Housing – Page 4 – Truxton Is In Shaw

Comparative White DC Home Owner- Capitol Hill- Charles E. Speiden- 232 South Carolina Ave SE

To get an idea to see if what I am seeing with the Black Homeowners of Truxton Circle is normal, or not, I am comparing them with white home owners. I am looking at blocks that were over 90% white in 1950 but also in the same “red lined” zone, which was F1.

The first document to show up for this Capitol Hill property is a release, which means a debt has been paid, from 1921 for a 1915 debt. It was in Charles E. and Emma F. Speiden’s name who appear in the 1930 census for 232 South Carolina Ave SE in Washington, DC. On March 30, 1948 the home was sold by Charles and Emma’s survivors to Constance Wilson who sold it to Erika B. Ezzell a few days later.

Charles Edwin Speiden Sr. — Charles Edwin Speiden (1863/1864-1946)

So who were Charles and Emma Speiden?

Well Charles Edwin Speiden was born January 16, 1863 in Washington, DC to William R. and Sarah Ann Perkins Speiden, one of nine children. In 1880, the family lived at 228 K St SE. His father was a blacksmith, his older brother was a blacksmith and in the 1900 census he was a blacksmith.

In 1885 Charles married Emma Florence Scott. In 1890 the blacksmith and his bride lived at 1206 I St SE. In 1900 they were living with his in-laws, Jasper Scott the iron molder, at 503 12th St SE. That year the Speidens had five children between the ages of 13 and four.

Emma was born in 1863 to Jasper A. and Mary Jane Murray Scott in the District of Columbia. She was about one of five children and she in turn had five children, Addie Florence Speiden Adams (1886–1953), William Jasper Speiden (1887–1971), Emma Viola Speiden Huff (1891– 1956), Mary Jane Speiden McClay (1894–1961) and Charles Edwin Speiden Jr. (1895–1901).

By 1930 Charles Speiden was a business owner, iron worker, running East Washington Ornamental Iron Works at 618-620 C Street SE. His adult daughters Emma Huff, and Addie Adams lived with him and Emma, with and her daughter Florence. Their adult daughters were listed as widows, however the 1940 census revealed that Addie was divorced.

Charles died January 31, 1936 at home. A couple years later, Emma Scott Speiden died January 2, 1948.

Comparative White DC Home Owner- Georgetown- Charles A. Pendry- 3253 P St NW

Although the African American home owners of Truxton Circle are my focus, I am looking at a few other blocks in Washington, DC to compare them to. So I looked at the census for blocks in the city that were in the F1 or red-lined category, but happened to be 90%-100% white. I included Georgetown, and this is the story of one household.

I’m not sure why document # 192910230142 didn’t show up to document Charles A. and his wife Mabel V. Pendry’s purchase of 3253 P St NW from Emma and Henry Frain on September 17, 1929. They bought it and borrowed $2,700 from trustees Arthur G. Bishop and Arthur J. Bridgett. Then in 1933 the sold it back to Emma Frain. The end.

In the 1930 census Charles Augustus Pendry was a New York born engineer who worked for the federal government. He was previously married to an Ida Pendry who he divorced in 1924 after 31.5 years of marriage. But as we see above, by 1929 Pendry was married again to wife #2 Mabel Victorine. In the 1930 census, he was 59 years old, she 48. They lived with two lodgers Alexander P. Korman (20 yo) and Clarence Sterner (40 yo). He had no children.

By the 1940 census the couple had moved to G-d’s waiting room, aka Florida. They were renting, living as retirees in Tampa. Mabel died in 1949 and Charles passed in 1954.

Comparative White DC Home Owner- Capitol Hill- Rufus Goodnough- 502 2nd Ave SE

So just to get an idea to see if what I am seeing with the Black Homeowners of Truxton Circle is normal, or not, I am comparing them with white home owners. I am looking at blocks that were over 90% white in 1950 but also in the same “red lined” zone, which was F1.

I got Rufus Goodnough’s name from the 1930 census. However looking at the Recorder of Deeds documents, Mr. Goodnough became a homeowner through Mrs. Goodnough.

