Category: Housing

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.

White Renters

The Gray family were the only renters in 1723 New Jersey Ave NW in 1920. It was headed by George Abbott Gray, a 53 year old house painter. He lived in the home with his wife, 52 year old Sarah Ellen (nee Peters)  a German-American housewife, their adult children and a roomer. Son George Leslie Gray was a 25 year old machinist and daughter Emma RW a clerk at the War Department.

The census prior Emma lived at 1723 with her grandmother Harriett A. Gray a 69 year old widow. It was just those two, sharing the address with the Lamb family. Her father, mother, brother, and maternal grandmother were living not far away in LeDroit Park at 666 Elm St NW.

The senior George Gray died in 1925, so he would not appear in the 1930 census. The widowed Sarah Gray lived with her daughter Emma who was a clerk for the US Veterans Bureau. Son George L. Gray was working as an auto mechanic and living with his wife Edna at 660 Kenyon St NW.

Black Homeowners

The earliest document for this house appears to be a deed from August 25, 1924 where Robert Oscar Underwood, acting as executor of the estate of Robert DuBois Underwood transferred the home to Clara M. Ward. I am left to assume Robert D. Underwood was the original purchaser from the Chiswells who developed and sold the 1700 block row of homes to African Americans.

Clara Ward appears to have been working as a go between as in the next document, on the same day, Ward transferred/sold the home to Mary L, Johnson and Fannie C. Stewart. Johnson and Stewart took out a loan for $1,850 from trustees WC Prather and Robert W. Savage. The next year, on October 7, 1925, Johnson and Stewart sold the home to Cora B. and Ernest Boozer. The Boozers borrowed $2,625 from trustees Lucie R. Pollard and Arthur C. Proctor. It was the first of seven mortgages before their heirs sold the home in 1966 to East Coast Equities Inc. Earlier in 1963, Ernest Boozer’s name was removed from the property as the couple had divorced. Cora Boozer died in Rock Hill, SC on June 6, 1965. Her brother Fielding Robinson Jr , was her heir, along with his wife Mae.

Cora Bell Robinson Boozer, was born in Columbia, SC August 8, 1910. Frank was also born in Columbia, SC but in 1899. In the 1930 census Cora and her husband Ernest lived with half a dozen lodgers. Frank was a 35 year old barber and Cora worked as a servant in a hotel. Their tenants included a janitor, a laborer and an elevator operator.

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.

White Renters

1719 New Jersey Ave had two households living in the town home in 1920. One was a single person, 72 year old widow Harriett A. Gray. The other was the Hessler family.

Harriett Gray was born in 1848, possibly in the District of Columbia. Unfortunately, there was more than one woman named Harriett A. Gray born in 1848. The other one was born in Maine, another in Illinois. She was living alone and did not have an occupation. If she was related to the Gray family living at 1723 New Jersey Av NW, then she is Harriet Ann (nee Abbott) Gray who died in 1929.

The Hesslers or Heslars were a 29 year old father, 31 year old mother and their 7 year old son Earl. James Kelly Heslar was born February 16, 1891 in Brown, Ohio. In 1910 he was a single teacher in Ohio. He married Mollie Caldwell in 1911. At some point he moved to Washington, DC and worked as a clerk for the War Department. By 1930 the family was back in Ohio where they owned their home.

Black Homeowners

William H. and Katie Randall bought 1719 NJ Ave NW from M. Harvey Chiswell around October 1920. Katie and William Herbert Randall were the owners up until 1960. Between 1922 to 1960 the Randalls took out 9 mortgages. In a 1970 loan with the Perpetual Building Association, the borrowers were William E. and Janice B. Randall. Those Randalls lost the home to foreclosure in 1973.

William Randall was born February 2, 1888 in Washington, DC. He married Katie Pauline Thomas September 4, 1920. In the 1930 census William was an independent ice dealer. They lived there with adopted daughters Lillian N. (9) and Audrey V. (7). They also had a lodger, 26 year old Lewis Chase who worked as a government messenger. In 1940, William, but this time W. Herbert, was working as a ‘delivery boy’. He died in 1949. In the 1950 census Katie was living at 820 L St NE with 29 year old niece and former foster daughter Lillian M. James, and 5 & 4 year old nephews William E. Thomas and Kenneth I. James. It’s unclear to me who William E. Randall was to the couple.

