Category: Truxton History

I should make a tag for Black home owning food service workers of Truxton Circle. In 1920 one did not need to have a fancy job to own a home in Truxton Circle. There have been several waiters and the odd cook who owned reasonably decent homes in this DC neighborhood, and John C. Weekly, waiter, was no different.

John Clauzell Weekly was born August 27, 1876 in northern Florida. It appears he and his older brother Charles, were raised by their grandparents William and Ellen Cole in Pensacola, FL. He married Mary Emma, who was born in Alabama, probably in Florida as that is where they lived in 1900 with their 3 year old son Gerner/ Garner. In 1910 the family was still in Florida where John was working as a bartender in a saloon. Around 1917/1918 they had moved to Truxton Circle but were living at 209 O St NW. After that, they moved to 79 P St NW.

It appears they were members of Ebenezer M.E. Church at 4th and D, SE. It was where funeral services for Mary Emma were held.

When I took a quick look at the DC Recorder of Deeds online records, which go as far back as 1921, I saw a trustees deed. When I see that, it tells me the homeowners defaulted on their loan and their creditors auction off the property to a new owner. I’ve seen this a couple of times. However, it appears the Weeklys were able to save their home.

In June 1924 the Weekys took on two mortgage like debts. One was in both John C. and Mary E. Weekly’s names with individual trustees for $250.00. The other was solely in Mary E. Weekly’s name with the Columbia Building Association, for $2,500.

In March 1927, the trustees (the Columbia Building Assoc. isn’t mentioned) advertised the auctioning of 79 P St NW in the Evening Star. It appears Mary E. Weekly had defaulted on the loan. The winner of the auction was John C. Weekly, who paid $4550 for the privilege of not losing his home.

In 1925, Mary died. There is a deed from February 1925 where Mary’s only surviving sister, Missie Ervin of Chambers County, AL deeded her interest to John.

John married Diamond F. Blair in 1925. In 1933, John died. His widow Diamond sold the property in late 1939.

 

I already did Clark’s neighbor in a previous post- Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle: Harry R. Adams- 135 P St NW over in the pinkish house. So take a look at that after reading this on another Black American home owner.

So Charles A. Clark and his wife Harriet A. (nee Dixon) Clark were property owners. But I did not find proof they owned 137 P St NW. A name search in the land records database that goes back to 1921, has their names all over square 479, lot 15, which is in Shaw and no longer exists. Looking at the Library of Congress map, it looks like they owned 1419 6th St NW, where the Springfield Baptist Church currently sits. The Clarks were on 6th St for the 1930 census. And long story short, they lose that house in 1931 by defaulting on some large debts.

So who did own 137 P St NW? Rudolph Smoyer Blake and Ida Brown Blake.

They too were African American. During the 1920 census when the Clarks were living at 137 P, the newly married (12/29/1919 in NC) Blakes were living as lodgers at 310 F St NW. He was working a as mail clerk for the railway and she and assistant for a printer. By 1930, they were living at 137 P St NW with their 8 year old daughter Jeannette Brown Blake. Rudolph was still a clerk for the railway post office and Ida became a homemaker. During the 1940s, they remained at 137 P St NW. Rudolph died around or before 1946, leaving Ida a widow. She sold the home in 1948 to Thomas and his wife Willie B. Coleman. Ida passed away January 8, 1949, according to land records regarding other properties she owned.

A little side note about their daughter. Jeannette married Joseph Burton Moore in 1947. They divorced. Later, she married some fellow named Barbour. Third time was the charm, in December 1959 she married David Norwood Reed. She died in 2004 as Mrs. Reed.

Bear with me in this post of Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle because this is a situation with the lot numbers that changed. The main owner John R. Duffey owned lots 807, 0025 and 0026 on Square 615. The house 71 P St NW is mainly on lot 0807, but it looks like the property lines don’t line up with the rowhouses.

What this means is I have to look at the lot now associated with the address, 807, and the two other lots that the house at 71 P also sit on.