In 1923, Edna Grace Lamborne, a single woman, bought 502 Second Street SE from Alva M. and Lessie E. Templeton. She borrowed what appears to be $6,000 from trustees George P. Newton and M. James Wright (released 1929). December 29, 1925 she borrowed $600 under her married name Edna Grace Goodnough from trustees William E. Davis and William A. Kingsbury (released 1927). Rufus, her husband does not appear on the loan document. July 21, 1927 once again, in her name only, she borrowed another $600 from trustees Irvin Abrams and JL Krupsaw (released 1929). February 7, 1929, solely in her name, she borrowed $6,400 from the American Building Association. She continued to borrow in her name only up until 1943. October 1946, she and several of her neighbors signed a racial covenant (document #1946048071). And once again, Rufus’ name appears nowhere on the document.

On March 6, 1947 she died at Emergency Hospital. She left behind her husband Rufus and a 20 year old son, Adrien B. Rufus only appears on a May 1950 loan document noting his death on June 27, 1949, leaving Adrien Barrett Goodnough as the sole heir borrowing $5,800 from the Perpetual Building Association (released 1951). Adrien borrowed money a few more times before selling the family home September 13, 1951 to Irene Cline.

So was Rufus Goodnough? Who was Edna Grace Lamborne Goodnough, the actual homeowner?

Edna Grace Lamborne was born around 1891 in Washington, DC to Minnie Zeisler and Milton Lamborne. Her father died in 1901 and her mother kept lodgers. In 1907 she was attending a business high school in the District, possibly Franklin. She kept a low profile.

Rufus Anson Goodnough was born July 18, 1890 in Ruston, LA. When he was 10 he helped support his widowed mother on the farm. His mother remarried before she died in 1913. We see him again in the 1930 census in Washington, DC working as a carpenter supporting Edna and their three year old son Adrien, born a year after the death of their 1st son, Anson. During the 1940 census, he added his 70 year old mother in law Minnie to the household.

I am curious as to how Edna Lamborne managed to purchase a house. I see she was lent money to do so, but what made her a good credit risk? Yes, I acknowledge she co-signed segregation, but I’m more interested in how she managed to pay off the loan and why someone would lend to a woman (who as far as I know) with no known job.

Comparative White DC Home Owner- Capitol Hill- John F. Robey- 515 3rd St SE

The District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds’ site goes as far back as 1921. The first document for 515 3rd St SE is a 1924 release for a mortgage with the Metropolis Building Association for a 1918 loan under the names of John F. and Joanna A. Robey. The next and last document is a June 1953 deed where the surviving spouse Joanna sold the property to Catherine A. and John C. Hartman.

John Fairfax Robey died February 25, 1953 and according to his obit he lived a good long life:

John F. Robey, 90, Retired Railroader, Dies After Home Fall
John F. Robey, 90, retired veteran railroad man, died Wednesday at Casualty Hospital. He had suffered a fall earlier at his home, 515 Third street S.E.
Mr. Robey, who had living in Washington since he was a boy, began his career with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1881. He was employed as an engineer with the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad about the turn of the century.
At the time of his retirement in 1932, he was assistant superintendent of motive power for the R. F. & P.
One of the high spots of Mr. Robey’s career was when he piloted the first passenger train across the newly opened Long Bridge over the Potomac River in 1907.
Served on Garfield Train-
Mr. Robey was an engineer wiper on President Garfield’s funeral train in 1881.
While still with the Pennsylvania, as an engineer on the Washington-New York run, he was trapped on the road for 10 days during the blizzard of 1898.
For many years he was foreman of the roundhouse at Potomac Yards.
Mr. Robey, a native of Newport, St. Marys County, Md., had lived for the last 40 years at the Third street address.
Married 63 Years.
He and his wife, the former Johanna Bradshaw, had celebrated their 63d wedding anniversary there last August 1.
In addition to his widow, who is 80 Mr. Robey is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Malvinia Prather 5525 Fourth street N.W., and Mrs. Ethel Fischer, 9703 Bristol avenue, Silver Spring, Md., and four sons, Ralph E. Robey, 2016 Thirty-seventh street N.W.; Joseph O. Robey, 3007 Medway street, Silver Spring; John P. Robey, 7302 Foster street, District Heights, Md., and Paul W. Robey, Newton Center, Mass.

As far as getting information about loans and comparing this to the Truxton Circle home owners, this provides no info.

Thoughts on small houses and their design

I’ve been clearing out the draft folder. This one is from April 4, 2009. I’ll add my thoughts at the end.

I spent months giving thought to how I wanted to redesign my roughly 1000sq ft (not counting cellar) house. I radically changed the second floor layout, moving the bathroom and making one bedroom a really big closet… with a bed. So when I see other small houses and it appears that was designed poorly, I wonder if they took into consideration the small space or just thought they could just reduce the measurements, squeeze stuff in and it would be alright.

