The Georgetown Metropolitan

There is an alley that runs through the center of the block contained by Potomac St., 33rd St., N St. and O St. It has been there at least 100 years (and probably more).

It is a private alley, meaning that the land that comprises the alley itself is privately owned. (Notwithstanding the private ownership, landowners abutting the alley typically can use private alleys under some sort of an easement or covenant relationship.)

Also, typically with private alleys, the alley land is connected to one or more of the abutting properties. For this alley, however, at some point the land that comprised the alley was broken off from the street facing lots. As such, these lots are basically worthless. Owning them, you have all the burden of keeping the alley in useable shape, but none of the privileges-most importantly the privilege of exclusive use-that comes with land ownership. Continue reading →

Photo by Brownpau.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• GM’s house now officially borders Georgetown’s newest named alley: Cashell Alley!
• Urban Outfitters, Wink and Steve Madden remain closed due to the fire last week. (Although, it should be said that Urban Outfitters was already closed, supposedly for renovations).

3200 block of P St.

This week on Old Georgetown in Color, GM is colorizing a mid nineteenth century photo of the old Presbyterian church which stood on the southeast corner of 30th and M St. from 1782 until 1878. This is what the fantastic Old Georgetown Remembered had to say about the church:

Just opposite on the southeast corner of Bridge (M) and Washington (30th) Streets stood, until 1878, the Presbyterian Church, whose founder, Dr. Stephen Bloomer Balch, was its pastor for fifty-two years. When it was first built in 1782, it was only about thirty feet square. In 1793 it was enlarged by extending the north front. In 1801-’02, it was further enlarged by extending it on the west side. For this purpose Thomas Jefferson helped by subscribing $75.00. In 1806 the trustees of the congregation were incorporated by Congress. They were: Stephen B. Balch, William Whann, James Melvin, John Maffitt, John Peter, Joshua Dawson, James Calder, George Thompson, Richard Elliott, David Wiley, and Andrew Ross. The first and only elder for some time was James Orme, son of Reverend John Orme, of Upper Marlborough. In 1821 a new building was erected. When Dr. Balch died in 1833, he was buried there, but when the congregation moved in 1878 and the church was torn down, his remains were taken to Oak Hill, where, with the original gravestone, they lie not far from the chapel and just north of the grave of John Howard Payne.

Continue reading →

Photo by Geoff Livingston.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Where several former senators live(d).
• Any man looking to get married at the Georgetown library looking for a bride?

3100 block of R St.

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The Cat Cafe hit its Kickstarter target almost immediately.
• Some pretty shots of Georgetown in the (hopefully gone for the season) snow.

1500 block of 31st St.

At last week’s ANC meeting, the commission discussed the possibility of the development of the grounds of the Fillmore School, which is being sold by George Washington University right now. The general tone of the meeting, as reported by the Current, was one dismissive of much development of the property at all. Georgetown has some experience in the development of school parcels, and that experience should assuage the fears. But it probably won’t.

You could walk around the 1200 block of 27th and 28th streets a hundred times and never realize that the homes are less than 15 years old. They were built as part of the development of the Phillips School on Olive. There are 14 townhouses, specifically, that were constructed to mimic the variety of late-19th century homes that dominate the area. While it may be an anathema to the dominant historical preservation theory to build this way, in practice it’s seamless:

These properties came at the expense of “open space”, but they certainly contribute to consistent and pleasant streetscape of 28th St. now. Plus, they now are homes to 14 families (or singles), residences that have contributed probably hundreds of thousands of dollars to the District’s tax revenues. Continue reading →

Photo by Street Sense.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• BID hopes to get gondola feasibility study completed within a year.
• Incredible story of a Hoya senior who got one more opportunity to play basketball.