Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-03
Homes In Foxhall Village Embody
Many Features of Unusual Architecture

Foxhall Village in the late yester-
day of Washington's development was
q panorama of rolling hills, grassy
fields and wooded areas; an interesting
hillside of greenery and natural beauty
having commanding view of the
Potomac and it palisades; section
rich with memories of its early owner,
Henry Foxall, one of the prominent
figures Of the Georgetown which grew
to be the foundation of the National
Capital.
Here in this section in the trouble
come days of the beginning of the
nineteenth century, on the river edge
of this area which Foxall called Spring
Hill Farm, he built the first great
cannon foundry of the new Republic
from which heavy arms and shot We're
dispatched to the lake region to be
used with telling effect in the struggle
of 1912.
Has 125 Homes.
Here also in later years, even until
u few years ago, was large area Tn
touched by great residential develop
ments to the east and north, a Sec
ton through which rabbits and SPUR
xels scampered at the sight of youth
full hunters and through which mixers
trudged; Just 10 or Is minutes by au-
tonaobile from downtown Washington,
yet totally detached from the city
proper.
Spring Hill Farm thus was sus-
ceptible to residential development
of worth, or 1t might have been trans
formed into a subdivision OF houses
of heterogeneous design and shade, OF
uncertain sta bility, some good, some
bad. or row houses boresome in uni
formity and a blight architecturally.
Foxhall Village today is a COM
nunity of something more than 10
English group houses spread over a
high section of Spring Hill Farm In
manner preserving the beauty OF
nature to a commendable degree ana
in which new growths OF MOVERS
trees and bushes have been intro
duced to soften the marks of material
development.
House Won Prize.
A representative house in this COM
munity was awarded the prize OF the
Washington Board Of Trade this year
for merit in construction and archi-
tectural outline, and the three eminent
architects who served as judges stated
in their report that Foxhall Village
Exhibits something unusual In TINS
line of work and should inspire emu
lation among builders engaged in this
type Of residential construction. The
design is to be commended for its
picturesuue qualities and the pleasing
differentiation which gives sem.
blance of individuality to each house.
Members of the jury were James Rush
Marshall of Washington and Theodore
Wells Pietsch and A. n. Palmer OF
Baltimore.
What then are the desirable fea-
4ures Of this row-house development
which merits commentator and
emulation?
An inspection of the village reveals
at once the picturesque qualities
spoken of by the judges: Row houses
so differentiated in outline and style
rs to constitute each one dlstlnct
entity; interesting roof lines win
old time English chimney pots SUCK
ing up into view; generous piosa
of ground dedicated for parkWays'
large oval or rounded center PARK
areas forming breaks in the INES
of the streets; sign posts having an
air of old English; carefully planned
landscaping and, most evident OF an
the immaculate appearance OF every
thing. A.,
In the layout of the section the
natural contour of the rolling hin-
side was preserved to maAi aIl;ne
degree. The hill is steep, maklnt
the planning and arrangement or the
houses difficult, but it was t hIs
slanting character of the land tha'
made possible the broken roof lines
and brick terrace walls which are
interpreted at lot lines buttress-
ing level-graded lawns.
The rows of houses were con
tinued around corners at the inter-
section of streets and thus the de.
velopment shows V and U shaped
outlines of houses which will be-
come enclosures with completion ol
the squares. BY this means real
views of houses from the streets are
precluded.
No two houses in this community
are exactly alike, each POSSESSING
some distinctive feature. Some are
brick in construction, some stone
some stucco with exposed timber
work; others are combination O
stone and stucco. brick and stone
brick and stucco. One house has ;
small single bay window; its neigh
Dor has a double bay; the roof o
one runs parallel with the street line
others run from front to rear OF tn
house. One has an inviting porci
and another presents the outlines o
"a brick chimney and fireplace in II
front walls. a.,
To add further differentiation to tn