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One of the loveliest spots in Georgetown is Montrose Park. But few realize it was once a private estate. This week on Lost Georgetown, GM is exploring the Montrose estate.

The area that is now Montrose Park was first developed into something other than a forrest by Richard Parrott. Parrott purchased the property in 1804 and transformed it into a private estate, with a federal style house, an orchard, and a rope factory. The rope-making is commemorated by the Parrott Rope Walk that runs down the center of the park from R St. to the playground. This is meant to reflect the long narrow workshops that once made ropes at that site. (It’s important to mention here that the labor for this rope factory was provided by enslaved workers owned by Parrott).

The rope factory burned down and Parrott abandoned the property. The estate became known as Parrott’s Woods at this point, and was a popular recreation spot for Georgetowners seeking some air. It was purchased by Clement Smith, a man who was the first cashier at the Farmers and Mechanics Bank (the bank which eventually occupied the building which is now the PNC at Wisconsin and M St.) and rose to be its president. He named the property Elderslie. In 1837 it was sold to William Boyce, who renamed it Montrose, in honor of his familial connections to the Scottish Earls of Montrose.

Although his family continued to own the property until 1911, they did not live in it after 1858. It fell into disrepair, although some tenants brought it back into shape shortly in the 1880s. Eventually, however, it became totally abandoned and derelict. Georgetowners, led by Sarah Louise Rittenhouse, successfully petitioned Congress to purchase the land and dedicate it as park in 1911.

The house was too far gone at this point and was demolished the same year. Continue reading →

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The Kate Spade appears to have closed for good.
• Georgetown’s old Britches clothing store reborn in Warrenton, Virginia, with longterm plans to come back to Georgetown.

2900 block of K St.

Last week, after months of delay, Call Your Mother opened its Georgetown location. (Yes, GM told you it would be a month and a half away back on July 20th. He was happily wrongly informed on that.)

The shop is now selling bagels, both prepared and unprepared, along with a few assorted offerings like drinks and cookies. The shop allows you to order online and pick it up, which is helpful because you won’t have to wait and they tend to run out of bagels before their 2 pm close. You can even order the night before and have it ready right after they open at 8:00 am. Continue reading →

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Blues Alley to remain virtually open for now, but Bogart Salon has closed permanently.
• Georgetowners have been decrying the end of Georgetown since the dawn of Georgetown.

Dumbarton Oaks Park

This week for Georgetown Time Machine, GM is exploring an aerial shot from the other side of Georgetown from where most of the shots he’s explored so far. While the shot above is primarily focused on the Lincoln Memorial and its surroundings, it still captures pretty much all of east Georgetown from an interesting angle.

The primary impression you get is that not much has changed!

But some things have. For instance, the shot (taken in January 1949) does have the Whitehurst Freeway (which was opened October that year) but it ends at simple bridge over the Rock Creek Parkway. The jumble of highways that would later destroy whole communities over in Foggy Bottom had not been constructed yet.

You can also see the undeveloped lots near the old Corcoran School (on 28th) and the Phillips School (on N), but that’s not that rare a sight, seeing as those lots were developed only a few decades ago:

Continue reading →

Photo by M.V. Jantzen.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Cafe Milano fined for Coronavirus-related infractions.
• GM’s going to try to get away again! So barring another last minute SNAFU, he will be out next week. Stay safe!

1500 block of 33rd St.

GM took the above photo in the middle of the day, back in April. It’s of M St., and there was hardly a soul (or a car) around. While DC’s Coronavirus-positive numbers are still alarmingly high, you wouldn’t necessarily know it based on the car traffic that has returned.

The Post reported that even by early June, traffic in the DC area was already back to 80% of the pre-pandemic levels.  Based upon GM’s own observations, it’s above that now in Georgetown.

When the shutdown was at its height, the streets were empty, both of traveling cars and parked cars. GM’s own block was rarely more than a third full of parked cars. That is not the case any more. It is back to the “normal” where by 9:00 most mornings, Maryland and Virginia cars take up the spaces that were empty around 7:00. Continue reading →