Evening star., 1934-07-07

THE house wherein was begun
the short-lived romance of
Elizabeth Parke Custis and her
Il eccentric husband, Thomas
Law, is unprepossessing in ap-
pearance to passersby on N street
southwest.
But it probably could fashion more
romantic tales than the many beau
tiful and romance -exuding edif1ces in
what are now Washington'S more
fashionable sections.
In the late 1790s, when Congress
was meeting in Philadelphia and
George washington was President OF
the United States, several wealthy
Englishmen came to the United
States, seeking to augment their for
tunes in real estate developments.
Some of them came to the Potomac
bottom lands, where the Nations
Capital was to be established.
Advised by President.
Two, Capt. w. L. Duncanson and
Law, were entertained by the Presi-
dent, who advised them on the most
suitable locations for purchase. They
began a development at the foot OF
what is now N street southwest, then
called Greenleaf Village, after James
Greenleaf, real estate developer OF
the time, and the man for whom the
poet Whittier was named.
Another Englishman, DR.. Thornton,
inspired by Duncanson and Law, be-
came an enthusiastic architect and
builder, drew plans for many early
Washington houses in that section,
did some architectural work on the
Capitol and became known as the
Father of Washington Architecture.
But, to come back to Law, who de-
signed the buildings now occupied by
Neighborhood House, 468 and 470 N
street southwest.
When he took his bride, 20 years
younger than himself, to the new
home at what is now 468 N street,
about 1897, there was little to be seen
from the house except the broad fleldS
and swamps in front and the wide
expanse of the Potomac River to the
south and west.
Bride Tired of Husband.
But Martha Washington's grand
daughter tired of her husbands &C.
centricities, and in 1902 they sep
arated. 1t was said that Law used to
awaken at almost any hour during
the night and stalk up and down the
house shouting for pen and INK
whenever an idea presented itself
which he would liked to have put
down. This is only one OF the strange
tales of the antics of one OF WASH
ington's earliest real estate brokers
and is one of the tales woven about
the old house on N street where for
about 80 years, the recreation and
family life of a crowded neighborhood
have found their center.
During the War of 1872 the house
was turned into hospital. and In II
the most skillful nurses and doctors
of the time ministered to wounded
and i'll defenders Of the youthful Ma
ton.
Then came the day the British
stormed into the Capital and started
for the Capitol Building to burn 1t.
Loyal United States soldiers had
heard of the plans, and, secretlng
themselves in the then 15-year-old
house, charged out to take part IN
the skirmishes of the day.
More than 100 years later-in 1913
when Washington, along with the
rest of the Nation, was in the grip
of the influenza epidemic, 468-470 N
street southwest served as hospital
for a second time. This time both
British and American soldiers were
cared for in the temporary Red Cross
medical center-there were many OF
the former in the city during war
time-and the old house passed
through another phase Of its roman
tic career.
But, before this, as Southwest
Washington grew to be the most pop
ulous part of the city. without Incl