Evening star., 1935-03-24
.ConnhyEstate
N.
Riggs Became
the Soldiers
Home Grounds
WHe 1t Was
at the Riggs
CoHage That
Lincoln Wr0te
.EmanclPatl0n


missed Tor holiday in honor OF the
victory, and then, a few days later,
as the sisters. Anna and Julia, were
trying hard to impress us with the
Importance of knowledge of the three
rules, a smart young captain, in uni
form, rushed into the school and gave
Julia or Anna-no matter which,
good hug and loud smack, and school
was over again for that day, and the
war, too. God bless the memory of
these good women of so long ago"
This was not the only amusing thing
which took place on this corner, for
an old item tells us that on August S.
1865, an ''inebriated major in full
regimentals rode up to the curb, and,
dismounting, threw the reins to q
colored boy apparently some IL years
old. standing by. On his return, with
difficulty ne regained the reins and
mounted, and handing 10-cent pos
tai note to the (would be) boy, who
failed to reach his hand to receive 1t,
the major INDUCED in an oath, tell
ing the iron boy, if he was too lazy
to reach for it he should not have it,"
(For the benefit of those not old
when horses were used in Washing
ton and elsewhere for travel, instead
of automobiles, it might be well to
explain hat these iron boys once
served as hitchlng posts in front of
several buildings in this city, ard re-
sembled 4 small colored boy in size
and features)
THE old frame school house which
stood here for many years was
torn down on May Z, 1873. and on
the site was erected the nendsome
home of Anthony Pollok, a patent at
torney, whose wife evidently enter
tained lavishly, as might be judged
from a statement made in 1880 that
she gave five at homes" during the
month of March. A reference to
the house says: The Polloks' recently
built residence is a marvel of archi-
tectural beauty and its drawing rooms
are filled with objects Of art and
bric-a- -brac, beyond which is q con-
servatory filled with rare and fragrant
plants"
The writer confesses he is unable
to connect this Mr.. Pollok with early
members of that family name In
Washington. the first of whom was
Isaac Pollock" as the name is spelled
by Allen c. Clark in his "Greenleaf
and Law" where he says: Morrison
and Nicholson conveyed. December %,
1895. to Isaac Pollock. for thirty-four
thousand dollars all their property in
the square, and he completed the
six buildings" and in the National
Intelligencer Of December 28, 1901. We
find him advertising his lots for sale.
In 1897 he bought of Uriah Forrest
the old building on @ street known as
Dumbarton House, formerly Bellevue.
The census of Georgetown for 1900
shows that he had large family, and
Mrs. Thornton, in her diary for that
year, says he had a son David, who, in
turn, had several sisters. Isaac Pollock
had as SiSter-in-law a Mrs. Minus,
who had daughter, and Mrs. Jacobs
of the same relationship, from New
York
The Polocks were foremost people m
lIle DlSlTlCI ~ lIlC pCIlOd VI GAIC AN-
moval of the Capital to this city, but
Just what later became of Isaac, the
original settler. is unknown.
William w. Birth, writing about the
Six Buildings in 1901, when he was in
his esd year, says: Preceding Mr..
Rush. Mr.. Pollock. a wealthy Jew. oc-
cupied this house." referring to a resi-
dence once occupied by Richard Rush.
He died there" continues Mr.. Birth,
"and was buried in reservation 4, OBJ
Servatory Hill. There was q
large headstone to Mr.. Pollocks
grave. I recall his priest,
who was the late Raphael Jones, who.
while officiating for Pollock, married
a young woman, then an inmate of
my home as seamstress. Mr..
Jones was a man of considerable learn
ing. He was German-born, spoke and
wrote Hebrew, and was acquainted
with other languages. After his mar
riage he became a travelling salesman
and later entered into the grocery
business in Georgetown" and later
moved to Washington, where he es-
tablished himself in the dry goods
trade at what is now Kann. Sons
g. Co.'S"