other neighborhoods – Truxton Is In Shaw

Comparative White DC Home Owner- Georgetown- George Thomas- 1505 33rd St NW

It’s been a while since I have written up one of these comparative histories.

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.

George W. Thomas was born in DC on November 15, 1870. His father was a carpenter and also named George W. and in 1880 the family lived in Georgetown. He was one of 10 children. In 1893 he married Elizabeth Schlosser. In 1900 he shows up twice in the census. He’s at 3042 P St NW with his wife and a family of boarders (Enumeration Dist 25 page 8). And he’s at his father’s on S or T St NW (Enumeration Dist 19 page 17) in Georgetown, with his siblings minus his wife.

Prior to the George W. and his wife Elizabeth moving to 1505 33rd St NW, they lived about a block over, renting 3042 P St NW in the 1900-1910 census. In the 1920 census they rented space in Dupont Circle at 2150 P St NW. George had been a carpenter, like his father, but then moved into cement mixing. It appears they had no children.

Looking at the land records the first few documents for the Thomas household are from 1923 and the lot numbers are (0163-0164) where Irene and William Ballenger sold the two lots to Nellie G. Stees. In the next numbered document, on that same day, sold it to Elizabeth and George W. Thomas. In the following document the Thomas borrowed $2000 at 7% from the trustees of the Northwest Savings Bank and $1000 for a 2nd mortgage from trustees R.E.L. Yellott and Raymond Read. A month later the Thomas’ were named in the release of the Ballenger’s 1920 mortgage. December 1923 George & Elizabeth took out a $3000 mortgage with the Home Building Association of the District of Columbia. It appears they used the money to pay off the Northwest Savings Bank.

In 1935 George and Elizabeth sold the home to Joseph A. Jr. and Edith Corinne Gargiulo.

So in the 1940 census they had moved out to the Palisades living at 5517 Carolina Place NW. At that point he was 69 years old and still in the concrete business. According to the social security office he died in 1952.

The difference I see between this White household and the Black households of Truxton Circle is the Northwest Savings Bank. I haven’t seen that bank operating in the TC.

Comparative White DC Home Owner- Capitol Hill- Catherine B. Hough- 228 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. It helps to look at blocks that were over 90% white in 1950 but also in the same “red lined” zone, which was F1.

Looking at the Library of Congress map this sits on lot 78 on Square 765 in Capitol Hill. It could also be lot 804, but the earliest the info goes for 804 is 1949, and the Houghs had sold their property by then. Document 1943031037, for lots 78 and 79, has the only instance where Catherine B. Hough appears. The document noted that Catherine B. Hough was the surviving tenant, when her husband William I. Hough died June 17, 1928. The document was a deed where Mrs. Hough sold the property to Therese S. Merrill.

With a search of the Hough name on Sq. 765, lot 77 pops up. However, that appears to be a different house. The first is a 1925 document to release Emma V. Hough and William H. Hough from a 1915 loan from trustees Henry H. Bergmann and George M. Emmerich. December 1944, Emma V. Hough Baker sold the property to Frances, Levi T., and Levi T. Wellons Jr.

William Ira Hough married Katie Bertha Dice in 1887. In the 1900 census, they lived at 600 E St (SE?). William was a machinist and Catherine was a home maker raising their three children, William, Arthur and Helen. In the 1920 census, only two of their adult children lived in the home, Arthur, also a machinist at the Navy Yard, like his father, and Helen, a government stenographer. In 1928 William I. Hough died at home from asphyxiation in the bathroom. Mrs. Catherine Hough died in 1945, after a long illness at Leland Memorial Hospital.

It appears the owner of neighboring lot 77 was the son William Hiram Hough, born in 1891. In 1914 he married Emma V. Speiden. Apparently the daughter of Charles Speiden, who I profiled earlier, and lived a few doors down at 232 SC Ave SE. In the 1920 census they were at 230 South Carolina Ave SE. They had no children. Something must have happened with their marriage because in 1937, William H. Hough married Frances Alice Hall in Fredericksburg, VA and listed his home address as 5414 2nd St NW. He died a few years later in 1940 from an illness. In the Evening Star his obituary noted that his widow was Frances, and they lived at 256 18th St SE. At the time of his death he was a senior engineer aide at the Navy Yard.

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

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.

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.

Comparative White DC Home Owner- Capitol Hill- John Fitzpatrick- 501 3rd St SE

I haven’t done this in a while.

photo of property

The story starts in 1924 when John and his wife Mae Fitzpatrick purchased 501 3rd St SE from John J. and May Shaughnessy. As part of the purchased the Fitzpatricks borrowed the equivalent of $5000 from the American Building Association. They also borrowed $2,000 from trustees Charles H. Kindle and Guy M. Neely at 6% interest. The $2,000 loan was paid off in 1927. In 1931 the Fitzpatricks borrowed a small amount of money ($184.00) and paid it off in 1933. The Fitzpatricks were free and clear of their 1924 American Building Assoc. loan in 1946. They sold their home in 1952.

So who was John Fitzpatrick? He was at the same address for the 1930-1950 censuses, so I can find the right John Fitzpatrick out of all the other John Fitzpatricks. Let’s start in 1922 when John Fitzpatrick married Irish born Mae/May Quade/Quaid at St. Peter’s Church. Two years later the newlyweds purchased 501 3rd St SE.

On the 1930 census New York born Irish-American John was a 48 year old US government auditor. He lived with his wife Mae, and their children John, Helen and William. The next census, 1940, John (58 y.o) was a government “general clerk” and Mae was Mary. The last census, 1950, two of the, then adult, children lived with John and Mary, John D. and William L. John Daniel Fitzpatrick married a Ms. Evelyn Elaine White in April of 1951. They moved out and went to live at 2115 Suitland Terrace SE.

Because John Fitzpatrick is such a common name, my research ends here.

Comparing the white Fitzpatricks with the Black Truxton Circle home owners, only one TC person also had an American Building loan. William Bowman of 20A N St NW refinanced with the American Building Association.