Let’s look at the history of lot 807. The on-line land records go back to 1921. The first record for 807 is a February 1933 trustees deed. Dang. Right out of the gate and game over. The Duffeys, John R. and Mattie A. Duffey defaulted on a debt, owing $4,200. The Washington Housing Corporation picked up the house and later sold it in December 1933.

Next let’s look at lot 25. There is another property owner mentioned and I will ignore them. The first for the Duffeys is a December 1921 trust for $325.00 and the legal description of the property is 0615/0026 and 0615/0025. June 1922, John and Mattie borrowed another $340.00 from the same trustees, with the same two lots mentioned. October 1922, they borrowed $125.00 from the same trustees. July 1925, the Duffeys borrow $2,500 through the Perpetual Building Association and the same month they got a release for all those tiny loans between 1921-1922. There were several more trusts and releases until the 1933 trustees deed. When looking at lot 26 there are a lot of the same documents for lot 25.

The seeds of the 1933 trustees deed began with a May 1927 trust where the Duffeys borrow $4000 from trustees George F. Hane and William K. Hill. It was the May 1927 debt that was mentioned in the 1933 trustees deed, and the debt had grown to $4200.

And that’s how the Duffeys lost their home.

But who were the Duffeys?

John Robert Duffey was born March 6, 1874 in Boyds, MD to John H. Duffey and Maria J. Hackett. John married Mamie/Mattie A. Warren in 1892. In 1900 the Duffeys were living in Clarksburg, MD with their 3 children, Arthur C., John M. and Rubie E. John was working as a farm laborer to support the family.

They had moved by the 1910 census to Washington, DC where John was a driver and Mattie was a laundress. They lived somewhere called Drapers Court. Around 1917/1918 they moved to P St but lived at 53 P St NW, not 71. John was then working as a porter for a business called Browning and Middleton.

In the 1930 census, Ruby Duffey, was the head of household working as a teacher. Her 59 year old father John, and 36 year old brother Arthur were not employed. Her mother Mattie worked as a servant for a private family. They had a 16 year old lodger living with the family.

By 1940, public school teacher Ruby Duffey (also Duffy), her parents, and her other brother John Maynard Duffey rented a home at 1924 17th St NW. At that point in John and Mattie’s lives they were retired. Their son John was working as a skilled laborer for the city post office. Despite the loss of their home in 1933, the Duffeys had moved on.

When we meet Annie Brown, owner of 69 N St NW, in the 1920 census, she is already a widow of the late Thomas Brown who died on December 27, 1917. She was a laundress, a common working class profession of Black women at that time.

She did not remain a widow for long. In 1921 she married a much older Benjamin H. Harris, aka BH Harris. Annie was born around 1872 and BH around 1855.

In the 1920 census Annie lived alone. In the 1930 census she lived at 69 N St NW with her 75 year old husband BH, their 16 year old niece, Susie Vessels, and two roomers. She was still working as a laundress and he was a watchman for the post office. By 1931, both Annie and BH are dead.

Looking at the land records that go back to 1921, in July 1925 Annie Brown had a trust (borrowing money) with the Perpetual Building Association for $2,300. This is followed by a release in July 1925 of an August 1915 debt. She had another release from August 1925 which released a June 1913 debt and the document mentioned death of Thomas Brown. She has another trust (borrowing) from July 1929 with her new name of Annie Brown Harris. She borrowed $396.00 from trustees at 6%;  In a June 1930 trust Annie Brown Harris and BH Harris borrow $306.00 at 6%. We can surmise that she and BH have died by June 1931.

The June 1931 document had  Maria Hill, Molly L. Johnson, Ida King, Lucy J. King, Bessie Vessels, the wife of, William  L. Vessels in control of the property. This list of people were all of King & Queen County, VA  but at that time her property hadn’t cleared probate. They borrowed or took out a bond, I’m not sure, $3250 from the New York Title and Mortgage company. That same month they borrowed $1250 from trustees from the Percy H. Russell Co, Inc. In  October 1931 the heirs pay off (release) her May 1930, April 1929 and July 1925 debts. In June 1932, they sell to Inez J. and James C. Powell.

