Evening star., 1944-03-09
Fig Buys Villa Rosa,
Now Occupied by
Children S Museum

| villa ROSA, Llle Lree-nlQQen plnk
stucco estate which has been occu-
pied rent free by the Children's
Museum since November, 194l, has
been sold by Defense Homes Corp
to Sam Fig, liquor dealer forcing
the museum to find other quarters.
Miss Matilda Young, director of
the Children's Museum, said today
she understood the purchase price
was 100000. She said she didn't
know what use would be made by
Mr.. Fig of the Italian-style villa,
although his attorney, Louis Often
berg, had mentioned that it would
be used by the WAVES, she said.
The museum, she said, has mem
bership list Of 1893, among whom
most are children although some
families are listed as members. Any
child, she said, could come to the
museum and last summer so to 100
children made use of its facilities
every day.
District Bought Property.
The District government bought
the property from DR.. and Mrs.
Oscar B. Hunter, it's last private
owners, in 1910, presumably for al
school site. Miss Young said when
site had been sought for the Chill
dren's Museum, the villa was dis
covered and she approached the
the District to find out who owned
the estate, which at that time
showed evidence of vandalism
She said she had proposed that
the Children's Museum occupy the
site at least for the duration until
the District was able to build, point
ing out that the villa was being
ruined in its unoccupied state, and
the District agreed.
Last August, she said, the villa
had been traded to Defense Homes
Corp. in exchange for acreage att
Friendship, now Mclean Gardens.
Miss Young said she had attempted
to find out how to make arrange
ments in Defense Homes for con-
tinued occupancy, but had been un-
successful.
Nonprofit Project.
While museum officials originally
had not considered the villa the
museums permanent home, Miss
Young said, 1t was so ideally suited
to children that she had hoped the
museum might be able to buy it.
possibly with funds raised in the
community.
She said the new owner had sug-
gested some arrangements could be
made to keep the museum at its
present site through the summer
but that would probably involve
paying rent.
The museum is stated by IL vol
unteer workers and is incorporated
as an educational, nonprofit project
supported entirely by membership
gifts. It's trustees include Lawrence
Coleman, director of the American
Association of Museums, and DR..
Alexander Wetmore, acting director
OF the Smithsonian Institution, Miss
Young said.
The villa, which is on an 8-acre
estate at 4215 Massachusetts, ave-
nue. NV, was built in 1911 for
Henry st. George Tucker, later a
member OF the House of Representa-
tives from Virginia. Golden &
Small were the brokers handling
the transaction between Defense
Homes Corp. and MI. Fig.
Mr.. Fig, ct one time In the grocery
business, has b1en a liquor dealer
here for nine years. He was called
to testify before a Senate Judiciary
Subcommittee Investigating the
liquor industry when, several weeks
before Christmas. he advertised
5000 bottles Of nationally kffowni
brands Of whisky for SALE at llisl
liquor store in the 5400 block OIL
Georgia avenue NV. Mr.. Eig|
told the subcommittee that hel
owned enough whisky in Kentucky
to fill 250,000 bottles (f1fths) when
1t becomes of bottling age.