March 2022 – Truxton Is In Shaw

WSIC- Square 552- Even side of Q- A Visual pt 1

We know that the Washington Sanitary Improvement Company (WSIC) did not own anything on Square 552 (Bounded by 3rd, P, 1st and Q St NW) in 1902. Sometime between 1903 and 1909 most of the block was purchased, developed, and Bates Street created. According to the 1933-1934 General Assessment WSIC owned lots 33-35, 49-94, 98-100, 104-150, 811, and 816-820.

Lots 33-35 would have been 137-141 Bates St NW; lots 49-94 were 1529-1551 3rd St NW, 138-230 Q St NW, 201-229 Bates St NW; lots 98-100 were 132-136 Q St NW; lots 104-150 were 131-135 Bates St NW, 207-231 P St NW, 1501-1523 3rd St NW, 200-230 Bates St NW, and 201-205 P St NW; lot 811 now lot 221 was 130 Q St NW; lots 816-818 being 119-123 Bates NW and lots 819-820 (originally part of lot 25) ?? Bates St NW.

Let’s start with 130-230 Q Street NW.

The above image is of 130 Q St NW and we see the 2nd floor bays that are similar to the bays of the unit block of Bates St NW. However, these are skinnier than the original style where WSIC started. Another difference, a single entrance for appears to be a two flat property. Whereas with the Bates St WSIC properties, there was a separate entrance.

As we start to go down the row it appears that the single bay properties are also single entrance but maybe single residence homes. However, 142 Q St NW seems to beg to differ.

photo of property

A lot can happen in 100 years. Checking the census for 1910, there are two households for 132, 134, 136, and 138. Although I see two doors for 142 Q St NW, it had only one family in 1910.

Looking at the 1917 City Directory the houses from 132-142 have two households or two units.

Rando Thing Not in Shaw- 900 27th Ave NW

This is part of the Rando Alley Not in Shaw series. However, this is not even an alley. This is Square 1. Literally Square 1 in NW DC and 900 27th Ave NW, which no longer exist. What is there now is the off ramp to go from Whitehurst Freeway to I-66.

Dates? Pffft…. Between 1916 and 1936-ish.

Rando Alley not in Shaw- More of O’Brien Court NW/ Stevens School Garden

I’m just throwing this out there. It was in a collection of things I had from the National Archives, Still Picture Division. Why I have these, I don’t know.

I previously posted about O’Brien Ct. Here is another page about O’Brien Ct but regarding the Stevens School Garden Project. Look kids, school gardens are nothing new. The Stevens School was a school for Black children at the time, which was 1936. Now, it is a Pre-K school.

Rando Alley Not In Shaw- Government Alley

Another Alley but not in Shaw.

These photos are from a government agency that was for getting rid of residential alley dwellings.

Looking a this page you may see a familiar local name, Pohanka. I don’t know if they were selling cars, but they were repairing them.

Rando Alley Not in Shaw- O’Brien Court/ Thimble Court NW

If it was located around E, F, 20th and 21st Streets NW, it should be in the West End. However, poking around Property Quest, I could not locate a Square 762. I’ll post another page about O’Brien Ct which has a different square number that makes more sense.

This is from 1935. It mentions a Thimble Court.

9th and O St NW circa 1968

9th and O Street NW, Washington, DC circa 1968-1969

There are buildings at 9th and O that aren’t in the picture that exist now. Use the O Street Giant turret to orient yourself.

Discuss.

Rando Alley In Shaw- Glick Alley

This is from 1916 and shows Glick Alley which is in Shaw. It was on Square 442, which is between 6th and 7th, R & S Streets and Rhode Island Avenue NW.

Glick Alley, as far as I can tell, no longer exists.No inside plumbing for these Glick Alley homes. As I remember it, the lack of plumbing made something a slum dwelling.

Cooks Alley/Reeves Place- Lost Somewhere in the NW Co-op Parking Lot

Edited to change Cooks to Cooksey.

Somewhere, which is probably one of the parking lots of the Northwest Co-operative, was Cooksey Alley. It was on Sq. 551, which is bounded by 3rd St, Q St, 1st St, Florida Avenue and R St NW.

I was arranging my computer files and came across this:

I have probably posted this before. There were several other alley photos for other parts of the city and I’ll post those too.

Anyway, the Alley Dwelling Authority succeeded in their goal to get rid of alley’s like Cooksey Alley/Reeve’s Place, because it no longer exists.

WSIC- Square 615 lots – A Visual pt2

Feeling a bit under the weather so the posts are going to slow down a bit.

In an earlier post, WSIC- 1930s Ownership of Sq. 615, I wrote: “… the Washington Sanitary Improvement Company owned the following lots on Sq. 615 (bounded by North Cap, Q St, 1st St and P St NW): 65-66, 134-140, 170-179, 195-207, and 236-265.”

In a previous post I specifically looked at 31 and 33 Bates Street, part of 31- 43 Bates St NW, lots 134-140, now lots 285-291.

The Washington Sanitary Improvement Company owned the whole of the odd side of Bates Street, NW. And visually, for a bit, they had the 2nd story bay window, then no bay, then bay pattern, starting at 15 Bates to 37 Bates St NW. But 37 and neighboring 35 Bates St. NW are bay-less.

photo of property

It begins to look like the bay-no-bay pattern will restart with 39-45 Bates St, but then there are a row of the distinctive Truxton Circle 2nd floor bay windows.

photo of property

From 55-65 Bates St NW, it goes back to the bay, no bay, bay pattern. Addresses 65-67 Bates NW are bayless together, and then the pattern restarts.

photo of property

The even side of the unit block of Bates is just as inconsistent. Just a little less so. It starts off with bay, no bay, then bay and keeps it up until 52-54 Bates Street with neighboring bay-less windows.

photo of property

54-58 Bates St NW form a no bay, bay, no bay sandwich before it is nothing but bay windows till 1st St NW.

I’m sure there was a method to the madness.

WSIC- Square 615 lots – A Visual pt1

In a previous post, WSIC- 1930s Ownership of Sq. 615, I wrote: “… the Washington Sanitary Improvement Company owned the following lots on Sq. 615 (bounded by North Cap, Q St, 1st St and P St NW): 65-66, 134-140, 170-179, 195-207, and 236-265.”

I’m going to skip Square 615’s lots 65-66. which are 22 and 24 Q St NW. They do not look different from the other adjoining town homes.

So let’s first look at lots 134-140. And here is where we find our first problem. The lot numbers changed. Lot 140 would be 31 Bates Street NW. That address is now lot 285. I find a lot number changes. Sometimes the property undergoes some sort of conversion or there is another reason for the lot number change. It doesn’t happen too often but it does happen.

Next is lot 139, which like 140, no longer exists in the tax rolls. It was 33 Bates Street NW, which is now lot 286.

So what are we seeing here in these two images of Bates Street NW houses. The image for 31 Bates St NW shows the distinctive 2nd floor centered bay and the two entrances, reflecting the Washington Sanitary Improvement Company’s (WSIC) idea of having a two flat unit. The second door, is a window in the image for lot 285.

The pattern for the row is bay, no bay, bay, no bay.