Here are a few thoughts-
Can it get through the door/up the stairs. This was a very important question in the early years of my house. Because of some stupid pipe near the front door, it didn’t open all the way. I nearly had to throw out the comfy chair because said chair barely made it though the door and took some wall with it. The fridge required taking the door off the hinges and lifting it through a couple of passageways. It would have been easier if they took it through the back door on the alley side but the delivery guys weren’t going to even entertain that thought. Then there is the issue of never being able to have a double bed box spring, unless I was planning on sleeping in the living room. There are corners to turn and tight spots and if what you’re hauling to the 2nd or 3rd floor is big there is a chance it’s staying in the living room too. I considered space and movement issues. The doorway is still small but there are no stairs to hit nor a wall to gouge if bringing in a couch. The ceiling heights and lack of obstructions on the 2nd floor now allow for a large mattress or other furniture, as long as it can get up the stairs.

A size 12 in size 8 clothing. There are things that just overpower a space. Like a huge sink in a 1/2 bath, that takes up half of the bathroom. And that just draws attention to the fact that it is a small space. There is the mid-sized bathroom with a big jacuzzi tub shoehorned in.

[July 2023 thoughts]

I oversaw 4 rehab projects on my old DC home before selling it in 2020. The first was in 2003/2004 to update the kitchen where I had 1 foot of counter space. The second was the big project where the 1st and 2nd floors were gutted. The third was finishing the basement. The last one was in 2015 when we added an addition above the kitchen. All this changed my dumpy 1000 sq ft home to a nice little 1700 sq. ft home. All the renovations and work put into it was about $300K.

There are drawbacks to open floor plans. Sound and smell. But you don’t have to worry about getting large things from one room to another. The stairs were still tight, but not as tight as before. We had a huge dresser at the top of the stairs which required large men with upper body strength to move over the banister, but there was more room.

Comparative White DC Home Owner- Georgetown- James D. McKenna- 1513 33rd Street NW

I stumbled on this one because James D. McKenna was the son of Thomas McKenna. I’m guessing at the address because in the Recorder of Deeds online system they owned a property on Square 1255 lot 163. I cannot locate lot 163 on the 1919 map.

I was looking for McKennas on square 1255 and found James around the same time period as his father.

James a single man at the time bought lot 163 from Henry W. Offutt a widower from Montgomery County on July 3, 1943. He borrowed $5,300 from trustees Hubert R. Bauckman and Wendel C. Shoemaker. March 27, 1946 James and his wife Eve Ruth McKenna sold the property to Fanny Fiske Eaton. James D. McKenna was released from his 1943 mortgage in November 1946. So, he owned it just 3 years.

I could not locate any useful information about James and Eva McKenna after this sale. James Doyle McKenna died in Florida on July 19, 1980 and is buried in Montgomery County, MD.

Comparative White DC Home Owner- Georgetown- Thomas McKenna- 3233 P Street NW

There honestly isn’t a lot in the Recorder of Deeds online records. The Recorder of Deeds trove of records start around 1921 and the records for square 1255 lot 187 or 3233 P Street NW in Washington, DC starts in October 1947 when three of the 5 McKenna adult children sold the property to Loulie M. Wilson. Thomas McKenna died December 16, 1940, at home.

Thomas Patrick (?)McKenna was born August 15, 1866 in Ireland. I arrived in America in 1879/1881. He married Irish-American Angela Doyle in 1901. In the 1910 census Thomas and Angela were living at 3233 P St NW with their four children, 7 year old James Doyle, 5 year old Theresa M., three year old Thomas Pierce, and infant John J. McKenna. Patriarch Thomas worked as a grocer with his own shop.

In the 1920 census there was a change. The family was still at 3233 P St NW. Thomas was 54 years old, working as a watchman for the government supporting a wife and five children. M. Delores was the fifth child and eight years old. In the 1930 census he was still a guard working for the US government. His wife Angela had died in 1923. Daughters Theresa and Maria Delores lived with him and sons Thomas and John were in the plumbing trades. The 1940 census was Thomas the elder’s last at the age of 72. He lived with James, Thomas Pierce, Theresa and Delores. Sons James and Thomas worked as cab drivers.

