Evening star., 1933-06-11
Many Farms Be-
came Thriving
s u bdi visions.
Brook land and
Glen wood Gene
te,.y- -HevyChase
and the Country
Home ofAmaham
Bradley.

RY John CLACETT PROCTOR.
- HE growth of Washington. as designed
by LEnfant, was until ao.ut 1870, ..
very slow and gradual and there are
many of our older residents who can
recall seeing truck gardens and green
houses where are now some OF our
largest buildings and most congested centers.
But outside Of the city proper, since the impetus
began about 40 years ago, the progress OF de-
yelopment in proportion, has been considerably
greater; indeed, to such an extent, that IN the
short space of few years, as it would seem,
the most astonishing transformations have taken
place in certain areas. Take, Tor instance, the
section in and around Brookland where, wlthm
the memory CT many, the property belonged
to but few farmers and the land could have
been bought for less an acre than Is now asked
for an ordinary building lot.
In 1878 between the Bunker Hill road, or
what is now known as Michigan avenue, and
the Brentwood or old Bladensburg road and
north of a line east and west OF the Glenwood
Cemetery, lived the following occupants or
owners of farms: Sprague and D. Worghe, east
of the steam railroad tracks: west and north
east OF the railroad tracks to Queens Chapel
road John McGune Mary Mcdaniel three
PARCELS. Miss Queen Jeremiah Lynch, occu-
pant) and Henry McCeney two parcels; east
of Queens Chapel road to Brentwood road,
George Beers, D. Adle, w. Arnold William
Hayes. Mary Dorsey, Jacob Crossman and Hy
Sweer.
A part of this territory is now Brookland, an
attractive subdivision, laid out about 1888 by
Barnes g. Weaver. This tract Of land was
originally known by the patent name, Inclosure
and at the time of the forming of the District
of Columbia probably belonged to John Wight,
brother of Anne Burnes, wife of David Burnes,
one Of the original proprietors Of land in the
City Of washington
daughter of John Wight. We are told
married Nicholas L. Queen, well known hotel
proprietor during the early days OF the city and
their daughter Ann Queen, married Jehiel
Brooks from whose name Brookland is taken.
The Brooks mansion is still standing in the
block between Ninth and Tenth and Monroe
and Newton streets northeast. though un-
doubtedly not the original building for when
the writer visited this locality recently he
viewed all the brick work that could be seen
from the outside and concluded that the walls,
in all probability. were less than 100 years old
and mcst likely considerably less.
The homestead is shown the Boschke
map-drawn from data gathered~from 1856 to
I859-and bears the name of the then owner.
j. Brooks. 1t was for years the st. Benedict
Academy, but is new used as a residence for the
Bened dictne Sisters. The same map shows at
considerable distance to the north, the cOun-
try home of N. L. Queen. The Hopkins Atlas
Of 1873 gives Col. J. Brooks as owning $50 acres
near Brooks Station, which is the Brookland
tract
h IICHOLAS L. QUEEN was one OF the earliest
! Y of Washington's tavern or hotel proprtetors.
Christian Hines refers to him. saying:
The first tavern of which have any recol-
lection kept by a Mr. Betz in an old two
4 Sryl~:-
teenth and fourteenth streets with swinging
black horse sign, in the year 1890. The next
was Rhodes at the corner Of and Fifteenth
streets, and the next think, was one kept
by Nicholas Queen tsign of the Indian Queen)
on or near the Avenue. Then Davidsons north
side of Pennsylvania avenue, and Tunnecliffs.
on Capitol Hill
The same author also says:
Among the first houses on the Avenue
we'll as 1 can recollect, were the following
three-stcry brick house between Eleventh
and Twelfth streets, built by william Thomp-
son. Esq, of Georgetown Here he set up
timer shop before the house. was finished.
My brother Jacob, who was then an apprentice,
was, some years since, occupied by Pishey
built think, was that of Mr. Stettineus, near
the Washington Bank; then one by Mr.. George
Thompson of Georgetown followed by one Mr..
Sparrow, and Messrs John Kennedy, Mr.. Nor
rim and Mr. Sessford in the order Of their
names; then Mr.. NJ Queens tavern t2gn OF
the Indian Queen) This followed by