History – Page 4 – Truxton Is In Shaw

120 Florida Ave NW- Newspaper Search

So I’m doing newspaper searches for Washington Sanitary Imp. Co. houses, and I’m doing 1930 Truxton Circle Black Homeowners. Then I thought, why not do a quickie newspaper search just covering the years of the Powell’s ownership, 1921-1971. The Library of Congress has the Evening Star and other DC newspapers that are not the Washington Post, up to 1963. So from 1963 to 1971, I’ll search the Washington Post.

For Sale- Houses– Evening star. [volume], September 28, 1920, Page 24; Evening star. [volume], September 27, 1920, Page 23; FOR SALE TO COLORED– 120 Florida Ave. N.W. Bay window brick; 8 large rooms and bath on two floors; h.w. heat; lot to alley; newly papered and painted. Price only $7,000; terms ran be had. T. B. BROWN CO.

For Sale- Houses– Evening star. [volume], October 03, 1920, Page 19. FOR SALE- TO COLORED FAMILY- 120 Florida Ave. N.W.
Bay-window brick. 8 large rooms and bath on two doors. Hot-water heat and gas. Newly papered and painted. Lot to alley. Room for
garage. Possession in 30 days. The price is right and can sell on terms. T. B. BROWN CO.

Real Estate Transfers– The Washington herald. [volume], August 06, 1921, Page 5. 120 Florida ave nw. sq 551, lot 174- Mary Dewey to Charles S. and Willie N. Powell.

Pedestrian Struck by Automobile Dies– Evening star. [volume], February 20, 1924, Page 7. A motor vehicle driven by Hellia Tennen (Temmon? ) of 120 Florida avenue northwest, came in contact with a barricade on the bridge over Rock Creek at P St.

11 Hurt in Traffic During Week End– Evening star. [volume], September 17, 1928, Page 7. James Patterson, 18 yr old AfAm of 120 Florida ave was injured, but not seriously.

Census Workers Named by Moran– Evening star. [volume], March 20, 1930, Page B-4. Willie N. Powell of 120 FL Ave NW was one of many mail clerks to help with the 1930 census.

Elevator Boy Knifes Employe [sic] of Phone Co– Evening star. [volume], February 06, 1931, Page PAGE B-1. Samuel J. Patterson, 21, of 120 Florida Ave was arrested and charged with assault.

Marriage License Applications– Evening star. [volume], February 08, 1947, Page B-8. Bayles Fox. 30. 120 Florida ave. n.w., and Lottye Gaten. 25, 1919 3rd st. n.w.

Marriage License Applications– Evening star. [volume], February 14, 1951, Page B-14. Hugh Temmon, 28, 120 Florida ave. n.w.,and Flossie Dixon, 21, 1228 Stevens rd. s.e.

Marriage License Applications– Evening star. [volume], June 01, 1951, Page B-12. Jesse Staton. 21. 118 Florida ave. n.w., and Hazel Dixon, 19, 120 Florida ave. n.w.

D. C. Soldier Listed As Captive of Reds More Than 2 Years– Evening star. [volume], February 23, 1953, Page A-4 – Pfc. Jesse L. Staton, was one of 4 soldiers wounded. His wife Mrs. Hazel M. Staton, lived at 120 Florida avenue N.W.

33 District Veterans Reach West Coast– Evening star. [volume], May 14, 1953, Page A-7. Korean war vet Pfc. Jesse L. Staton of 120 Florida avenue N.W. was given leave.

Deaths-Powell, Charles S.– Evening star. [volume], July 30, 1954, Page B-8. On Friday, July 30, 1954. CHARLES S. POWELL of 120 Florida ave. n.w. Notice of funeral later. Arrangements by Frailer Funeral Home, 389 R. I. ave. n.w.

Deaths-Powell, Charles S.– Evening star. [volume], August 03, 1954, Page A-10. On Friday, July 30, 1954, at his residence, 120 Florida ave. n.w. CHARLES S. POWELL, devoted husband of Mrs. Willie N. Powell, brother of Mrs. Georgia A. Patterson, uncle of Edward A. Patterson and Mrs. Dorothy Bank. Many other relatives and friends also survive. After 2 p.m. Tuesday. August 3, friends may call at Frazier’s Funeral Home. 389 Rhode Island ave. n.w. Funeral Wednesday. August 4. at 10:30 a.m. at the Asbury Methodist Church. 11th and K sts. n.w. Interment at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery.