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.

White Renters

There were two families living at 1717 NJ Ave NW in 1920, the Dalzells and the Britts.

The Britt family did not form until 1914 when Walter W. Britt married Elsie F. Hopkins. In 1910 Walter was a 23 year old soldier at Ft. Meyer in Virginia. In 1920 he was a superintendent in the insurance industry. Elise was a stay at home mom for their 3 year old daughter Lillian Custis.

There appears to be no record of the Dalzells (or Datzells as they are spelled in the 1920 census) in the 1910 census. It did not help that the head, Howard Hays Dalzell lied to the census taker about his age. Howard was born July 1878 in Ohio. In 1901, Howard worked for the Census Office. In 1920 he wa a clerk working for the Treasury Department. His wife Kathryn worked as a binder at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, They had 2 boys, Howard Depue (7) and James (5). Howard D. was baptized at Western Presbyterian.

The Dalzell family was a little different after leaving NJ Ave. By the 1930 census, Howard H. had died in 1928. They had moved to Arlington and the widow Dalzell worked as a clerk for Treasury, like her husband in 1920, and they owned their home. In 1940 they moved back to DC, where Howard was a the head with his wife, her brother and his mother.

Black Homeowners

October 1920 M. Harvey Chiswell sold 1717 NJ Ave NW Mayo J. and Sarah Scott. The Scotts financed the purchase from W. Chiswell and Harry A. Kite. But in January 1924 the Scotts lost their home to foreclosure and Samuel Kite, Harry A. Kite‘s brother, was able to get the home in an auction. Anne Todd Kite and Samuel E. Kite Jr. borrowed $1,700 from trustees G. Percy McGlue and William P. Normoyle. January 1924 the Kites sold the house to Ida Dorsey.

May 1926 Mrs. Ida Dorsey borrowed $400 from FW Hill. March 1927 the Kites and Mrs. Dorsey were released from the Scotts’ 1924 mortgage. Between 1929 and 1944 Ida Dorsey Scott she takes out nine more mortgages. October 1951 Ida Dorsey Scott sold the home to Charles L. Poles.

Between 1951 and 1961 Poles took out three mortgages before his estate (he died) sold the house in 1962 to Frank J. Marcellino. Marcellino owned the property until 1989.

As a side note, Rev. Ida D. Scott died at DC Village in 1956. She was survived by siblings Mrs. Agnes Fleming and Jerry Tyler and foster daughter Gwendolyn Wade.

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.

White Renters

According to the 1920 census 1715 was occupied by the Perkins family. It was headed by 39 year old machinist Brooke. He lived with his wife Florence Moore (nee Shettle), a 35 year old sales woman at a bookstore, 13 year old daughter Florence E., mother Eliza Isbelle McComas Shettle (65) and aunt Anna McComas (55) who worked as a clerk for the railroad.

Here I notice the household has a couple of working women.

The Perkins family of parents and daughter were at 1715 in 1910. However then, Brooke was the manager of a grocery and Florence M. was a stay at home mom to her three year old daughter.

Jumping from 1910 let’s see where the Perkins were after leaving New Jersey Avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Perkins lived at 520 Park Road NW with mother in law Mrs. Shettle. Mrs. Perkins’ career may have improved as she moved from sales lady to an auditor. Mr. Perkins was still a mechanic. Their daughter, became Mrs. Raymond Calvert Firor, sometime after he divorced the last Mrs. Raymond Firor in 1928. In 1930 Mr. Firor’s wife was listed as Betty, a 23 year old bookkeeper.  By 1940, she was the mother of two Firor children.

Black Homeowners

Continue reading 1920 to 1930- White to Black- 1715 New Jersey Avenue

I’m getting back to some other land records related posts. The DC Recorder of Deeds is changing up its website, putting stuff on the cloud. I’m not keen on the new format. It’s a pain. So I’m trying to write these up before March 1st.

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.

