Evening star., 1938-06-12
OPENING
Washington's First Graduates at Central Had
Distinction Through the Years Site
Was Known as Corcoran Square.

Mrs. Clark, with whom the writer
hed such an interesting interview re-
Gently, moved into the neighborhood
Of the old Central High School when
her father, Waldo c. Perry, who was
chief clerk Of the Dead Letter Once,
Post Once Department, for 80 years,
moved to l410 Sixth street, Just around
the corner from the school from which
she and her future husband gradu-
ated.
NATURALLY, Mrs. Clark has .
knowledge Of this old square, even
before the school was built, and when
the Northern Market still occupied a
part of this block, in what she refers to
as "a conglomeration Of rough stalls,
with plank walks poorly covering the
muddy earth beneath"
When my family moved to Sixth
street near O." she says, "the brick
market opposite had been built and
the Seventh street half Of the square
was vacant lot. one portion being
equipped as tennis court"
This block was early known as. Cor
coran square and here military bar
racks were erected during the Civil
War. Following the destruction Of the
Northern Liberty Market, which stood
in Mount Vernon square. where Is now
the main building Of the Public Lii
brary, in 1872, temporary market quar-
ters were erected where is now the Old
High School. Later the brick market
at the northwest corner Of Seventh and
o streets was erected by the Northern
Market Co., on ground purchased from
Michael Hoover and known as Roth
wells Garden.
Few people can recall the old High
School Building as clearly as does Mrs.
Clark, for she watched its erection
from day to day from the bed room
window of her Sixth street home, but
since she was then attending a pri-
vate school she was only admitted to
the school on the opening day, after
having passed stiff examination.
While studying at this school Mr..
Clark, for many years one of Wash
ington's foremost architects, served as
Prof. Pauls secretary. and he and
Mrs. Clark (then Miss Perry. of course)
were the librarian and assistant nbrar-
ian. respectively, of the school.
Mrs. Clark is fond of reminiscing.
and told the writer that during the
winter of 1887, when she and Mr.. Clark
were in st. Petersburg, Fla. she hunted
up the Latin teacher Of Old Central in
whose small class she and her husband
first met.
This, she said, was after lapse of
53 years, and their meeting, and the
talk over old times that followed, was
an exceptionally enjoyable one. Soon
afterward, this early teacher, who was
Miss Lydia Dame, came to Washing
ton, and here Mrs. Clark had the pleas
ure of arranging a gathering of the
class of '83 to meet her, and among
those who attended were four pupils
who had attended Miss Danes Latin
class.
AS might be expected, there have
been many changes in the IS years
since this first class graduated from
Central High School, and Mrs. Clark
could only recall nine members who
are still among the living, although she
believed there were others. She men
toned Miss Susan Bender Sipe. now
Mrs. James Alburtis; William D.
Hoover, for many years president of
the National Savings g. Trust Co., and
now the chairman Of its board of direc-
tors: Miss Lillian Martha Orc,ltt now
Mrs. York; Miss Julia Adele Hammett
sister to DR.. Hammett, sometime health
officer of the District; she is now Mrs
Myers; Miss Alice Rose Hutchinson,
Henry George Sherwood, Miss Emily
Enthoffer. Miss Florence Perry now
Mrs. Clark, and her husband, Apple
ton Prentiss Clark. jr.
This class has undoubtedly had
many reunions since its commence