Deaths Reported– Evening star. [volume], August 04, 1954, Page B-14. Charles Powell, 68, 120 Florida ave. n.w.

Crime and Justice: Crime ROBBED STOLEN– The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973); Washington, D.C. [Washington, D.C]. 07 Sep 1970: C3– Richard Andrew Payne was robbed in front of 120 Florida Ave. NW.

1957 Church Survey: St. Phillips- Rando Church not in Shaw

Image-of-Church-at-1001-North-Cap-NE — Formerly St. Phillips

In 1957 there was as survey of churches in the Northwest Urban Renewal Area, which included Shaw, Downtown, and the area we’ll call Swampoodle. One of the churches was St. Phillips.

St. Phillips sat at 1001 North Capitol St NE. It was a Baptist church. In 1957 it was a decent sized church with about 1,000 members. It was a mostly white collar mostly African-American congregation.

To learn more about the 1957 Church Survey read my previous posts, The Uniqueness of the 1957 Church Survey and Church Survey Northwest Urban Renewal Area October 1957.

CS 16 St Phillips by Mm Inshaw

Truxton Circle Filmmaker Eloyce Gist

I was doing research for my Black home owners of Truxton Circle series and ‘eventually’ stumbled on a filmmaker. I spent all day researching Mrs. Gist as a property owner and right before retiring for bed, on a lark, I Googled her name, and discovered she made a few short religious films. There is a lot to share about her as a woman and a pioneering African American filmmaker that I am giving her a separate post under the name Eloyce Gist.

Eloyce Gist, director, actress & co-director of Heaven-Bound Traveler.

She was born Mayme Eloyce King on October 21, 1892 in Galveston County, TX. Her parents were Josephine Beavers and Walter Louis King, and she was the eldest of their seven (plus?) children.

According to an online biography, she married Roscoe C. Patrick in 1911. In 1912 Homoiselle Vivian Patrick was born. She relocated, alone it appears, to Washington, DC in the 1920s. She appeared as a roomer at 1325 or 1525 10th St NW, working as a hairdresser at a beauty shop. In 1923, she first appears in the DC city directory as Mamie Patrick, hairdresser on 134 R St NW. She divorced Patrick in 1930.

In the 1930 census, she is listed as the owner of 134 R St NW, working as a beautician. Her daughter, Homoiselle, then 16, is listed as her sister.

In June of 1932 she married evangelical (she and her daughter were Bahá’í ) Christian James Gist in Pennsylvania. But they made movies together prior to their marriage.

The earliest known film was Hellbound Train in 1930. She and James are credited as co-directors and co-writers.

Film restorer Dr. Samuel Waymon explains the film better than I can in this Youtube link.

Their second known work from 1933, Verdict Not Guilty is, um, interesting. She and James Gist co-directed it, but she is the sole writer and is listed in IMDB as its one star.

Their last surviving film is Heaven-Bound Traveler from 1935. Eloyce played the Wife. I look at it and wonder if they shot this in their own Truxton home or on Truxton Streets? Hellbound Train looks like it was shot in LeDroit Park.

James E. Gist died December 12, 1937. It doesn’t appear that she made anymore films after her directing partner passed. Modern write ups mention that she went around playing these religious themed silent movies around town. However, I could only find 2 mentions in the Evening Star of her exhibiting the film. One mention was in the December 16, 1939 edition of the Evening Star of Mrs. Eloyce Giste showing Not Guilty at Metropolitan Wesley AMEZ church.

She did not remain a widow long and married projector operator, Arthur Clifton Wood, a man 17 years her junior. Gist was younger than her too. Wood was 22 years old, she was 39. They married December 12, 1939 in Prince William County Virginia. In the 1940 census, Arthur is listed as Arthur Gist, head of household and owner of 134 R St NW. It isn’t clear when the Wood marriage ended.

She married John William Slaughter in 1952. They divorced in 1972, but according to their Albermarle County, VA divorce certificate they separated in 1956.

I will do another post for Mrs. Mayme Eloyce King Patrick-Gist-Wood-Slaughter in May, as a home owner.

I guess a parking lot landed on this. Then a Convention Center. Mt. Vernon Square 1968?

This is supposed to be 8th Street NW looking north. Now, in the background you will see the top of Immaculate Conception Church. However, the little house in the middle of the block with the porch looks, awfully familiar. It makes me think this was mislabeled.

If it wasn’t then this is in Mount Vernon Square and was leveled to make a parking lot. Which then became the current Convention Center.

Any thoughts?

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.