Suburban District of Columbia

Woodley Road, N. W. – “Twin Oaks.” Former home of the late Hon. Gardner C. Hubbard, President of the National Geographic Society.

Woodley Road, N. W. – “Woodley.” Planned to conform to “Old Bachelor’s Home” in Mrs. Gaskill’s “Crawford.” Judge Philip Barton Key, uncle of Francis Scott Key, and who married the sister of Mrs. Uriah Forrest, lived here. Presidents Van Buren, Tyler and Buchanan summered here, as did later the Clevelands. Standing.

35th St. and Woodley Road – “Beauvoir.” Former residence of Newton D. Baker, Secretary of War. Site of summer home of Admiral George Dewey.

3501 Newark St., N. W. – “Rosedale.” Purchased in 1790 by Gen. Uriah Forrest, as part of a large tract of land including St. Albans, Oak View and Woodley, called “Pretty Prospect.” House built in 1794, on site selected by Washington, occupied by direct descendants for 125 years. Still well preserved. Uriah Forrest served in the Revolution, was wounded at Germantown, and lost a leg at Brandywine. Married Rebecca Plater, daughter of Gov. Plater of Maryland.

3511 Macomb St., N. W. – “Oak View,” formerly known as “Red Top.” Originally part of Rosedale estate. This tract passed from Gen. Forrest to his grandson, George F. Green, brother of Mme. Iturbide. Afterward purchased by President Cleveland, who changed the name to Oak View.

Wisconsin Ave., north of Porter St., N. W. – “The Highlands,” or ‘Highland Manor,”. built by Charles J. Nourse in 1827. Here were entertained Madison, Jefferson and J. Q. Adams and society of the day. Still standing and well preserved.

Wisconsin Ave., at Porter St., N. W. – “Friendship.” A part of the large estate of William Murdock, known as Friendship, (with the old mansion now incorporated in the grounds of the American University) Built by a member of the Peter family. Was at one time a retreat for priests of Georgetown College. When bought by John It. McLean he gave it the name which originally belonged to the whole tract.

Loughborough Road – “Grasslands,” the old Loughborough estate, lies just north of Friendship. Built by Admiral Loughborough in 1806. Property of William C. Whitney, Secretary of the Navy, in 1889.

Wisconsin Ave., between Massachusetts Ave. and Woodley road, N. W., Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. – The remains of Bishop Satterlee, the first Bishop of Washington and founder of the Cathedral, are buried in it. Here also rest the remains of Bishop Claggett, the first bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church to be consecrated in the United States. The Cathedral Close also contains the National Cathedral School for Girls ; the School for Boys ; the Peace Cross, erected in 1898 to commemorate peace between Spain and the United States ; and the Braddock Bowlder, which, commemorates the march of the colonial forces under Gen. Braddock past this spot on their way to Fort Duquesne. Memorial erected in 1907 by the Society of Colonial Wars. These grounds were once part of the estate of Josph Nourse, first Register of the Treasury. Home of Commodore Dulaney was here.

Calvert St., N. NW., Extending north, Rock Creek Park – Includes Zoo Park. Old flour mill and also summer residences of President John Quincy Adams in this vicinity. Pierce Mill, near Park Road entrance, built by Isaac Pierce, miller from Georgetown, in 1754. Nearby is little stone spring house built in 1801, dedicated to the Government in 1911. Near spring house are rare trees, some of which were brought from Pennsylvania by Isaac Pierce in his saddlebags. Klingle Mansion, home of Joshua Pierce, nurseryman, in 1828, specialist in growing of camellias. Farther north is log cabin of Joaquin Miller, the “Poet of the Sierras,” occupied by him when a resident of Washington. Moved here from Meridian Hill.

Belt road and Chevy Chase Circle, near All Souls’ Episcopal Church, Belt Bowlder. – A memorial to Joseph Belt, patentee of “Cheivy Chace,” member of the Maryland House of Burgesses, and colonel of militia during the French and Indian War. Erected in 1911 by the Society of Colonial Wars.

Chevy Chase – Chevy Chase Club (233 acres). Abraham Bradley bought this property in 1814; kept in family for nearly a century. Mr. Bradley was appointed First Ass’t Postmaster-General in 1800 and to him was entrusted the transfer of the General P. O. Dep’t. from Philadelphia to Washington. Here the P. O. Dep’t. records were taken for safety during the burning of the city in 1814.

