Evening Star Newspaper, September 20, 1931, Page 74

[ 6 BY JOBN CLAGETT PROCTOR. HE buiidings in the blocks taken over place whén he visits this neighber- hoed. Indeéd, the writer's experience of a few days age leads him to believe that there will be many sad hearts among the oclder members of our community when they visit this vicinity again and find many of these old buildings removed: buildings in a section they knew im their childhood days—when they went to schoel; where they played with the other children of the neighborhood, and where they grew imnto manhioed and womanhoed while this was stild strictly s residential part of Washington. To the writer's way of thinking, the most interesting person. in the world is the one who is growing old gracefully and charmingly and whose mind is ac'ive and alert, and whose recollecticns of - .7's of the past are clear and reliable. Inde we do not often come in contact with g porssa such delightful quali- ties, and yct ii was ju 1t good fortune that the writer mel wih for a Sundey alicir Hall section, Mrs, E' of Frank E. Midl northwesé corner of T west, just a few leel @Gen. Albert Plie. : Today che 1378 7. 2ccuraiz way to pul i or this delightful Iady of nem:ly four score ycurs could pass for a much younger woman if she cared to; erect as the stately fir; with a complexion that denotes unusual beatuy in early life—a real Irish beauty at That, for her falher's people originally came to this couniry from Glen Mc¢Quilde, near Gar- vah, Ircland-—and eyes—not bedimmed, as we might expect for one of her years—but as clear and penetrating as those of a woman of 40. Such a person was my delightful guest, to- gether with her daughter, Miss Middleton, as we drove through the streets of the Municipal Center, now strewn with old building material of all kinds. Of course, Mrs. Middleton pointed out the comer whe:e she was born, and told how, when she was a child, she and the sons of James Manderville Carlisle would park themselves under the window of that noted lawyer's home (still standing at 307-9 D street) uniil the elder Carlisle would give each one of them a large copper penny, about the size of the piesent silver quarter, and then off they would scamper te Aunt Barbara, a colored woman who sold dainties on Third street, opposite Trinity Church, and here they. would buy honey cakes, peppermints on paper, horse cakes and such sweets as wouid for the moment appeal to their !853 it Frasietieln fortable, cheerful, unconven- popular old community then s | § than the rest—tired, perhaps, of a of grass—would wander forth moonlight stealthily unlatch front gdates way to the garbage barrel in the was never cured until one fateful night to £ ¥ if TP t i . through the streets and followed by a dozen or more frantic cows, rearing, plunging, kicking, b their tails high in the air and bellowing with every sign of grief and NDEED,; it is quite impossible, as we see this 23, 1860, we will find complaints made about geese and hogs roaming in the street and the bhog wallows in Judiciary Square, just north of Hall, and this condition was not en- done away with until Alexander R. Shep- ington. Carlisle home was bullt in 1852 by James . Carlisle, and oecupied by him until his death 1877. It still appears to be a very fine build- Here Mr. Carlisle had his office immedi- y to the west of the main structure, and THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. €, SEPTEMBER 20, 1931 Homes of Chicf Justice Taney, “Fightin g Bob’>’ Evans and Other Notables. Clark and Middleton Families. avenue is no longer, the small section remaining .Blagden Row, 310-318 Indiana avenue, now being demolished. The light build- ; in the center is where Chief Justice Taney lived and died. in 1864, and where Red Wood, early home of Col. Lemuel J. Middleton. Site of Cathedral Man- sions, opposite Connecticut avenue enirance to the Erected about 1810, National Zoological Park. Indiana Avenue and Early Restdences Citizens o f That Area We m\}{cquainted W tth and some of those who attended there in the early days; said: “In 1804, sbout the time Mr. Wight retired from his profession after a long and honorable career, he sold the property to Dr. Henry In built two dwellings on the site. was rented by Mr. Wight, and ¥ died Im October, 1896, at the age - “Among many others who were once studests % this academy, some of whom are now premi- nent residents of this city, it may be of interest Mr. William P. Mattingly, the well' known member of the District bar; Gen. John M. Wilson, U. 8. Army (retired), at one - (his last active duty) chiel of Engineers; Dr, 2sentative Wash- P. W. Browning, g:ocery merchant, and G. M. Oyster, equally have mentioned meore particularly with Mr, Mattingly the name of Mr. William A. Maury, Among those who were scholars in Mr, Wight's time, now prominent members of the bar, are Associate Justice Andrew C. Bradley, Andrew B. Duvall and R. Ross Perry, Mr. F. B. McGauire, the sons of James Y. Davis—James Y. and Samuel T.— (hatters, etc), are among those who repiesent the business community, and Comdr, Adolph Marix, U. 8. N.; Comdr. Martin E. Hall, U. S. N.; Col. McLane Tilton, U. S. Marine Corps; Maj. Richard Wallach, U. S. Marine Corps, and Maj. Franck E. Taylor, U. 8. A, represent the naval and military service. Maj. Taylor was in the A:tillery branch of the Army at the time of his death in November, 1886.” When the writer paid his visit to this seetion the southwest corner was occupied as a chain store, 302 had been a law office and dwelling, and 302, 304, 306 and 306'> had the appearance of having been partly used for business and residential purposes. . The Whittlesey home at 308, occupied for many years by Comfort S. Whittlesey, Seventh street merchant, and after his death by his widow, Mrs. Virginia Whittlesey, adjolned at the east what became known as Blagden row, which the vriter spoke of upon the occasiom when he wrote about Chief Justice. Roger B. (HEN the writer last passed this found the Taney house had alr By, H z‘zfifiit §z°;§i v i 'MUDIN& this liouse, all the buildings between the Taylor home and the Fendall} Building have the appearance of big, old struce tures. Along here once lived Charles S. Wallacly and Mrs. Peyton. Gen. Peter Bacon built Na, 336, and 338 was the home of Even L. Childs, and later it became the office and residence of Dr. W. J. C. Duhamel, whose office hours were? “8 to 10 am., 3 to 7T pm.” James F. Duhamel, now the S secretary of the Assow ciation of Oldest Inhabitants, and W. K. then practicing law nearby, were of the doctor's family, living at the same address, Prior to 1864 Rev. Byron Sunderland, who offie ciated at the marriage of President and Mrs, . Cleveland, was a near neighbor of Mrs. Child& Mrs. Middletonn places his residence at No. 3347 the old numbering in the city directory fos 1860 gives his address as “397 D street.” a1 No. 340 Indiana avenue is an old bLuilding, and evidently was at one time two residences, one narrower than the other. Until recently their basements at least were occupied as law offices. On thé southeast cerner of Indiana avenue and John Marshall place still stands the Fendal} Bullding; awalting its turn when the wreckey will level it to the ground. This building was erected in 1886, and consequently is quite young compared with the age of some of its neighbors,