The White Renters

In 1920 the Irish-American Tobin family lived at 1713 NJ Avenue NW. It was headed by James Edward Tobin, a 54 year old stone cutter. His wife, Jennie, maybe Mary, I’ll get into that later, was a 48 year old housewife. Both of their parents were Irish born. They lived there with 31 year old daughter Bertha Edith (later Bertha Huber) who worked as a cashier for a dairy.

There is some confusion about the wife. James was previously married to Mary Jane Dowling, who died in 1910. According to the Washington Herald she died April 3, 1910 at 1713 New Jersey Ave NW. Looking at marriage records, James and Jennie Dowling married May 13, 1885. One could assume Mary Jane was Jennie, but Mary Jane died in 1910, so who was that Jennie occupying the role of wife in 1920? It appears she was Jennie Brun White, who in 1910 was married to BG (Basil Grigsby) White and living in Brentsville, VA and was the mother of Raymond White (1895-1947).

James died in 1938 at the age of 72 in Arlington/Cherrydale, Virginia, where the couple had moved to by the 1930 census.

He was survived by Jennie B. Tobin, son William H. Tobin of Hyattsville, MD; daughters Nora E. Fanning and Bertha E. Huber of Washington, DC.

The Black Homeowners

According to previous research, Frank E. Smith purchased 1713 October 1920.

Looking at the DC Recorder of Deeds records, in 1923 Novella M. and Frank Edw Smith Jr.  sold the property to Ernest W. Hensley. In 1925 Alice E. (nee Conley) and Ernest W. Hensley took out two loans from the United States Savings Bank (trustees W.E.G. Penny and Wilbur H. Zepp) totaling $4,500. Later the Hensleys sold 1713 to George W. and Hattie R. Johnson.

June 1925, the Johnsons and Frank Smith were released from the mortgage Smith took out in 1920.

The home remained in the Johnson family until 1987 when the executor of Julia Moxley Johnson’s estate was sold. Julia was the widow of George Johnson Jr. George Sr.(died April 6, 1938). Sr’s death was reported in the April 8, 1938 Evening Star page 12. I would have a link, but the LC is also changing up its website and there is no permalink for particular pages in a paper, but I can give a link to that day’s edition.

With names like Smith and Johnson, I am unwilling to do the genealogy search for these people. But I thought with a death year, I could try looking for George Johnson. I found a death notice for Robert Daniel Johnson who lived and died at 1713 NJ Ave (but not on the 1930 census) and died May 1, 1931.

The Johnson men were drivers. George W. Sr. was a 48 year old driver for what looks like an electric construction company. George W. Jr. was a 25 year old taxi cab driver and 26 year old nephew Vernon Gilmore was a chauffeur for a private family.

There were 5 people in the house. George and Hattie (41), their two sons George (25) and Joseph I. (13) and nephew Vernon.

Julia Moxley was 28 years old when she married George Johnson Jr. in 1934. Julia Johnson died May 1980, if I have the right Julia Johnson.

Earnest or Ernest Wagner Hensley was an Alabama born clerk working for the Federal government in 1920. He and wife Alice lived at 780 Harvard Ave NW in the 1920 census where they lived with 4 year old daughter Alice K (1915-1930). Ernest was described as a tall slender Black man for his WWI draft card. Around 1917-1918 he and his wife lived at 1823 6th St NW. During WWII they lived at 2111 Flagler Pl. NW and he worked at the post office at North Cap and Massachusetts Ave NW. In the 1950 census he and Alice were still at 2111 and he was still working for the USPS.

He died September 1974. As far as I can tell he was not related to Ernest Wagner Hensely III.

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.

White Renters

In 1920 the Talbot family rented 1711 NJ Ave NW. It was headed by Samuel C. Talbert, then a bookkeeper, he lived with his wife Mary, and their adult daughters Helen and Edith.

Samuel was born Dec 1863 in Washington, DC to George and Elizabeth Talbert. He married Mary Harriet Tucker (born 1868) in 1889 and they had three daughters: Edith E. (1891), Marie A. (1898), and Helen Louise (1899). in 1900 the family lived at 1617 6th St NW and Samuel was a bookkeeper. In 1910 the family lived at 436 Q St NW and Samuel worked as a manager at an insurance company.

