Evening star., 1949-10-09
|Face-Lifting Program
On Old Hospital Area
WinsG Street Prize

A face-lifting for the grounds
of what was a Civil War hospital
won the top prize Of $50 in the
yards and gardens contest of the
600 block of G street Sc. for Her.
man Karasek.
The results of the contest were
announced yesterday at the Home
Builders Association home show
in the Armory. The contest itself
provided one more stimulant in a
civic campaign to refurbish the G
street block and to make the gen.
eral area-referred to by some OF
the residents as the Federal City
area-a more pleasant place In
which to live.
Mr.. Karasek won the award for
the most effort and the most gen.
eral improvement. The first
prize of $25 for the most improve
ment in a front yard went to Her.
man Proctor, 636 G street. The
first prize of $25 for the best
back yard went to Mrs. George
Watts, of 639 G street.
Sides on G Street.
Mr.. Karasek's address actually
lis TOO Sixth street Sc, but the
side of the corner property is on
G street and therefore it was in
cluded in the block effort. The
brick building with a mansard
third story now is divided into
apartments.
Neighbors said that before Mr..
Karasek started the grounds were
tangled jungle of bushes and
seeding trees, the sloping terrace
was eroded and dirt had washed
down over the sidewalks. Mr..
Karasek almost single-handedly
accomplished a major job.
The Proctor home is pointed out
as the one in the block where John
Philip Sousa lived. The place
where he was born is said to have
been nearby. Mr.. Proctor painted
the wooden trim of the house. the
rails of the porch and front steps
and the iron fence in front. He
spread topsoil over his patch OF
lawn and reseeded it. The result
was a place in apple pie order.
Mrs. Watts always had a nice
garden but this year special ef-
fort went into it. Mr.. Watts took
weeks leave in the late sum-
mer and helped with it, spreading
topsoil and fertilizer. A grandson
painted the high board fence
which forms the background.
Mrs. Watts grows zinnias. asters,
marigolds, clematis, scockscomh
and hydrangeas. Most of the
bloom was over a week ago when
the gardens were judged but it was
still attractive.
Awards to be Made Tonight.
These first prizes are in cash
and will be awarded at the home
show tonight. Also to be awarded
is $3.50 in credit for merchan-
disc winners may select to improve
their homes. This Is to be divided
among those who worked on the
blocks main project, the repaint-
ing and general restoration of the
two home frame building at 62l
and 623 G street.
This prize will be apportioned
according to hours worked and
will be divided among John Boone,
Harold Coakley, Vernon Davis,
Donald S. and Miss Mary L. Det-
wiler, the son and daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Donald j. Detwiler;
Frank Govan. Allan Hill. John
Hill, Robert Jones. Jay Keyser.
Louis Merryman, Miss Carolyn
Payne, Robert Payne. R. E. Sibley,
James Waters, Lesley and Wesley
Wheeler, the twin sons of Mr.. and
Mrs. c. w. Wheeler, and Harris
Woslen.
Members of the Block Commit
tee, Mr.. Detwiler, Travis Whitton
and Mr.. Wheeler, and their wives
also participated in the work byt
did not share in the prize.
Judges of the contest were Clyde
Verkerke and David Eckhardt of
the Home Builders Association.