Evening star., 1935-05-12
Bates Home Isl
Noted forHSI
Place in Local
History Con-
Spru0nS aSOne
Among old
Buildings Once|
PO1HfRd mt rs
Having Been
Occupied By
''Bill./ones,|
MeA0emger" -"
BY John Claeen Proctor.

~ LID houses have fascination
for great number of people,
and when the writer sees an
~ early residence he tries to
find out something about it in
order to pass the information he OBJ
tains along to the many readers of
The Star who he knows are in
terested in the District of Columbia
as it used to be; and then he also
feels that the traditions and history
of the Nations Capital should be pre-
served for the benefit of future gen.
erations.
A few months ago a dwelling rem
1niscent Of the Civil War, and the his
tory of which is worth recording, came
to the writer's notice when he visited
the home of a dear friend at 1920
Carlton avenue, Woodbridge, near
Brookland. There was a death in
the family at the time and he went
to pay his respects. 1t was a mod
est home, of the bungalow type, and
its architecture and construction de-
noted it was of considerable age The
sides were constructed of wide boards
stripped where they were Joined to-
gether, and the deep, figured cornice
was especially noticeable and attrac-
tive. and could easily be placed as
having been designed go years or
more ago.
1t was the owners wife who lay
dead at the time. She was an old
Washingtonian of the Heise family,
her father being John Christian
Heise. Many years ago she had mar
ried George r. E. Hunter, himself a
native of the District, and an early
resident of Georgetown. and in this
Old house the venerable couple had
been living for some time.
Naturally, Mr. Hunter, who was
then about SO years old, was asked the
history of the house, and he said it
was one Of several similar buildings
erected during the Civil War as quar-
ters for the officers connected with
one of the nearby gholds-moSt
likely Fort Thayer. He said there
we're still standing, in this street, two
more of the buildings erected there
nearly three-fourths of century ago,
but that they had been remodeled be-
yond recognition.
It was the writer's intention to call
on Mr.. Hunter some day. just for a
general chat on events he might recall
as having occurred near his Wood
ridge home, the neighborhood of
which was quite familiar to him. But
time and tide wait for no man." and
Mr.. Hunter joined his wife in that
great hereafter q short while later.
"A MOTHER old house in the north
Il east section, which stands a
lonely sentinel in the field to the
north of where Tenth street stops at
Varnum street, Is worthy of mention,
not only because it is an old farm
house, but because here at one time
lived "Bill Jones, the Avenger." A
map of the District, in preparation
from 1855 to 1859, gives this tract
of land as belonging to Mrs. c. Bates,
and the map of 1878 lists it in the
name of C. NJ B. Jones, the wife OF
the celebrated Bill" Jones.
The Bates family dates back to the
beginning of Washington, and Chris
tan Hines refers to Bates auction
store as having been among the first
buildings on Pennsylvania avenue.
The soap and candle factory OF
Thomas Bates, an early establishment
of the city, was on street between
Eighth and Ninth streets northwest
for a decade or more prior to 1888
when II was moved to G street be-
tween Sixth and Seventh streets, and
continued to serve the public for over