In this series of looking at the odd numbered side of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW from 1920 to 1930, I decided to look at the other end of the block. The change from 1920 to 1930 for most of the block was from white renters to black home owners. My post The sell off of the 1700 block of New Jersey Ave NW pretty much explains the why.
1920 White Renters
There were two households living at 1725 NJ Ave NW in 1920. The first was Thomas Errington (spelled Ewrington in the 1920 census), a Michigan born laborer and his family. The second, was Ernest L. McDowell, a Printer who worked at the Government Printing Office.
The Errington household consisted of 42 year old Thomas, his 51 year old wife Ida (previously Crutchfield) and their 5 year old adopted daughter, Mary Callahan. In the previous 1910 census, the couple lived at 505 Q St NW. He was a house porter and she worked as a dressmaker. Ida died after they moved from New Jersey Ave in 1921. In the 1930 census, Thomas had a new wife and family with stepdaughter and step-granddaughter in Baltimore. I could not locate Mary.
The McDowells consisted of 29 year old Ernest Linwood McDowell, his wife 24 year old Eunice (formerly Eunice Ruth Townsend) and 1 year old daughter Dorothy. Ernest was a printer at the GPO and had just married Eunice Ruth Townsend in 1917 in their hometown of Richmond, VA.
After they left New Jersey Ave NW they lived at 2207 Otis St NE and owned the home. By 1930, Ernest moved up to Proofreader at the GPO and he and Eunice had another daughter. They lived on Otis through to the 1950 census. Ernest died in 1963.
1930s Black Owners
According to the land records the owner in 1926 were Alice and George B. Oliver where in a deed they transfer the property to Henning C. Nelms who in the next document transferred it to Alice. A few months later the mortgage with W. Wallace Chiswell and Harry A. Kite was paid off or released. Alice owned the house until her death and the house was sold by her heirs in 1976.
Unfortunately, I could not find out much about the brother and sister George Bruce James Oliver and Alice Oliver prior to their time. They were both Black and born in Virginia. I was able to find George’s draft card to discover he was born in Danville, VA in 1898 and get his two middle names. That lead to finding his 1947 funeral notice where it mentions his wife Ruth, who does not show up in the 1940 census.
Speaking of the census. in 1930 George is listed as Alice’s brother. In 1940 he is listed as a lodger.