After the death of their father, as mentioned above, Theresa, Thomas and Marie Delores sold the family home in 1947. In the 1950 census Theresa, an insurance clerk for the VA, married Joseph E. Crowley and had adult siblings, Thomas and M. Delores living with them at 2417 39th Street NW. The siblings were not employed.

2417 39th Street NW, Washington, DC — 2417 39th Street NW

I will have another post about eldest son, James D. McKenna who owned another property on the block.

John Joseph McKenna married Mary Dorothy Poore in 1938. In the 1940s they lived at 648 1/2 Morton Street NE and he worked as a plumber. By the 1950 census they lived at 3614 T St NW, had three kids under the age of 6.

Comparative White DC Home Owner- Capitol Hill- Herman Hoffman- 505 3rd St SE

photo of property

Well, looking at the DC Recorder of Deeds site there really isn’t much going on with 505 E St SE. The first document is from 1933 where owner Herman R. Hoffman and wife Rose E. Hoffman transferred their property to Norman E. Daly, who immediately (w/ wife Nelly Daly) transferred it back to Herman, Rose and daughter Ione/Irene Hoffman. Aaaaaaaand nothing else happens until 1980 when the conservator of Rose Eva Hoffman’s estate, William L. Fallon, sells the property to George L. and Goldie L. Mamakos.

There are no mortgages, but there is a racial covenant in the two 1933 documents. It reads as:

“Subject to the covenants that hereafter no building or structure other than bay windows or porches shall be erected or constructed within a line drawn 12.85 feet from and parallel with the front or street line of said lot and that said property shall never be rented, leased, sold, transferred or conveyed unto any negro or colored person under a penalty of $2000.00 which shall be a lien against said property.”

It’s unclear to me who the $2,000 ($46,671.23 in 2023’s money) would be paid to if the property was rented or sold to an African American. If there was a mortgage I’d assume it would have been the lender, but there is no lender here. The Hoffmans own it free and clear.You can wander over to Mapping Segregation DC’s site to learn more about DC racial covenants.

So who were the Hoffmans?

So let’s start with the 1920 census where then 37 year old, California born musician Herman Roy Hoffman lived with his wife Rose E. B. Herrler Hoffman, their 6 year old daughter Ione, and German mother-in-law Wilhemina Herrler at 505 3rd St SE. He appeared again in the 1920 Census stationed at the Marine Barracks as a 1st Class Musician. So he was counted twice. He appears on several Marine Corp muster rolls as a 1st Class musician. He enlisted in 1907, starting off as a Private. Sometime around 1910 he became Musician Second Class and then 1st Class around 1915.

He married Rose Herrler May 1910 in Washington, DC. They had one daughter Ione, named after Herman’s sister, Ione R. Hoffman Symmes.

Music was a part of the family’s life. Herman taught and played the violin for children at the Friendship House and the YMCA. Ione was a mezzo soprano, contralto, and piano teacher. The pair appeared often in the local papers for performances around town.

Herman Hoffman died February 13, 1949 after a short illness at the Bethesda Naval Hospital. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery.

Sometimes smaller is better

I’m going through my old drafts. Some I rewrite, such as this one. Some I delete. And some I rewrite, still think they’re crap and delete them. This was written October 8, 2008.

Sometimes.
I’ve just finished reading an article regarding the upsides of raising a family in a 1,200 sf house over that of a McMansion. The author writes:

Looking back on 18 years of living small, I see that our snug house has prevented us from easily avoiding one another by retreating into our own spaces. We’ve been able to eavesdrop on our kids as they played with friends and look over their shoulders as they did homework on the dining room table. It’s been good for our health too, forcing all of us, especially our sons, to spend more time out-of-doors. There simply isn’t room to get too rowdy inside, so often they have headed outside to a neighborhood park that’s conveniently located just across the street.I hope we’ve given our sons the message that wealth doesn’t come from our material possessions, but instead from the diversity of experiences we have and the richness of our community.

The author also mentions that with a smaller house she could pay off the mortgage quicker, heat it for less and have a better commute. I already have the great commute. It is my great luck to work for an agency whose DC metro branches are all along the Green Line. My current commute is a 30-45 minute walk, or 20 minutes by metro, and that is priceless. The house is small and there isn’t much to heat or cool, and I tend to be happy lounging in 1/6th of the space. And there is the possibility of actually paying off the mortgages in the next 15 years, but I owe that more to when I bought the house as opposed to the size of the house.

The article was in the conservative online magazine Culture 11 “Living Small”

Category: Housing