Evening star., 1936-05-31


~ ! and crowbars are breaking
" " in upon the academic calm
OF finals" at George Wash
ington University on G street, between
Twentieth and Twenty-f1rSt streets,
center of fashionable Army and Navy
residential life in the elegant 80s and
the gay COS. Literally over the heads
of professors and students, retreating
with their records, text books and
examination tests in their arms, his
toric old homes temporarily used as
university quarters are being demol-
ished to make way for some Is new
class rooms and 80 faculty offices in
modern. flreproof building.
Here, in the role of landed pro-
prietor before Washington as a ma
tions capital had ever been dreamed
of, came liberty-loving Jacob Funk,
seeking to improve his fortunes in
the New World. His holdings he
named Hamburg in memory of the
German city of his birth. Those who
came in time to share them with him
sometimes referred to this vicinity as
Funkstown. George Washington not
only mentions the town of Hamburg
in certain letters from Philadelphia,
wherein he shows that he is fully
cognizant of the necessity for its in
corporation within the boundaries of
the city that was to be the seat of
government of the United States, but
years afterward willed square num-
bered 2l. said to be in Hamburg" to
his ward, George Washington Parke
Custis, the grandson of his wife.
Only recently Dr. Frank F. Walters
of Kansas City. who is a descendant
of Jacob Funk, has been in communi-
cation with George Washington Uni
| versity.
Designated First Ward"
After Hamburg became incorporated
as a portion of the Capital City, this
section was designated the first
ward" AS such it became famous as
the smart West End" residential
neighborhood. not only Of those dis
tinguished in command OF the land
and sea forces of our country, but of
the representatives Of foreign govern
ments sent as ENJOYS to the new Re-
public.
Their descendants now living, as
well as such distinguished alumni OF
George Washington University as S
r. Church of Princeton, N. j.; T. r
Johnston of New York, Gordon Strong
OF Chicago, George W. Brown, Charles
Wilson and Harry Sessford of this
city, and Col. John H. Wright, u
S. A, now stationed in Baltimore
have commented Interestingly upon
the background of the houses which
are now being torn down as vel
as those contiguous to them. Mr.
Wilson and Col. Wright were boyhood
friends, classmates and graduates in
the class of 1892.
Mrs. Antonia Converse of this city
daughter of Admiral Thornton Jen-
klns, who commanded the U. S. s.
Richmond in the battle of Mobile
Bay, and relieved Farragut in COM
mand after the capture of New Or
leans, had her home, as a young girl
at nearby 2l15 Pennsylvania avenue,
which was one of the famous "six
buildings" Her sister, Virginia Pettis
Jenkins, became the wife of Gen.
Peter Hams. engineer officer in charge
OF the reclamation of the Potomac
Flats, which today constitute WASH
ington's Speedway Hains Point COM
memorates his memory and achieve
n1ents.
Site of d. A. r. Founding.
Col. Wright. son of Gen. Marcus
Wright, Confederate officer appointed
by Congress to collect the Confederate
records Of the Civil War, lived at 2o2s
G street from 1881 to 1892 with his
parents, who rented the house from
its owner, Admiral Scott's widow.
Here, as a visitor in the Wright
home, Mrs. Flora Adams Darling
called together the first gathering
which resulted in the founding of the
Society Of the Daughters of the Amer
ican Revolution. Col. Wright dis
tinctly remembers the first meeting in
his mothers front" parlor as well as
Mrs. Darling's conferences with his
father concerning a proposed consti-
tuition, his father at that time being
the vice president general of the Sons
of the American Revolution. Mrs.
Darling wrote book which not only
described this meeting in great detail
and listed those present, but identified
the house by number and street and
gave an interesting description of the
room in which it was held.
Another frequent visitor in the
Wright home at this historic number
was Thomas Nelson Page, beloved
author of "Marse Chan" and In Ole
Virginny," prior to his service as Am
oaSSador to Italy. In the long walks
that Col. Wright used to take with his
father and Mr.. Page about this neigh
borhood as boy, he remembers Mr..
Page commenting again and again
that this was the most colorful res
1dential section in Washington and
that 1t should be the subject Of q
novel. 1t is Col. Wright's impression
that Mr.. Page had seriously in mind
the writing of story that should in
clude the life histories and romances
of those who lived there.
Mrs. Converse, Mr.. Brown, Mr..
Wilson and Col. Wright remember
when Friday afternoon was visiting or
at home" day during "the season" in
this neighborhood. So crowded would
g street be with hanson cabs and
shining broughams drawn by spank
Ing teams that the horse-drawn her
olcs, precursors of today's motor
ousses, had difficulty in passing. The
passengers, good-naturedly, were. on
the whole, tolerant of the delays. No
wonder. In front of the various
homes along the route the rank and
fashion of Washington were arriving
and departing. In hospitable door
ways all along thi route could be seen
beaming servitors. card trays in hand
bowling low before acknowledgement
representatives of our Army and NAVY
and OF the foreign powers. Accompa-
ny1ng them in their most elegant
afternoon costumes were the wives.