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Washington, D.C., circa 1920. "551-53-55 Randolph St. N.W." We'll take the one next to the castle. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size.
Washington Post, May 1, 1921.Inspect Today!
551-553-555 Randolph Street N.W.These homes contain seven rooms and bath (inclosed sleeping porch), hot-water heat, electric light, hardwood floors, large lots, 142 feet deep, with room for garage; they are exceptionally well built, have all modern improvements and are unquestionably the best offering in new homes today.
Open and Lighted, Daily and Sunday, Until 9 P.M.
Hedges & Middleton, Inc.
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The houses seem to be holding up very well, but they've fallen victim to that scourge of 1970s "remodeling," the wrought iron porch rail. Wooden railings give weight and stability to a porch. Those cheap, flimsy wrought iron railings are nearly invisible from the street. Plus, they get blazing hot to the touch in summer and icy in the winter. Worst of all - you can't slide down a wrought iron railing!
Amazingly, the same old lamp post, now fettered with modern trappings, is still planted firmly in the ground almost a century later.
[It's not the same one. -tterrace]
So no more hiding the dead bodies under the porch.
Amazing - The porch lamp on the middle house appears to be the same one as was there in 1920.
The tree is gone, replaced by a dead one in the form of a pole. Streetlamp in the same place, but electric now instead of gas. All three houses still there. The castle is the present day Israel Metropolitan CME Church. The houses have added nice retaining walls at the sidewalk.
Bricks, finely pitched fencing, crosshatching under the porch, and roof tiles. This picture gives me eye fatigue! Sets the bar for repetitious detail.
They're still looking fine today, as is the castle (which is actually a church). For the price of one of the townhouses today you probably could have bought the entire block in 1920.
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