Evening star., 1934-10-07

WaShingtOn1an knew that SectlOn
of the city bounded on the north,
northeast and east by the old
Washington Canal and on the
south by the Potomac River, has the reputa-
tion of being the first part of the Capital where
private buildings were erected after Congress
decided to locate here the Federal City, and
some of these houses including Wheat row, on
Fourth street between and o streets, the
first ones built, are still standing, apparently
in very good condition.
Wheat row was begun in 1874, year follow
ing the laying of the corner stone of the Capt.
tol, and according to Allen c. Clark, an au-
thority on the subject, the places were prob
ably completed the following year. John
Wheat, some years later, owned and occupied
the north side Of the row, ana IN thS way the
row took his name.
The city directory for 1S43 gives John Wheat
as a gardener, and his address agrees with the
location of Wheat row. j. H. Wheat clerk
in the Post Office Department and Wlliiam
Wheat, printer, who lived in the southwest
section may have been sons of Joseph Wheat.
who owned tavern near James Barrys wharf,
in 1896.
Not far from Wheat row are other dwellings
built about the same time. No 468 N street
was the home of Judge William Cranch OF
the District Circuit Court, who married Anna
Cor Nancy Greeneaf, sister to James Green
leaf pioneer speculator and builder of WASH
Samuel Eliot jr., were occupants OF 470 N street.
These houses are said to have been provided
with coach houses and stables, which today
we would probably call garages. Capt Dun
canson soon left this residence for one he built
at Sixth street and South Carolina avenue
southeast, and which later became the home
of one of Washingtons early successful woman
writer's Mrs. Emily z. Briggs, who signed her
copy "Olivia" Her son, j. Edison Briggs. con-
tinued to occupy the old homestead after his
mothers death, and his widow still resides there.
CAPT. DUNCANsoN came to this country
~ with the celebrated Thomas Law who mar
ried President Washington's STEP granddaughter.
Elizabeth Parke Gusts, and like nearly all
the early Washington land speculators lost
everything he had. George Washington in his
manuscript as quoted in "Greenleaf and Law
in the Federal Capital" has this to say regard
ing the extremely humble condition to which
the captain vas brought in his last days:
I'm connection with Mr. Law I am reminded
of another Englshman, Capt. Duncanson. who
also arrived from India at the same time, and
whose fate was a melancholy one. He had
held the rank of captain in the British Army,
and both he and Mr.. l. were said to have
come to this country to avoid being witnesses
in the memorable trial of Warren Hastings.
This gentleman branched out largely upon
his arrival in the infant metropolis, then almost
wilderness-drove carriage and four horses
and built fine brick house in the woods be-
tween the Capitol Hill and Navy Yard, and
lived with lady who was said to be his sister,
in considerable splendor.
He had brought with him, it was believed,
q handsome fortune, but it seemed to dwindle
away rapidly, and, after various unsuccessful
attempts to regain what he had wasted in ex-
travagant living, he sank into state of abso-
lutte penury and was finally borne to an obscure
grave by single attendant-the cartman who
conveyed his body to its resting place-'unwept,
unhonored and unsung.'"
Thomas Laws old home at 1852 Sixth, corner
of N, still stands. He did not reside here very
long for, like Capt. Duncanson, he too, was
erecting home elsewhere, and soon moved to
the northwest corner of New Jersey avenue and
C street (site of the House Ofhce Annex. Here
Louis PHILIPPE and his two brothers were en-
tertained and after Mr.. Law had moved across