Evening star., 1937-06-13
By John Clagen Proctor.


weather was just about as
4 warm in Summer as it is today,
although We did not feel it so much,
because the city was not so con-
gested and there was more open space,
and also because there we're then few
streets paved with asphalt and cement
These materials do seem to help con-
slderably to make the city warmer
today.
Sixty years ago was about the time
that Washington was erecting its first
apartment house, the Fernando Wood
Flats, as it was called, l418 l street,
which was finished in 1879. At this
period, north of Florida avenue was
quite suburban. and even south of this
there was much vacant ground, and
the poundmaster was kept busy pick
Ing up stray geese, goats, COWS, hogs
and other animals
About this time, as the writer re-
calls it, one could stand at Seventh
street and Florida avenue and see at
least as far east as Lincoln road,
North Capitol street at this time not
having been extended north of Florida
avenue.
There were not many houses along
this stretch of Florida avenue prior
to 1878, and few were near the road
way. On the north side of this ave-
nue., then called Boundary street two
OF the earliest houses were little
bricks, which were not far east from
the northeast corner of Seventh street
40 T,, ~
lived butcher named John z. Cole.
who had several children, among
whom was "Bodie' Cole, who de-
llvered The Star to subscribers as far
back as the writer's memory goes. He
is now butcher in the o Street Mar
ket and growing old gracefully Close
TO these two houses was Gurley Chapel,
very neat frame structure, where
met Presbyterian congregation.
The car barns and stables of the
Seventh street line Of the Washing
ton & Georgetown Railroad occu-
pied the triangular block between T
street, Florida avenue, Sixth and
Seventh streets. East of this, at the
southwest corner of Sixth street and
Florida avenue, John B. Lippold kept
feed store, and on the north side
of Florida avenue was lie Droit Park,
which is worthy Of special mention.
pR1oR to 1873, when this subdivi-
sion made its appearance on the
map. the land included in the tract
consisted of four separate parcels One
part belonged to Mr.. Miller, another
to David McClelland, a third to Mr..
Prather and the remaining tract to a
Mr. Gilman, A. L. Barber & Co.,
which firm included AMI L. Barber
and AndSew Langdon, purchased these
tracts during 1872 and 1873 and
turned what was principally farm land
and commons into beautiful little
village, to which some of Washing
tons best citizens moved. Prior to
this, the McClelland and Gilman prop
critics had been improved, while the
Prather tract was used for pasturage
and the Miller tract was an uncared-
for public common.
The erection of buildings was COM
menced here in July, 1873, and by
1877 eight large brick residences had
been erected on the north side and
two on the south side Of Maple street,
while 10 houses had been built on the
north side and 10 on the south side of
Spruce street, the cost of the dwell
ings running from $4,000 to sl2 900
and you must not forget that so years
or more ago one could buy nice home
for $4,000 or a mansion for the
princely sum of $4,000, Other houses
followed, until there were soon so or
more fine residences.
Among the earliest homes in this
neighborhood was one which is stand
ing today-the David McClelland
home, now at the northwest corner of
Third street and Rhode Island ave-
nue.. The eastern part of this stately
old home was erected after McClel-
land joined forces with Barber and
others in laying out this subdivision,
but the western part is much older
and probably preceded the new part
by a number of years.
The owner was an engraver and,
evidently with an eye to the artistic,
took much pains in beautifying the
spacious grounds surrounding his resi-
dence. The old-fashioned garden, still
plainly visible from the Rhode Island
side of the property, is in itself re-
mlnder Of the past glory Of the neigh
borhood. The boXwood plants worked
into designs typical of early WASH
81 ~,
itself, are still being carefully taken
care of by the colored Elks, who now
occupy it as their home.
Or MUCH interest also is the COM
bination wood and iron fence
that surrounds the property. 1t is the
only remaining part of the original
fence, which so years ago extended
from the eastern terminus of the
park at Second street to within few
feet OF Seventh street At the west
OF the grounds is an attractive old
gate, made to match the artistic
fence 1t was evidently a driveway
gate, though its use as such has been
abandoned and the driveway itself
obliterated.
1t struck me as proba Die that the
Iron bars for the park fence which
tnclosed the southern exposure of
the subdivision might have been made
by John McClelland, who at that
time and at an earlier period had his
machine shop and iron foundry on
the east side OF Tenth street between
B street and Louisiana avenue, the
iron founder and the engraver being
brothers.
No subdivision in the District of
Columbia ever got off to better start
than did this one. In addition to the
erection there of fine type of dwell
ing, more than $4,000 was early spent
in purchasing and planting ornamental
shade trees and hedges and about