Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20

of william Prout the lower end Of which Is
now included in the Navy Yard Then came
the Hop Yard" parts of which were owned
by Daniel Carroll Morris & Nicholson, George
walker, Abraham Young, William Youngs
heirs and Prout, Morris & Nicholson. Close
to the Eastern Branch was First Recovery,
owned by the Widow Wheeler, Prout and
others, and Hog Pen Enlarged" which be-
longed to the Widow Wheeler separately.
This widow, whose name figures In early
local history, was the sister of William Young.
Her maiden name was Elizabeth Young. Her
property skirted the Eastern Branch along the
Navy Yard front, eastward beyond the Ana
costa Bridge. Just when she died no one
seems to know, but wherever her name is re-
corded it is by the appellation widow
Wheeler"
william Prouts home was near the Eighth
street entrance to the Navy Yard He was born
In 1853, married a Miss Slater, and died IN
Washington in 1928.
For many years after the Capital was moved
here southeast Washington was considered one
of the citys most important residential sections
and some of our chief citizens resided within its
boundaries. From the fact that the Navy
Yard was within this area-much of the SOUTH
east section was generally referred to-and Is
still sometimes spoken of by old residents
as 'the Navy Yard"
In q number of blocks in this section can
still be seen old buildings which will carry
ones thoughts back many years. to period of
And some of the structures are so ancient that
no one seems to know just when they were
erected. An instance of this Is the Tunniclth
Hotel at Ninth and Pennsylvania avenue, now
used for storage, which was erected some time
during the Colonial period.
old Christ Church, on @ street between
sixth and Seventh streets. dates back
to nearly 1900 Greenleaf Point, which lies
lust over the border to the west, was the cradle
Of the local Methodist church. which held Its
FIRST meeting here in private dwelling in 1902
1t was known as "Old Ebenezer," and after
leaving Greenleaf Point moved to one Of the
Twenty Buildings on South Capitol and
streets later occupying the Carroll Tobacco
House, after 1t was vacated by the Episcopalians
I'm 1907, when they moved into q street.
AS the writer told you awhile back, Thomas
Law was among the principal pioneers, espe-
cially active in improving southeast Wash1ng-
ton. William Mayne Duncanson added ms part
by erecting, in 1896, his beautiful residence az
South Carolina avenue between Sixth and
Seventh streets, and many others at that period,
and even later tried to force the city to go east
ward with only partial success
Among the earliest Of the more important
people attached to the new seat OF Govern
lnent and who sought out the picturesque spots
In the southeast for their homes, was DR.. Fred
erick May a graduate Of Dartmouth College
and of Harvard University (1792) who studied
medicine, came to this city from Boston IN l1s5
and began the practice of medicine, indicating
his intention to remain here, by erecting resi-
dence at 324 Virginia avenue southeast, IN lSOO.
Being a college-bred man, he naturally pc
came one of the important residents of the new
city, and we find his name frequently linked
with such men as Thomas Law. DR.. thornton
and other notable people who early settled IN
washington. man Of humane impulses. he
was always ready to serve the public, even
though he had no reason to expect pecuniary
reward. An instance of this kind, IN lSOO'
comes down to us from Mrs. Thorntons olary.
which says: "s as we return'd called at
the once & asked DR.. T to go to the Presi-
dents House with US which he did q then
came home with us. He stopped Dr. May as
he was passing and took him to see poor
sick man who was laying out OF doors under
a tree nobody being willing to take him IN
lest he might have the yellow fever. He came
from Alexandria, where it is said there has
been some cases.-Dr. T. got him TO put into
the new stable built for the President-he Is
very i'll"
THE Presidents stable, here referred to, is the
- old school building which stood for many
wears at the southeast corner of q and Four
tenth streets northwest and where in later
years class was taught by the celebrated
Strong John Thomson. The site Is now covered
by the Federal-American National Bank
DR.. May left named John Frederick
May, who became a noted physician and sur
geon, and died in this city on May 1, 1891.
He was one of those who assisted in identity
ing the body Of John Wilkes Booth from
scar made by surgeons scalpel used by him
on the actor while he was playing in this city
with Charlotte Cushman. Contrary to instruc-
tions, Booth insisted upon taking his place in
the play before the wound had sufficiently
healed, with the result that when Miss Cush-
man embraced him it was done with such force
as to open the wound and leave very ugly
scar, which later aided the doctor in positively
idapfifuiv,o tho I1ndv