Evening star., 1950-09-10

Washington proper was complet-
ed by June 25. l795. and street
80 feet wide was laid out bound
ing the city from Rock Creek
east to the Eastern Branch, and
this was known as Boundary
street for more than a, hundred
years, or until nearly 1899. when
it's name was changed to Florida
avenue.
North Of the northeastern sec
ton of Boundary street was the
country seat Of Joseph Gales of
the National Intelligencer, pur-
chased shortly after his marriage
in 1918, and this estate was from
time to time enlarged up to 100
acres. 1t was carved out Of the
original tract of the vast Motley
Young holdings and which, from
an early date, is said to have ex-
tended nearly to Seventh street
road. on about where the old
Bladensburg road was intersected.
Boundary street was its northern
front, and here, within the city
limits, was the ruin Of a mill
race. Evidently the choice of
Mr.. Gales homestead may have
appealed to him because Of the
proximity Of Sydney. now part
of the Catholic University
grounds.
Then came westwardly Mount
Pleasant and Pleasant Plains and
the Hall estate, later owned and
occupied by the family of Louis
H. Schneider, and adjoining to
the west the home of Christian
Schneider. where is now the Cen
trail High School.
Early Residents
Some early residents on Boun.
Diary street, south from GARFIELD
Hospital to U street, included, or
the west side Harry White
musician, whose shack was thu
only building in the 1900 block fol
many years after 1871. He wa.
a picturesque looking man Of th'
Uncle Tom" type-head whitenec
with age and shoulders bent witt
years of work, friendly anc
kindly.
During my mothers childhood
days she had taken dancing les
sons at Carusi's Salon, which bore
a high reputation and which
stood at the northeast corner ot
Eleventh and c streets NV. One
day she recognized this ole
colored man as having been the
one who played the fiddle fol
Prof. Carusi's pupils, and he wa,
delighted when she told him thai
she remembered him.
Subsequently, in 1881, according
to an early account. A. L. Barber
g. Co. opened up the estate Of
William j. Stone, to the west oil
the Schneider property between
approximately Thirteenth ano
Fourteenth streets, extending al
most to Park road. And at this
time this tract was purchased fol
100000. This was the beginning
OF Columbia Heights. Lots were
placed on the market and sold al
10 cents a square foot and up
ward. and plans were afoot for the
widening of Fourteenth Street
road north of the Boundary.
1t was difficult for the pro-
moters to put Columbia Heights
on the market. for the only trans
portation was a bob-tailed horse
carline which ran out Fourteenth
street. with which the patrons
were in a state of perpetual feud
However. on April 20, 1888, the
press carried the first advertise
ment of A. L. Barber & Co.
John Sherman, trustee, in which
was offered homes for all-Four-
teenth street and Boundary-we
are now getting streets graded
ready for building houses" A
New York syndicate promptly
bought for $4,000 the entire
square between Thirteenth anc
Fourteenth streets, Immediately
north of the Boundary, and three
handsome and commodious rest
dences were erected there which
long remained among the show
places of the city, with extensive
grounds containing a few mighty
oaks that must have been part OF
the virgin forest which once cov-
cred a large part of what is now
Washington.
During the period OF the Civi,
War the Stone dwelling was used
for hospital purposes and when
Gen. Logan returned to Congress
in 1871. he made his home at
Grant place and remained there