Welcome again to Black Home Owners of Truxton Circle from the 1920 census. This post owners are Harry R. and Mary A. Adams of 135 P St NW.

Harry Richard Adams was born in March 16, 1875 in Palatka, Florida to Margaret J. Gainswell and James Adams.  He eventually moved to DC and married Mary Anne Twine in Aug 1913 in DC. They were the owners of 135 P St NW by 1917. In his World War I registration (1917/1918) , they were at 135 P St NW, where he wrote that he worked as a stationary (?) engineer at Armstrong, across the street from his house. I’ve noticed a few other AfAm home owners who worked at Armstrong. He died on October 1, 1958.

Let’s look at the land records and see what story they tell. The on line records go back to 1921 and the earliest I can find for 135 P St NW is a July 1929 release for Harry R. Adams and unnamed wife of a 1917 debt. This is followed by a May 1935 trust (borrowing money), to borrow from Washington Loan and Trust/ Equitable Co-Operative Building Assoc. forwarded shares worth $1,200. In Aug 1945 there was a release for a April/May 1935 Washington Loan and Trust/Equitable debt.

I hope that if I look at enough of these documents I will figure out what is going on. What I haven’t really figured out are some deeds that go back and forth. Such as two February 1947 deeds where Harry and Mary transfer ownership to Louise M. Redmond, who then transfers it back to the Adams. There are more trusts and releases. The Adams’ story ends in the 1980s. The home is sold by the executioner of Mary A. Adams’ will, Gertrude Farrar to Anne Rae Gales July 1983.

This is just another blog post about an everyday African American home owner in Truxton Circle.  So let us go back 100 years to the 1920 census to find a couple, husband and wife, who own their home.

Morgan Henry Dawkins was born on March 31, 1886 in Shelton, SC to Henry and Lucy Dawkins. In 1900, he was living with his sister and brother in law in South Carolina. He married Carrie I. Cooke, daughter of Henry and Lavinia Cooke in Richmond, Virginia in 1908. In the 1910 census where Morgan is “Morris” the Dawkins family (Morgan Sr, Jr. and Carrie) lived at 626 3rd St NW in Washington, DC. Morgan Sr was a porter for the railroad. When he had to register for WWI’s draft around 1917/1918, the family had moved to 109 P St NW. By World War II, Morgan Sr. was working as a driver for Dupont Laundry (2335 Sherman Ave NW). Then Morgan Sr. died in 1946.

The earliest record from the DC Recorder of Deeds (1921-2021) is a trust from April 1928 for Morgan H. and Carrie C. Dawkins. They were advanced $1,100 worth of shares from the Washington Loan and Trust Company. What the heck that means? Don’t know. I’m guessing they borrowed $1,100.  This debt was paid or released in 1936. Later that month the Dawkins paid off a March 1918 debt with a release.

In a 1936 trust with the Washington Loan and Trust Company reported the death of Carrie C. Dawkins on May 20, 1933. In that same document, widower Morgan H. Dawkins borrowed 2,300.

In 1939 he borrowed a small amount of money from individual trustees. It was $180.00 at 6% interest.

In 1947, funeral director Morgan H. Dawkins Jr and his wife Ora (formerly Ora Felice Edwards) of Newport News, VA sold the property to Flonnie M. Foster. Ms, Foster then sold it to Mary B. Lee later that same year.

Note the Washington Loan and Trust Company debts are signed off by the Equitable Co-Operative Building Association. What does this mean? No clue. Just wanted to mention it. I hope in time the more I look at these documents, that I’ll figure it out.

For the 3 people who read this blog, welcome back to the series where I pick the name of a Black home owner from the 1920 census who lived in Truxton Circle, and try to track their life in this DC neighborhood.

