Evening star., 1941-03-30

1OIu Ildu 1Colucu VII IllC cdoG SlOC VI
Delaware avenue between B and G
street NE, but due to illness he had
been ordered by his physician to
move to the country, where the air
would probably be purer and there
would be more quiet and less inter-
ference, and so at this time he moved
to what is now Thomas Circle, where
the house was surrounded by spa
cious grounds, comprising nearly the
entire square. However, it is evil
dent he did not remain there very
long, for by 1926 the house was oc-
cupied by James Greenleaf and
family.
Enjoys Comment.
At this time, and for many years
subsequently, this part of Washing
ton was not only suburban, but
quite undeveloped and rural. In
deed, in 1910, when the CheValier de
Bacourt, the French Minister, paid
the Hills visit, he had this to say
of the ground over which he trav-
eled. Said he:
Il went TO see Mr.. and Mrs.
Charles Hill, who live at the ex-
treme end of the city; my carriage
sank up to the axle-tree in the
leave the carriage, which had to be
dragged out and scraped to remove
the mud and slush which stuck to it
like glue. I don't know how any
one can get to the Hills on Monday
next, when they give a ball; they
count on the moon shining that
night to save their necks. This is
how it is in Washington-stree not
paved, swept or lighted"
The English writer, Anthony Troll
lope, in referring to his visit to
Washington in 1862, has this to say
about the condition of Massachu-
setts avenue:
Massachusetts avenue runs the
whole length Of the city and is in
serted on the maps as a full-groWn
street about four miles in length.
Go there and you will find yourself
not only out of town. away among
the fields, but you will find yourself
beyond the fields in an uncultivated,
undrained wilderness. Tucking your
trousers up to your knees, you will
wade through bogs; you will lose
yourself among the rude hillocks;
you will be out of the reach of hui
manity. The place is very
full during Congress and very empty
during the recess BY which mean
to be understood that those streets
which are blessed with houses are
full when Congress meets. I do not
think that Congress makes much
difference to Massachusetts avenue.
A stranger finds himself
in the position of being sent across
the country knee-deep in mud, wad-
ing through snipe grounds, looking
for civilization where none exists"
According to the record Charles
Hill came into the picture Of the
Thomas Circle property in 1886,
when it was decided to him by
George Graham, who was one Of
the heirs of law of John Graham,
the consideration being S276, and
the property conveyed being lots
II, y. 13, IA, and Is, in square 212,
and the transfer also included
building and improvement upon
land. In 1850, a further deed in
the nature of a quitclaim, was
given to Charles Hill. signed Susan
Graham, George Graham and Eliza
Graham.
Charles Hill was a well-to-do resi-
dent of Prince Georges County, Nd,
and was descended from Clement
Hill who came to the Province of
Maryland with Charles. Sd Lord of
Baltimore, in 1923 He was mar
ried three times. First to Margaret
Smith of Poplar Ridge: second to
Susan Maria Clagett, daughter of
Joseph White Clagett of Cool Spring
Manor; and third to the widow
Ann Elizabeth (Snowden) Hall.
There was no issue by the first wife.
BY Susan Maria Clagett he had
Charles c. Hill Susanna Hill, Glenn
ent Hill and Helen Hill In turn,
Charles c. Hill married Emily Roose-
welt Snowden of Montpelier, Laurel,
Md, by whom he had Charles, who
married Kate Fogarty; F. Snowden
Hill, Edith Hill, Ida Hill, who mar
ried Francis Magruder Bowie, and
Emily, who married Nelson Jarboe.
Susan Hill of Charles c. became a
nun and was for a long time con-
nected with st. Dominic's Church
here. Clement Hill never married.
Helen Hill married Judge John
Brooke of Upper Marlboro Md.
Family Branches.
BY his third wife, Ann Elizabeth
(SnowdenD Hall. the senior Charles
Hill, had Maj Nicholas Hill, Laura
c. Hill, Eugene Francis Hill and
DR.. Norman Hill OF these, Nicholas
Hill married Mary Polk johnson. a
widow, and had Nicholas Hill and
Mary Hill. Laura C. Hill married
Samuel Brooke of Portland Manor
and Annapolis, their issue being
Anna, Samuel and Louise. Eugene
F. Hill married Minnie Waldo of
Kansas City. Mo, and had Ralph
w. S. Hill and Louise, who married
Mr.. Conkey. DR.. Norman Hill
married Carolyn Roberts and they
had Norman Hill, Ernest Hill,
Joseph Kent Hill, Aimee Hill, Rich
ard Hill and Carroll Hill.
Ann Elizabeth Snowden. third
wife of the first Charles Hill, and
who at the time of her second
marriage was the widow of Francis
Hall, had by Hall two children,
Francis and Elizabeth. Francis Hall
married Eugenia Carter, and Eliza
beth Hall married Richard Hall, and
their children were Richard, who
married Ada Morgan, and Francis
w. who married Grace Clagett.
At the time of the Civil War,
the old residence of Charles Hill,
near Highland Terrace, was con-
verted into what was known as
Desmarre's Hospital, which was
opened in March, 1868, and closed
December 2, 1865, together with
additional buildings erected during
the war. Later, the Hill residence
became the Columbia Hospital for
Women. in 1866, through the efforts
of Dr.. J. Harry Thompson. who was
surgeon in charge frem 1866 to
L