Evening star., 1944-10-29
BY John Clagett Proctor.

with the many beautiful residences in
the Northwest part of the city, yet the
Southeast is certainly not lacking in
historic interest and in early buildings,
some dating back to almost the very
beginning of the District.
Here, indeei, was once Cerne Abbey
Manor, the property of Daniel Carroll,
and to the east of this the farm of
William Prout, the lower end of which
Is now included in the Navy Yard.
Then came the Hop Yard" parts of
which we're owned by Daniel Carroll,
Morris & Nicholson, George Walker,
Abraham Young, William Youngs heirs
and Prout, Morris g. Nicholson. Close
to the Eastern Branch was First Re
covery," owned by the Widow Wheeler,
. Prout and others, and Hog Pen En-
Wheeler separately.
This widow, whose name figures in
early local history, was the sister of
Elizabeth Young. Her property skirted
the Eastern Branch along the Navy
Yard front, eastward beyond the Ana
SOoUld oil losC. CuSt WAlCli SllC SliCt Ao
one seems to know, but wherever her
name is recorded it is by the appel
lation Widow Wheeler"
William Prout's home was near the
Eighth street entrance to the Navy
Yard. He was born in 1853, married
Miss Slater, and died in Washington
in 1923.
Important Residential Area
Tor several decades after the Capital
was moved here, Southeast Washington
was considered one of the city's most
important residential sections, and some
of our chief citizens resided within its
boundaries. From the fact that the
Navy Yard was within this area-much
of the Southeast section was generally
referred to-and is still sometimes
spoken of by old residents-as "the
Navy Yard
In number of blocks in this section
can still be seen old buildings which
will carry ones thoughts back many
years, to a period of architecture easily
more than a century old. And some of
the structures are so ancient that no
one seems to know just when they
were erected.
Old Christ Church, on G street be-
tween Sixth and Seventh streets, dates
back to nearly 1900. Greenleaf Point,
which lies just over the border to the
west, was the cradle of the local Meth
odist Church, which held its first meet
ing here in private dwelling in 1902.
1t was known as odd Ebenezer," and
after leaving Greenleaf Point moved
to one of the Twenty Buildings" on
South Capitol and N streets, later oc-
cupying the Carroll Tobacco House,
after it was vacated by the Episcopalians
in 1907, when they moved into G street.
Pioneer Builders
Thomas Law, who married Elizabeth
Parke Gusts, granddaughter of Martha
Washington, was among the principal
pioneers who were active in improving
this part of the city, and William Mayne
Duncanson added his part by erecting,
in 1896, his beautiful residence at South
Carolina avenue, between Sixth and
Seventh streets, and many others at
that period, and even later, tried to
force the city to go eastward, with
only partial success.
Among the earliest of the more i'm
portant people attracted to the new
seat of Government and who sought
out the picturesque spots in the South
east for their homes, was DR.. Frederick
May, graduate of Dartmouth College
and of Harvard University 1792), who
studied medicine, came to this city from
Boston in 1895 and began the practice
of medicine, indicating his intention to
remain here by erecting a residence at
324 Virginia avenue S e. in 1890.
Being college-bred man he naturally
became one of the important residents
of the new city and we find his name
frequently linked with such men as
Thomas Law, DR.. Thornton and other
notable people who early settled in
Washington.
DR.. May left son named John Fred
= erick May who became noted physi-
clan and surgeon and died in this city
on May l, 1891. He was one of those
who assisted in identifying the body of
John Wilkes Booth from scar made by
surgeons scalpel used by him on the
actor while he was playing in this city.
DR.. Frederick May, the father, died
January %, 1849, but many years before
this his Virginia avenue residence had
noccp6 into tho honIc Con1,o1
SmallWood twice Mayor of Washington,
for it was here that his honor" died
on September 80, 1924, as we find his
passing away announced in the National
Intelligencer of October l, as follows:
Yesterday morning, between and
O'Clock, in the 54th year of his age,
Samuel N. Smallwood, esq, Mayor of
the City of Washington.
HE had been indisposed for several
weeks, but his disorder did not assume
threatening aspect until few days
> before it terminated his useful life. The
deceased was universally esteemed as a
private citizen and justly respected as
a public one, the best proofs of which
were his repeatedly receiving from the
hands of his fellow citizens the highest
honor and most important trust within
their gift. This city, in his death, loses
the services of a most efficient chief
magistrate-to his family the loss is
-irreparable."
The Mayors Home
The residence in which the Mayor
lived and died has undergone little