Rock Creek Church Road, N. W., St. Paul’s Church in Rock Creek Cemetery- Built by people of Eastern Branch and Rock Creek in 1719, called also Rock Creek Church. In 1726 the separation of this parish from St. John’s by Colonial Assembly marked a religious era in Capital. Of the seven men appointed to establish the town of Georgetown, five were officers of this parish. The original church was the oldest parish church in the District of Columbia. It was rebuilt in 1775, and remodeled in 1868. Burned April 6, 1921, but again being rebuilt.

Rock Creek Church Road, N. W., Rock Creek Cemetery – Celebrated men, as Mayor Peter Force, David Burnes, and Governor Shepherd, are buried here. It contains the beautiful bronze memorial to Mrs. Henry Adams, designed by St. Gaudens, and the bronze Statute, “Memory,” by Partridge.

North Capitol St., Soldiers’ Home – Reservation of 500 acres. Eagle Gate entrance from Rock Creek Church Road. Institution first established in 1851 by Gen. Win-field Scott for Veterans of Mexican War. Here is large cottage, summer home of Lincoln, where it is said he wrote Emancipation Proclamation. Presidents Pierce, Buchanan, Grant and Hayes also lived here during summer. Tomb of Gen. John A. Logan in Home Cemetery. “Harewood,” summer home of W. W. Corcoran, now incorporated in grounds.

Georgia Avenue and Butternut St., beyond Brightwood, Walter Reed Army General Hospital- Established in 1903, and named in honor of Dr. Walter Reed, U. S. A., who risked his life in demonstrating that mosquitoes were carriers of yellow fever germs. Next to the largest army hospital in the U. S. In the grounds, which cover over 100 acres, is the “Sharpshooter’s Tree,” used as a signal Station by Confederate soldiers during Gen. Early’s attack on Washington in 1864, as well as by sharpshooters.

Georgia Ave. – “Norway,” once owned by Capt. Carbery as a summer residence, is now replaced by Walter Reed Hospital.

Some Forts of the Civil War – At Brightwood, in plain view from the Street cars on Georgia Ave., on the west, are the crumbling parapets of Fort Stevens, the only battlefield in the District during the Civil War. Here was Stayed the advance of the Confederate forces, and here Lincoln Stood under fire during the attacks, repeatedly exposing himself to the fire of the sharpshooters. The site was marked by a memorial bowlder in 1912, and was further marked in 1920, with a bronze tablet by the survivors of the Sixth Army Corps. In the little cemetery by the Methodist church, now known as Battle Cemetery were buried those killed in this at-tack. Near Fort Stevens were Forts Totten and Slocum. On the ridge near Congress Heights Stood Fort Stanton, commanding the Arsenal and Navy Yard, and overlooking the city, the Potomac and Eastern Branch. The ridge was further fortified by Forts Davis and Baker; also Fort Dupont, on Bowen and Ridge Roads, the grounds of which are now used for a Government nursery. A little farther on, at the District line, Fort Meigs was built in a commanding position. Other forts were Fort Mahan at Benning, Fort Lincoln on the Bladensburg Road at the District line, Forts Greble, Wagner, Rickett and Snyder.

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal- Opened by John Quincy Adams, July 4, 1828.

Foxall Cannon Foundry, above Georgetown – A half mile above Aqueduct Bridge, between Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and Potomac River, may be seen from Cabin John cars ruins of old foundry built by Henry Foxall in 1801. Furnished ammunition for Government and was especially active during War of 1812. Severe electrical Storm prevented destruction of foundry by British troops during their invasion of city, August 24, 1814.

Chain Bridge, over the Potomac just above Georgetown- Here occurred, on the Virginia side, the bloodless duel between Henry Clay and John Randolph, in 1826.

Cabin John Bridge, Maryland – Seven miles above Georgetown. Named for a hermit living in the vicinity. Built in President Pierce’s administration. The Stone arch of this bridge, when built, was the longest in existence.

Great Falls of the Potomac – Ruins of the old Potomac Canal, in which George Washington was interested.

Notes About Book:

Book Source: Historical Directory of the District of Columbia, District Of Columbia, D. A. R.

Notes about Online Publication: This manuscript has been ocr’d and edited. These records have been reproduced as clearly as online publication will allow us, but not all are exactly the way they were in the original work. The structure of this manuscript has been changed to allow better online presentation. No Spelling changes have been made to names.