Evening star., 1932-05-22

are many families still living in this
section whose people settled there hundred or
more years ago, and who can relate all about
the early days of Christ Episcopal Church, the
United States Navy Yard and Congressional
Cemetery from the stories told them by their
parents and grandparents. OF course, they
might not have everything just exactly right,
for tradition frequently errS in the handing
down Of events by word of mouth, and still 1t
is always interesting to hear some early resident
relate events which happened many years ago
Just where Capitol Hill leaves off and the
Navy Yard section commences, so far as the
writer knows, is matter of geography that
has never been satisfactorily determined. For,
indeed the latter is mythical territory
rs Brghtwood, Foggy Bottom, English Hill,
Swampoodle and some other parts of Wash
ington-one knows when he is in it, but he
does not know exactly when he is out of 1t.
But generally speaking. anywhere east of about
Sixth street southeast and south of Pennsyl-
vania avenue to the Anacostia River might
safely be called what is known to the old
Washingtonian the Navy Yard section.
Until just recently probably the Oldest build
ing standing in Southeast Washington was the
old Eastern Branch Hotel, occupied by William
Tunnicliffe in 1896 There the Washington
Dancing Assembly held its first ball in De-
cember of that year, the first one recorded as
held in the city. In 1900 it became the home
of Capt William Easily and subsequently
served a saloon, garage and storage
place until it was razed. 1t stood at the south
west corner of Ninth street and Pennsylvania
avenue, the site being now occupied by a
gasoline station.
However, undoubtedly there some old
buildings still standing in the Navy Yard sec
ton. One in particular that stands up well
under its age is the residence at the northeast
corner of Sixth and South Carolina avenue,
erected in 1856 by Capt. William Mayne
Duncanson who held the rank of captain in
the British Army and who came to this country
in 1894 with Thomas Law, and who, with the
latter, came to the Federal Capital in 1895.
DERHAPS we rather inclined 10 the belief
! that just about are living in an ex-
ceptional period when we can lose more money
through bad investments than at any other
time in the history of the Government but
this is not so, and If Barnum we're living he
would still say that an easy mark is born
every minute and one dies once year-the
only difference being that the population
has increased and has the number of
suckers, and it is also just as true today as
it was in the early days of Washington that
the more careful the person approached some
times the easier he parts with his bank roll.
When Capt Duncanson arrived here he
surely came at an opportune time to lose all
he had ever made did the other members
of the syndicate who contracted with Uncle
Sam for AZ per cent of all the lots in the
city Capt Duncanson parted with $4,000 and
undertook other obligations which left him
poor man. and also quite different person,
financially at least from the wealthy gentleman
who had arrived here only few years before
and who had his home, then a mansion IN
square S75, between d street and South Caro-
lima avenue and Sixth and Seventh streets.
He was of the English aristocracy, well bred
and well educated and his home was the
meeting nlace of elite IN WASHINGTON a
that time. His mansion, which was designed
by William Lowering, was in keeping with his
social standing and he had a coach house and
stable sufficient in size for his four in hand,
then quite the thing for of wealth and
refinement. But the making of a fortune-or
the adding to one-proved illusion, and
July 25, 1909, decree issued by the court
directing the sale of his South Carolina avenue
property with the dwelling we see today, to
Francis Scott Key trustee
On July 20, 1885, title to this property was
again transferred, this time to Maj. Augustus
A. Nicholson of the United States Marine Corps.
one of the best known men in the Navy Yard
section. He was man Of very ariStOcratic
character, of fine taste, and what the French
call a bon vivant. His entertainments were
attended by the most fashionable people in
the District. Maj. Nicholson married in
1921 to Miss Lispenard Of New York, by whom
he had number of children, among them being
Commodore Nicholson of the Navy and Maj.
Nicholson of the Marine Corps both residing
in Washington now His second wife was
Sallie Carroll, daughter of Daniel Carroll of
Duddington.
Subsequently, June 2, 1856, a deed con-
veyng Nicholson's holdings drawn to John
M Clayton, United States Senator from Della
ware who died in Dover, Del, November 8 of
that year. 1t was Senator Clayton who when
serving as Secretary of State in the Cabinet of
President Zachary Taylor March T. 1849, to July
22, 1850, negotiated the Clayton -Bulwer treaty
with Great Britain which provided for the
construction of ship canal across the ISthmus
of Panama, and in which both parties agreed
mot tn erect fortificatioOS here or tn aen1re