Evening star., 1936-04-26

ng.
has passed on, but the information
she penned was preserved. On Twelfth
street, above the Wadsworth home, on
the north side of the alley, according
to Miss Solomons, stood for many
years the private school and residence
of Strong John Thomson, famous
early Schoolmaster, whose place was
early taken over as a public school.
The playground attached to the pres
ent Strong John Thomson School at
Twelfth and L streets includes the site
of the old school building and the
home Of Col. Robert I. Fleming. archi-
tect and builder. who constructed
many buildings in Washington.
Across the street from the Thomson
School, at the southeast corner Of
Twelfth and L streets, lived Francis
Miller, who for many years had his
paint store at 307 Ninth street nosth-
west, near where vas born w. D. WAL
ZACH, who for number Of years was
the sole owner Of The Star, or until
he relinquished his interest in 1867.
ON THE northeast corner Of Thir-
~ teenth and K streets lived Lewis
Clephane, of an early Washington
family. and three years before Long
fellow visited this neighborhood
Asbury A. M. E. Church built its first
structure at the corner OF Eleventh
and K streets, then a field in the
suburbs. Next door to Mr.. Clephane
resided William Grier, a Navy De-
partment official. At the southeast
corner Of Thirteenth and L streets. at
a later date, was the Church of Our
Father, still standing in remodeled
form. On the northwest corner of
Thirteenth and L streets was the
grocery store Of Michael Green, as
early as 1860. And the old house at
Eleventh and L streets, covered with
wistaria vines, was landmark few
Washingtonians familiar with this
locality will ever forget.
Where is now gasoline station, at
the northwest corner Of K and Thir-
teenth streets, was once the Mexican
Legation, and in tbe third house from
the legation (no longer standing) the
treaty of Washington, for the settle
ment of claims growing out of the
depreciation of the Confederate cruiser
Alabama, was signed May 8. 1871.
The large stone-front building at
1921 K street was built by Senator
John Sherman, who was Secretary of
the Treasury during the administra-
ton of Rutherford B. Hayes. When
Senator Sherman bought the ground,
upon which he later erected this man
sion, Mrs. Sherman thought she was
moving out into the country, although
there were several nice houses in that
block at the time, including the STAN
ton home at 1925, occupied by Lin
coins Secretary of War, Edward NJ.
Stanton, who died there in 1869, a
| few days after ne had been appointed
a justice of the Supreme Court of the
| United States.
NEXT, west Of the Stanton resi-
dence, was the home Of Charles
Astor Bristed, a nephew of John
Jacob Astor, founder of the Astor for
tune, and at 1888 lived Henry A. Will
lard, who conducted the Willard
Hotel many years prior to his death.
The dwelling was afterward occupied
by the son, Henry K. Willard. until
/ he passed away.
Where the Hamilton Hotel stands
was originally one Of Washingtons
earliest educational institutions, known
as Rutgers College.
An atmosphere of the Revolution
ary War is lent by the statue erected
in the park to Commodore John
Barry, a distinguished naval officer
in the war for independence. He
was born in Ireland in 1745, and emf
grated to America at the age Of II
years. He had been on the sea some
time, entered the naval service Of
Congress in 1776, and was active.
throughout the war. He was in COM
mand of a United States frigate at
the time of his death. which occurred
in Philadelphia in September, 1903.
The statue is the work of the sculptor
John j. Boyle, and was unveiled May
16, 1914.
Up until so years ago, Franklin Park
was the most artistically designed and
beautiful Of all the smaller reserve.
tions in the National Capital, and to-
ward the center, in addition to the
fountain. there was natural mound,
supposed TO be an Indian burial place.
In a general way its rural atmosphere
was kept up as far as possible.
In January, 1906, the water from
the springs in Franklin Park were
declared by the health officer, DR.. D.
| c. Woodward, to be deleterious to
public health, and the springs were
accordingly condemned. though there
was much adverse comment at the
| time.
One thought that will occur to the
person who has travelled abroad. is
why the pigions are encouraged to
frequent our city parks. Today, one
of our most destructive birds Is the
starting. However, in Europe. the
pigeon Is even worse than this pest,
and many of the most beautiful cathe-
drals and public buildings have been
almost entirely ruined by the filth
from the pigeons We now feed and
entice to the downtown parts Of
| Washington.
The writer confesses that when q
boy he was quite fond Of pigeons, and
raised quite a number. but since he
now realizes their destructive powers
he feels that feeding them in the parks
might well be prevented.