At first I thought this was going to be another dead end, because P Dallas Washington looked like a fake name to me. But digging into the on line Recorder of Deeds records I found the owner, Marie Elizabeth Hillmon. And then looked her up and found her living in 1910 at 63 N St NW with Dallas P Hillman, a “lodger” and Harriett Washington, another lodger.

Everyso often I find relatives listed as “lodgers”. I’m not sure what that is all about. I’m sure they had their reasons.

In order to try not to be confused I’ll look at who was captured in the 1910 census and compare to the 1920 census. Marie E. Hillmon (land records) or Hillman (census) was the head in 1910. In 1910 she was a single 30 year old school teacher at Armstrong High School. She lived with her 65 year old uncle Charles Hillman a widowed hotel waiter, her 34 brother Elyah A. Hillman, a barber, and the two lodgers, 50 year old Dallas and 18 year old Harriett. In 1920, Dallas P. Washington is now the head and Marie Hillmon (Marie H.) is now his wife and still a teacher. Charles the uncle is still living there, still a waiter, but he managed to decrease in age to 54.  And they have a 28 year old lodger, a clerk at the Navy Yard, with the name Josie Washington. Since Miss. Washington is from Mississippi I will believe the same last name is a coincidence.

I found Mary Elizabeth in the 1900 census. Before I go on, I going to admit a prejudice, or bias. I’m okay with Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Ernest and stories about Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as long as I forget the romantic couples are closely related. If I think about it, I’m grossed out. So in 1900, 20 year old Mary Hillmon was living 814 G St, with her brother and her mother, who was the sister of the head, Dallas Washington. Did she marry her maternal uncle? Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

The land records tell an interesting story. The first document is a February 23, 1934 release for Marie E. Hillmon for a 1915 debt. This was followed by an August 30, 1934 trust for $3,500 at 6% interest. In 1915 she was unmarried. In 1934, it appears her name was Marie Elizabeth Russell. But in 1939, it appears Mary Elizabeth Hillmon lost the property for failure to pay taxes in 1938. But managed to get it back with a quit claim deed in 1940 as Marie W. Russell. W for Washington? It seems she had the same back tax problem in 1941, lost possession and got it back with another quit claim deed in 1946. After that I cannot find her. The next document is a 1963 trust between the Diamond Housing Corporation and Lanier P. McLachlen and CC Guertler. I have no idea where Mary/Marie went.

I looked at the 1930 census and city directory and there is a Marie W. Rubel living there. Going back to 1921 city directory PD Washington was listed for 63 N St NW. Then in the 1922 city directory Mrs. Marie W. Washington and in 1923 Marie W. Rubel. I give up on this lady.

Once again, I’ve picked the name of a Black home owner from the 1920 census who lived in Truxton Circle neighborhood in Washington, DC. It helps if their name isn’t took common. There were several William Daniels in Washington DC.

So it looks like the Daniels moved to P St NW around 1917/1918. William Samuel Daniels’ World War I registration card which is about 1917 or 1918 has the family at 18A O St NW, also in the Truxton Circle neighborhood.

The first document from the Recorder of Deeds site is a release (debt was paid) from July 1942 of an August 1918 debt William S. and Sarah S. Daniels. Sarah is Sara S. Daniels in the paperwork, spelled differently than what is on the census roll.

She took on more debt in 1947 and 1949 from the Washington Loan and Trust Company, alone. William is not mentioned. So we are left to assume he died or they separated. The 1948 city directory said Sarah was a widow. So dead. She borrowed money twice again from the Washington Loan and Trust Company between 1949 and 1954. Sara (nee Huskins) was dead and left a will that I cannot find.

Since I cannot find Sara S. Daniels’ will, I can’t say how Mary Jane Mathews and others were related to her. If I read the deed transferring it away from the deceased Sara Daniels to Joseph P. and Rose Simon. It does tell us that Frances C. White was married to John J. White.