Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-01
BY JOHN CLAGETr PROCTOR.

TIME LIE Droit Park we used Il
know has been merged into cit,
life and its identity lost, eXcep
Il to those who have survived 70
few Summers and Winters q
least and whose hair betrays the fac
that they have been kicking arount
here for some time.
Prsfr to 1873. when this Subdivision
made its appearance on the map tin
land included in the tract consisted q
four separate parcels. One part DC
longed to MIR. Miller, another 70 DavlI
McC1ellanG a third to MIR. Prather ant
the remaining tract TO Mr.. Gilman
A. L. Barber a. Co. which firm inciudeC
Anlzi L. Barber and Andrew Langaon
purchased these tracts during 1872 ano
1878 and turned what was principally
farm land and commons into a beauti-
full little village. to which some OF
WashingtonS best citizens moved. Prior
10 this the McClelland and Gilman
properties had been improved, while the
PVather tract was used for pastuTage
end the Miller tract was an uacareo
for public common.
Tho erection Of buildings YVES COM
menced here in July. 1878, and b. 1877
s-gllt LARGE brick residences had h2en
erected on the north side and two on
the south side OF Maple street. while 10
houses had been erected on thu north
side and 10 on the south side OF 6nurce
street, the cost Of the dwellings running
from $4,000 TO SD .0o0-and you must
not forget that SO years or more ago
one could buy q nice home for $4,000
or q mansion for the princely sum of
$4,000. Other houses soon followed
until there were soon SO or more fine
residences.
Among the earliest homes in this
reig1borhood was one which is standing
to5av-the David McClelland home, now
st the northwest corner Of Third street
snd Rhode Island avenue. The eastern
rert Of this stately old home was erected
after McClelland joined forces with
Berber and others in laying out this
subdivision. but the western part Is
much older and probably preceded the
new part by number Of years.
The owner was an engraver. and evil
Ga.1tiy with an eye to the artistic, took
much pains in heautifying the spacious
grounds surrounding his residence. The
Cld-feslaioned garden. still plainly visi-
be from the Rhode Island side Of the
property. is in itself reminder OF the
rast glo-y of the neighborhood. The
bo~~ood plants. worked into designs
t-,rl-al Of early washington ana. indeed,
Of the Republic usen. are still being
carcfuily taken care of by the eolore1
E,hs. who now occupy it as their home.
OF much interest also is the comhina-
ten wood and iron fence that surrounds
the property. IT is the only remaining
part Of the original fence, which so
years ago extended from the eastern
terminus Of the park at Second street to
within a few feet Of Seventh street. AT
the west of the grounds is an attractive
old gate, made to match the artistic
fence 1t was evidently a driveway
gate. though its use as such has been
abandoned and the driveway itself OBJ
liberated.
1t struck me as probable that the iron
bars for the park fence which inclosed
the southern exposure of the subdivi-
SIGN might have been made by John
II Clenaad. who at that time and at an
earlier period had his machine shop
sni iron foundry on the east side of
Tenth street between B street and
louisiana avenue. the iron founder and
the engrever being brothers.