Evening star., 1940-01-28
Nations Celebrities Lived
In Medical Center Area
Street Of Doys Gone By Trod by
Personoees Who Contributed to History

GlSutccIltll StIcct, OuG 10 ~ pKcScut
tenantless, was once occupied by
Nicholas Longworth, Speaker Of the
House Of Representatives, and his
wife. Alice Roosevelt Longworth,
during the height. Of the Speakers
congressional career.
Home Of "Old Probabilities"
Just beyond the site of the
Friends School and Church, on the
location Of the Doctors Hospital,
stood the first street home Of DR..
Albert Myer, doctor and surgeon in
the United States Army, for whom
Fort Myer was named. AS signal
ofncer Of the Army Of the Potomac
during the Civil War he laid the
groundwork for the United States
Signal Corps. After the Civil War
he developed the United States
Weather Bureau. To the community
generally and Washington at large
Of this time he was known as "Old
Probabilities, because whenever he
was asked for a weather forecast
he would invariably preface any
statement with the remark, "the
probabilities are, -" ="
Subsequently DR.. Myer, or Gen.
Myer, as he afterward became, pur-
chased larger residence farther up
I street on the site of the present
Army Navy Club Previous to DR..
Myers occupancy of 1t with his FAM
lily it had been the seat of the Brit
ish Legation, Great Britain at that
time being represented by Minister,
not an Ambassador.
Chamberlain, the famous gambler,
there held sway until he was COM
PEELED to move his establishment to
site at the corner of Fifteenth and
I streets. Gen. Myer then bought
the property, remodeled it and
moved into it.
Across the street from the Doc
tors Hospital, at 1906 I street, is the
exclusive and nationally famed Alibi
Club. Offshoot Of the Metropolitan
Club, 1t was originally distinguished
for the epicurean skill with which
its various members could tickle the
palates of guests in this strictly mas
culine stronghold when they donned
chefs aprons and personally evolved
famous dishes after carefully
guarded recipes.
Owned by Mrs. Randolph.
1910 street was once owned by
Mrs. William Beverly Randolph,
daughter of Gen. James Lingan, who
was one of the original members of
the Cincinnati. A daughter, Mrs.
Gilman Dore Blake, who lives in
New York, is the present president
OF the Daughters of the Cincinnati.
Former residents of the neighbor-
hood remember Mrs. Randolph as
an exquisitely lovely old lady who
wore beautiful lace caps and made
wonderful scrap books for the chill
dren of her many friends and reia-
tives.
Eighteen hundred and twelve I
street was built for Gen. Knox Craig,
chief Of ordinance, whose portrait
hangs in the War Department.
A brilliant Civil War wedding in
the old house was that OF his daugh-
ter, Mary Craig, to Gen. Henry j.
Hunt, whose name nearby Fort Hunt
commentaries. His strategy at
Gettysburg, now studied in all Army
schools of tactics, is said to have
saved the Union, as he frst in.
dptH 4rkett's charRer3 :,
pulsed its with his artillery. ~
i, Recalls Cows in Park.
His. elder son, Conway. B, Hpnts
oil 20f5 N street, 40 years IA civil
engineer in the service of the Dis
trict of Columbia, was born in this
house. A younger son, the lAte DR..
Presley Craig Hunt, brilliant men,
ber of the medical profession in the
District, lived here as a boy. A
daughter, Miss Julia Hunt, who was
playmate of Nellie Arthur, lit
tie girl at the White House during
her fathers presidential term, now
makes her home at the Martinique
Hotel on Sixteenth street. Even now
she can remember their terror of
the cows, grazing in nearby La
fayette Square.
The adjoining and exactly similar
house, 1914 I street, became the
property of General Circuit Court
Judge John Davis at the time of his
marriage to the beautiful and gla-
morous Sally Frelinghusen, daugh-
ter of the Secretary Of State. The
present Senator Lodge is her grand
son.
Gen. Charles F. Humphreys, dis
tinguished corps commander, lived
at 1904 I street Eort Hum nhrevc
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