The Washington times., 1922-09-24
ERWINS TO START
BRANCHING" NEAR
ROCK GREEK PARK
Will Break Ground i'm
Spring-Wintering at
GraystOne.

and Mrs. Hughes move out
of Graystone. the Thomas Ar
mats place on the edge OF Rock
Creek Park, which they have been
occupying this summer, Mr.. and
Mrs. Henry Parsons Erwin will
move in. This will be some time
after October is, for the Hughes
have asked to remain until then,
and the Erwins, who are now at
Mrs. Blodgett's home In Sixteenth
street-Mrs. Erwin was formerly
Miss Helen Blodgett, daughter Of
Mrs. Delos Blodgett-want to keep
the big house open and in run
ming order until after the return
of Mrs. Blodgett, who has been
abroad all summer and is expected
back about. October "a.
Moreover, Mr.. and Mrs. Erwin
are soon to have a visit from the
latter's brother-in-law and sister,
Capt. and Mrs. David st. Pierre
Gaillard, who are now living IN
Tennessee. And some time before
October Is they-the Erwins-are
going to North Carolina to take
part in the wedding Of Miss Sara
Latimer and Robert Clement Wat
son. The Erwins spent the sum-
mer at Mackinac, Mich. occupy
ing Mrs. Blodgett's cottage there,
and Captain and Mrs. Gaillard v:s-
tied them there for a while. Mrs.
Blodgett has been travelling In
Europe since early summer with
her sisters, Mrs. Edward p.
Porcher and Mrs. Charles Gray
Matthews; and from time to time
they have all visited still another
sister. who is the wife Of a mem
ber Of the British consular service.
THE Erwins will occupy the
Armat place this winter, using
IL as a base OF operations for the
suburban estate they are planning
to develop in the tract OF land
formerly part of the old Shoe
maker estate-which they have re-
Gently bought. II Is a stretch OF
rolling wooded country lying a lit
tie north of Graystone. on the
western edge Of Rock Creek Park.
between that and Connecticut ave
nue.. It has been owned by the
Shoemaker family for $50 years,
and one shudders to think Of the
difference between what their for
bear paid for 1t, and what his lie.
scentants have sold it for.
However, that's neither here nor
there. The interesting thing Is
what the Erwins are going to do
with 1t; and the fortunate thing
is that it is going to be such a
splendid addition to lovely Rock
Creek Park. instead of a lot OF
small villa sites. and possibly
rather awful VILLAS" which SEEM
ed to be the probable fate of that
lovely bit of land. Personally l
rather hate the Irwins for swallow
ing up one of my happiest hunting
grounds for arbutus, and fern,
Indian pipes. and jack in the pull
pits, and other woodland treasures.
But that's better than a lot OF
dinky little houses on lots so by
$50, which some real estate firms
development" and improvement"
might so easily have inflicted.
The Erwins are going to erect a
spacious house. and then use part
of the timber land as a park and
preserve-the country is full Of
quail for a starter-many a time
wandering through the brush there
] have been startled by the sud
uCu "hh-i-i VI q NONSJ "ihSh L
had inadvertently disturbed, rising
almost from under my feet-and
rabbit and squirrels, Of course, and
birds. oh, the loveliest birds, tan
ayers and cardinals, as we'll as
more demurely coated little song
sters. Flower gardens are to oc-
cupy the space about the house
and some Of the intervening spaces
will be given over to dairy and
truck farming. There will be
greenhouses. and an attempt to
grow fruit under glass in winter.
to say nothing Of the more sump-
tuous flowers of the south-gar-
denias, jasmine, possibly poinsettia
for Christmas time.
THEY will have the incest
sort of neighbors-not too
many OF them. and not too close.
On an eminence looking down on
Rock Creek, just north OF Pierce
Mil, is the Geophysical Laboratory
of the Carnegie Institution, and
back Of 1t the Holy Cross Semi.
nary, with Dumbarton-presu