke Gusts,
granddaughter Of Mrs. George Wash
From colonial history tho build
ings keep up an uninterrupted his
torical sequence until the civil war.
The home of the first mayor Of
Washington still stands in good re-
pair at Eleventh street and Maryland
avenue.
Along Four and -a-half street and
the streets near the water front are
still to be seen houses that figured
prominently in the war of 1912 and
the civil war. Tho interiors Of some
Of its old houses have seen the grief
Of stricken soldiers of both wars.
In The war Of 1912, several houses,
still standing, were occupied by Brit
ish soldiers and officers. while there
are still hundreds of residents of that
section who can remember when
many Of the houses were used as
hospitals for the wounded soldiers
during the civil war.
When the scales Of war were be-
ing violently balanced. at one time
for the South and again in favor of
the Union. in the State Of Virginia,
most Of the wounded soldiers were
brought to Warrington by boat from
the lower Virginia shores. Nearly
every house of any size at all was
converted into a hospital by the
patriotic citizens who lived in the
southwest section.
Barracks Called arsenal"
Il was in the. Arsenal, now called
the Washington Barracks. but still
referred to by many Of the older
residents as the Arsenal, that Mrs.
Surrat and her companions were con-
fined, tried and executed for the as
sassination Of Abraham Lincoln. One
of the old wings Of the Arsenal is
still standing at the Washington Bar
racks and Is used by the engineer
troops stationed there.
The committee also points out that
II has more churches per capita than
any other section Of the city and
several of them are amnog the most
beautiful of the denomination In the
city. st. Dominic's Church is held
IN as the equal Of any other edifice