Evening star., 1938-05-01
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS,

On N street S.W., where, when
Washington was very young, it was
said concerning the hospitality of its
aristocratic resident, none came too
early, none stayed too late" Barney
Neighborhood House, Washington S
first settlement house is preparing in
this spirit to hold a three-day May
celebration.
For all of Goth century Washing
ton who will seek it out, this 37-year-
old good neighbor to its historic COM
munity is holding open house May
1921.
Upon this occasion, according to
a custom of long standing, N street
will be closed off from Fourth to
Union and eight May poles will be
set up. Around them eight times, l6
children will dance the May pole dance
to the music of the Marine Band
and. OF course, there will be a juvenile
May day queen and her court with
complete peerage Of American roy
atty, none the less absolute because
it is short-lived. For weeks the queen
and her ladies-in-waiting have been
qualifying themselves for their honors
by making the costumes and other
royal trappings which they will wear
upon this occasion.
Has Glamorous History.
This picturesque drama of goth CEN
tury community service will enact
itself against a neighborhood back
ground as glamorous from historical
standpoint as any in our Nation S
Capital. Still standing are the homes
of the vivid social figures of its hey
day. The elegance of their side
chimneys, fine old doorways and win
dow cornices Of Colonial design, and
of their great wide rooms, which even
now command their vista of the
Potomac's other Shore" not only re-
call a dignifled past. but impart to
the present, both beauty and charm.
Their fashioning was planned by
James Greenleaf. early visioner of
Washington. infant city of his era,
as the world Capital it was eventu-
ally to be. King Greenleaf," they
dubbed him in those halycon days of
1795 to 1900 when his golden dreams
were fashioning air castles faster than
mis- honest efforts at financing them
could translate them into bricks and
mortar and purchasers. Nearby
Greenleaf Point and the Greenleaf
School at Fourth and N streets
SW., help to keep his memory green
today.
Two twin houses, at 468 and 470 N
street SW., now jointly used as the
headquarters Of Barney Neighborhood
House, were originally the homes of
Judge William Cranch and Of Capt.
Mayme Duncanson in the order Of
their listing. BY a strange coincidence,
470 N street S.W. was the home which
Capt. Duncanson occupied while The
Naples, his even more commodious
mansion with its surrounding acreage,
was being built for him upon Capitol
Hill Still standing, but appropriately
renowned to meet its present needs,
it, too, houses a settlement project,
that of Friendship House, which serves
its southeast clientele much as
Neighborhood House does the South
western section of Washington.
Decisions Were Noteworthy.
1t is in keeping with Judge Cranch's
outstanding contributions of a civic
and educational nature to the city of
his adoption that his home, 468 N
street S.W., should today constitute
the entrance upon the myriad activities
of Barney Neighborhood House with
their training for more worthwhile and
more law-abiding citizenship among
those who are to be tomorrow's citizens
in this neighborhood and elsewhere.
For SIS years a longer time than
that Of any other justice in the history
OF our local courts, he handed down
the decisions Of what was then termed
the Circuit Court of the d. C..
"Cranch's opinions" were subsequently
termed every lawyers Bible" and are
still feature of every law schools
students training.
During its three days Of open house
in May, members Of Neighborhood
Houses Board Of Managers will take
turns in serving as hosts and hostesses
for the occasion. Girl Scouts designated
from the Neighborhood House troop
will also act as guides to point out to
visitors the interesting original detail
of the winding stairways. mahogany
hand-rails, fine old mouldings, broad
floor boards and roomy fireplaces with
their beautifully proportioned mantels,
as well as all manner Of examples of
weaving and sewing crafts. perfected
in their midst.
From its beginnings in 1901, at the