After the Talberts left New Jersey Avenue in 1920, the Talberts were at 712 N St NW. At this point, Samuel was a 66 year old bookkeeper for an ice cream company. He lived with Mary, their adult daughter Edith and her husband, Merle D. Cardd. Mr. & Mrs. Talbert remained renters on N St NW through to the 1940 census. The only difference was that their daughter Edith remained with them after her divorce.

Black Homeowner

October 1920 the ‘developer’ Ms. M. Harvey Chiswell sold 1711 New Jersey Ave NW to Ms. Maria Jones. Jones got a mortgage from trustees W. Wallace Chiswell (M.’s brother) and real estate developer Harry A. Kite. Jones was released from the mortgage August 1926. March 1934 Jones sold the home to Adeline Stokes Naylor.

I don’t like researching women and with a name like Jones…. nope. There were several African American Maria Jones in Washington DC in 1920. She wasn’t even living at 1711 NJ Av NW in 1930, but renting the house out. So I don’t have any biographical information to work with.

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.

Looking at a previous post I wrote:

1709 NJ Ave NW (Sq. 507, lot 14) sold to Julia G. Holland by M. Harvey Chiswell around September 1920. She also had a loan/ deed of trust between her W. Wallace Chiswell, H.A. Kite for $2,800 at 6%, secured by M. Harvey Chiswell.

It’s been a while since I’ve done this, so this is the pattern: I look at the white renters then the black homeowners.

White Renters

There was only one household mentioned in the 1920 census for 1709 NJ Ave NW, the Nolan family. The head was a 47 year old Irish-American bricklayer named James Joseph Nolan. Julia (nee Woolridge), his wife, his 84 year old mother Mary M. Nolan, and their two sons Victor (17) and Fredrick (9). Victor worked as a mechanic at the Navy Yard.

The family was at the house for the 1910 census. Then it was headed by 73 year old, retired contractor, James Francis Nolan. Mary, James J., Julia, grandsons Victor and James F. Jr. Little James F. could be Fredrick.

When Mary M. Nolan died in 1924 the Washington Times reported that she lived at 1223 8th St NW. The family was at 1252 10th St NW for the 1930 census. They were still renters and a multi-generational household. Victor was married and in the home with his wife Cornelia and daughters Miriam(5) and Margaret (3).  James and Victor were working as bricklayers and James F. a stacker? at the Patent Office. Julia died in 1936 and their address was 1543 3rd St NW. and her funeral was at Immaculate Conception. In 1940 the Nolan family were listed as homeowners. But this time Victor was the head, working as a clerk at the Post Office supporting his wife, two daughters and his father.

James died in 1947. At that point he was living at 9505 Biltmore Dr, Silver Spring, MD.

Black Homeowner

Julia C. Holland purchased the home at 1709 New Jersey Ave NW.  In the 1930 census she lived at the property with her daughter Thelma Holland and four lodgers. Also in 1930 she took out a loan with trustees EK Coleman and Leo Kahn. The next loan, which was taken out in 1941, noted that Julia had died. For a 1965 loan, the paperwork noted that Thelma had died and her estate had passed to Julia A. Henderson. Julia A. Henderson was already dead or incapacitated and her estate run by Thomas O., Carl O., and John E. Henderson. This ends with the 1966 sale by successor guardian Preston H. Harris to Harry W. and Max. M. Goldberg.

Julia C. Holland was renting a place with her daughter Thelma at 1519 11st St. (NW?) with her mother Laura Clark and mother in law Agnes Holland in the 1920 census. In 1920 she worked as a charwoman for the US government. The two older women worked as laundresses.

It appears that Julia Clarke Holland died in April of 1933 and her funeral was held at Asbury M.E. church. Her husband John R. Holland died in 1919 and his funeral was at the same church. She was a member of a couple of women’s fraternal organizations who attended her funeral.

It seems Thelma married Thomas O. Henderson, which explains all the Hendersons who were in charge of her estate. They were her children. Thelma died in 1956 and like her parents, her funeral was held at Asbury M.E. Church.