Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-01
TWO BUILDINGS GET
AGE HONORS IN D. c.
Old Law Mansion and Wheat
Row Both Built Dur
ing 1894.

Where is the oldest building in
Washington?
An investigation discloses that to
answer this question it must he plu-
rallied to apply to more than one
building. for the truth of the matter
is that honors dc not rest on any one
structure. but are divided betwee!:
two buildings in Southwest Washing
ton. the Greenleaf's Point of II cen
fury ago.
The buildings are the old Law Man
sion at the northeast corner of Sixth
and n streets southwest, and Wheat
Row." a unit structure of four dwell
ings on Four-and-aHalf street be
tween y and o streets.
These buildings were constructed
i'm 1894 by James Greenleaf. for whom
the point was named. and 1t Is
"toss.up" among historians as TO
which, if either. was finished first.
Both are of brick and. despite the
fact that they have stood there iof
1872 years and have seen the lahu-
scape transformed from rural set
Element TO one of the worlds most
beautiful capitals. they are JUST a.
substantial structurally as though
they had been built yesterday
When Nation Was Young.
When Creenleaf started his force
of bricl,lavers and carpenters 10
Torl ON the then virtually barren
noint George Washington was ser
ing his second term as PreslueIit,
Martin Van Buren, was u years 9lu
ord John TYLER was 4. Inc ISet0i 20
.iaI,orI. War had been over but ~
'.aars Several months before fIe re-.
dont washington had laid the col ii''
stone of the Capltoi' ..,oxo,,o,. of a
lanes Greenleaf was a lheil'( -
s,.ndicate. Morris, Nicholson Ole
leaf which contracted TO erect d ilun.
No. NJ brick houses in various pa I
~ the site for the Federal Clt!' Nv
of the operations conferred arou,"
Fourth. y and o streets III the soutH
west. although other residences eis'
we're erected on Pennsylvania avenue
near Nineteenth street ana elSe" neiv
All of these ancient buildings, except
Wheat Row and the Law Mansion
have succumbed long ago to the
march of progress. according to Alien
c. Clark. local historian. who Is the
author of n book on the careers OF
lanes Greenleaf and Thomas Law
The mansion" at Sixth and was
the property of the syndicate, Mr.
Clark states, but was rented by Law.
who was n younger brother of Lord
Peterborough and former governor OF
an East Indian province. Law, who
was worth $3.50 900, was persuaded
by Greenleaf TO invest some of his
money in Washington. 1t was Law
money that helped to develop the
Wilderness into a town.
Married Miss GUSTS.
Law married Elizabeth Parlle Gus.
tbs, granddaughter of Mrs. Washing
ton. When Mr.. and Mrs. Law had
been in possession of their spacious
new home for about a year they en-
tertained Thomas Twining of India.
who wrote enthusiastically of his visit
there. Mr.. Clark points out. Twining
told of the house being "onIy a few
wards from the steep bank of the
Potomac" and of the fine view il
commanded across the river. here
half a mile wide
The house now towers far 9hove
surrounding buildings and still com.
mands a fine view across the river
The nearest bank lies quite some dis
lance away. The immediate view is
not, however, such as Thowas Law
would have boosted over in the old
DAYS. Where once was verdant
'e'ilN d'iu PEI maps. IL STURDY I1nOlnE
platform for river packets, is an end
less succession of mossv wharves and
dormant craft in various stages Of
repair.
The building is in an excellent state
of preservation and Is used as a prl-
waite hospital and clinic by DR.. II. G..
Hadley.
Wheat Row is a three-story struc-
ture divided for four families, with
Il roof window" surrounding the
center. II received its name from
John Wheat. who owned and occupied
the north house in early times. aC-
COrding to Mr.. Clark. 1t is now rented
out TO private families by the owner.
Mrs. Emma Thomfordt
Although no one can tell whether
Wheat Row or the Law Mansion was
completed first, and thus definitely
assign sole honors Of being Washing
tons oldest house. it can at least he
said of the former that ii is the first
row of homes erected in the Capital.
and perhaps it would not he incor-
rect to say the most substantial on
the basis Of its longevity and present
condition.