Evening star., 1950-06-25
Georgia Avenue in Early DAYS
By John CIoqett Proctor

VINO NVeo on the west SiQe OF
Georgia avenue near the Emory
Chapel Methodist Church was an
authority on early days Of the Sec
ton known as Brightwood. Accord
ing to her version. following the
name Crystal Spring. generally
applied to this vicinity. the name
Brighton was given 1t. by whom.
no one knows. Soon after receiving
this name. a post Office was estah-
lished at the northwest corner of
Georgia avenue and Piney Branch
road. in the country store then
conducted by the late A. @.
Osborn. 1t was to this corner a
number of years later that Mr..
Osborn took his bride. Soon after
Brighton" was established as q
post office. an unforeseen complica-
tion arose. There happened to be
another post office in the northern
part of Montgomery County. Md,
OF the same name. The mails in
tended for these two places were
eternally getting mixed.
The corner previously had been
owned by Mrs. Abigail Shoemaker,
mother of the late Louis P. Shoe
maker, who had let the place to
L. Brunett as a roadhouse. After
giving up the business, Brunett
continued to live in the neighbor-
hood. and no doubt being one Of
those who were suffering because
the mail was going to the other
Brighton. and vice versa. he sug-
gested leaving of the suffix "on''
or "ton," and substituting
wood" This met with general
favor and since that day the name
Brightwood has been the name
of this undetermined area.
Prior to the CIVIL War, roads
and thoroughfares leading to and
from 'Brightwood were few. The
Seventh street turnpike, now
Georgia avenue, was one Of the
early roads of Washington and
was narrow and especially after
heavy rains was impossible
Brightwood had a very in
fluential and important neigh
Dor - Francis Preston Blair,
whose home was at Silver Spring
and, of course, when Mont
gomery Blair. the son, came into
prominence. his support in secur-
ing needed improvements was also
generally to be had. It was no
doubt due to the elder Blair's
efforts that a plank road was laid
on the Seventh street turnpike in
1852.
ToIleote Rood.
The Seventh street turnpike
once had tollgates, and the one
in Brightwood was near what
would be 6400 Georgia avenue,
where once resided Lewis White
Also on the west side of the Turn
pike going north, between Rock
Greek Church road and Piney
Branch road, were the properties
Of ]. Weinberger. ]. Horner. Mr..
Sunny. w. Little, A. Ray, the
Washborne heirs. E. Osborn, J.
Saul and Mrs. H. White. Be-
tween Piney Branch road, Rock
Creek and Milk House Ford road,
part of which Is now Missouri
avenue. The farms hereabout
were owned by j. Hoyle. j. Pilling,
F. Tittman, Rev. D. Finkel. B.
Jost. Mr.. Stewart and w. King.
North of Milk House Ford road,
along the turnpike, were the tracts
of A. Shoemaker, Emory Chapel.
w. B. Beall. j. Seldom, T. Car
berry. B. Clagett's heirs and F. P.
Blair.
The Beall property originally
included 1888 acres and extended
along the Seventh Street pike, or
the Old Plank road. as 1t was
sometimes called, from Emory
Church north to about the Wal
ter Reed Hospital property, where
it crossed Georgia avenue, and
included also a strip of land
which Is now part of Takoma
Park. This land once belonged to
Robert Lamar Beall, said to be a
descendant of Ninian Beall, pat
entee of the Rock of Dumbarton.
In this neighborhood, as a lone
sentinel, only the Archibald White
home, still occupied by his de-
scendants, Is standing.
Some years ago. when it was
found necessary to repair the sills
of this dwelling, the carpenter
found they had been put together
with large wooden pegs, and some
Of these were turned over to the
family as relics Of the old home.
Nearby were encamped soldiers
during the Civil War and in the
house itself the officers of a Mas
sachusetts regiment made their
headquarters during the Battle
Of Fort Stevens. Incidentally,