Category Archives: Uncategorized

This week for Georgetown Time Machine, GM is exploring a fantastic photo of some baseball champs. The subject is the Georgetown Athletics, a baseball team from the Herring Hill community of east Georgetown. The year is 1933, and they had recently been crowned District champions.

The Black Georgetown Twitter account offered this description of some of the individuals in the photo:

Hugh Butler of 2708 O St. NW in Georgetown and his 2 brothers Ottoway and Charlie on the local baseball team 1933.Hugh Butler is in 2nd row kneeling 4th in from right. Charlie Butler is kneeling 3rd in from right and Ottoway Butler Jr. is kneeling 2nd row 1st on left.

As for where the photo is, after mulling it over, GM believes this is in Rose Park, looking north across the basketball court to the 2600 block of O St. This was his initial guess, but the homes in the background didn’t quite line up with what’s there now. But looking at older maps, GM sees that most of the homes on that block were added after the 1930s. The two houses on the right appear to be 2619 and 2621 O St. (although it would appear they moved the chimneys at some point.)

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Capital Fringe drama festival is coming to Georgetown.
• Canal boat rides launch again.

The French Market returns this weekend to Book Hill. The festivities start Friday and they run all the way till Sunday. Friday it is from 10 am to 5 pm, and on Saturday and Sunday it’s noon to 5:00.

This is always a great time and this is the first time since 2019 that it has been in its traditional early May time slot. Looks like Friday and Saturday will be beautiful weather, with a few rain clouds threatening on Sunday. So come out early and often!

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Councilmember Pinto cited for holding illegal fundraiser in Georgetown.
• He still doesn’t live there, but Mark Ein still likes throwing parties at the old Katharine Graham house.

This week for Where the Streets Had Old Names, GM is exploring the history of the east Village version of Dent Place and its previous name, Irving Place.

The road now known as Dent Place was carved out of a large plot of land known as Cooke Park. It ran from Q up to R St. west of 30th:

It was named after Henry Cooke, the first Governor of DC, who built the majestic homes along Q that exist today. The map above shows how the land appeared in 1887. At the time there was a jumble of smaller lots without structures built on them as well as a planned street to be called Park Ave.

But before these lots could be developed and Park Ave. born, the land was subdivided into the more regular shape it has today. Here it is in 1894:

So the first question, where did the name Irving Place come from? Sadly GM could not get a firm answer but he can make an educated guess. Around the time the Irving Place was being laid out in Georgetown, Irving Place near Gramercy Park in New York City was enjoying a fashionable reputation. And it’s quite possible that that is what inspired the choice.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• GU’s covid numbers seem to be trickling down again.
• The big yellow mansion on 30th St. may become a fancy hotel for one.

This Friday, Yvette LaGonterie will be giving an encore performance of her presentation on the history of slavery at the City Tavern and her family’s experience through it. LaGonterie gave this presentation during the last few -pre-Covid weeks we had back in 2020. It was a fascinating talk and GM highly recommends you attend this week. LaGonterie promises new and updated information, so even if you attended in 2020, you’ll have more to learn this time.

The talk is again at the City Tavern and will take place at 6:30 pm. Advanced registration is required but is also free.