8/3/2019 Article Mentioning Architect & Artist Louis D.
Meline
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Page 8 The InTowner June 2010 June 2010 The InTowner Pag
A ll historians seem to love achallenge, and with a recentonline
auction purchase of an8-by-10 historical image from
19th century Washington, DCphotography studio Underwood&
Underwood, this writer hadfew clues on which to beginresearch into
exposing where thetownhouse pictured was and whowas pictured on its
front steps.The penciled notes on the backonly stated Picture of
1401 Doctor, Helene, and Terry.
When the actual photographarrived, the house certainly
lookedfamiliar, but the first few attemptsat verifying its location
failed;while it was similar to those atthe northeast corners of
both18th and P Street and at 15thand Q Streets, it was clearly
not
the same house. Similar attemptsat locations matching an
addressof 1401, of which there are doz-ens off of 14th Street, also
failed
to reveal a match, and the pho-tograph was left in the
archives,with the thought that the large,windowed house was long
agorazed, perhaps located at what istoday 14th and K Streets.
About a year later, the photo-graph surfaced again, and
whenlooked at with fresh eyes, it wasenvisioned without shutters,
andthe Dupont Circle neighborhoodcame to mind. Rather than focuson
all the alphabetical streetsoff of 14th Street, a search forthose
just north of O Street, inthe 1400 block of the numberedstreets
quickly found a match,verified with Google Earth: the
house still existed at 1401 21st Street, NW.The house didnt face
south as previouslythought, but west. Perhaps the house
seemedfamiliar because this writer first lived acrossthe street,
beginning in 1991.
The building permit indicated that it hadbeen built on the
northeast corner of 21stand O Streets beginning in May of 1895.
Itwas designed, built, and first owned by artistLouis D. Meline
(1853-1905), better knownfor his still-lifes and portraits in oil.
In fact,he was only listed as an architect for six yearsin the City
Directory, from 1899 to 1905. H eresided close by at 2025 O Street
in 1895,and was no doubt a relative of the AssistantUnited States
Treasurer, James F. Melinewho lived at 2111 O Street. The house
wasbuilt at an estimated cost of $25,000.
The land on which it was built on Square96 was previously owned
by John S. andG.W. Hopkins, the namesakes for HopkinsPlace that
runs north and south between Oand P Streets, between 20 th and 21st
Street.
Searching through city directories, censusrecords, and Elite
Lists soon verified thatthe doctor seen at the front entrance of
thehouse was Edward C. Carter with his wifeHelene. Known mostly as
EC, he hadbeen born in Virginia in April of 1856 andresided at the
house in 1900 along withHelene (born 1868), and their
daughtersSylvia (born 1894), and Evelyn (born 1898),and apparently
their dog Terry. They were
attended to by a 21-year-old German-bornlive-in servant. Dr.
Carter and Helene hadmarried in 1894, just a year before the
housewas built.
Dr. Carter was a physician for the U.S. Army, having been
commissioned a firstlieutenant in October of 1881. He was alsoa
religious person, and soon aligned himself
with the Young Mens Christian Association
(YMCA) in this city and abroad. In 1902 thefamily moved to India
where Dr. Carter over-saw 114 general and student YMCAs, with
an aggregate membership of nearly 10,000men and boys in
Calcutta, Bombay, Madras,Bangalore, and Rangoon.
Dr. Carters military career no doubt led tothe house being
inhabited next by Army Col. later, Major General -- John F.
ORyan,and his wife, the former Janet Holmes. Hehad been born on
August 21, 1874 in New
York City, and graduated from City Collegethere in 1891. He
obtained a lawdegree from New York University ofNew York in 1893,
and would eventu-ally graduate from the War College in
Washington, DC in 1914.His military career was secured in
the history books when he was put incharge of the notable 127th
Divisionin France during World War I, theonly National Guard unit
to sustainconstant fighting throughout the war.He authored several
articles aboutthe psychology of discipline that arestill referenced
in military training,and wrote a two-volume history ofthe 127th
Division in 1921. In 1940,ORyan traveled to Japan at the requestof
President Roosevelt in an attemptwin the favor of the Japanese
inassisting with the war against HitlersGermany. Ties were
obviously severedwith Japan with the bombing of PearlHarbor in
1941.
With the person and house identi-fied at long last, perhaps in
the future
a living relative of Dr. Carter cansomeday be identified for a
return ofthe image to its rightful owner.
Paul Kelsey WilliamsHistoric Preservation SpecialistKelsey &
Associates, Washington,
DC
Copyright (c) 2010 InTowner Publishing Corp.
& Paul Kelsey Williams. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without per-
mission is prohibited, except as provided by 17 U.S.C.
107 & 108 (fair use).
photoKelsey & Associatesprivatecollection.
The house of windows at 1401 21st Street, on the northeast
corner at O Street.
Scenes from
the Past
photo--Kelsey&Associatesprivatecollection.
Dr. EC Carter and his wife Helene seen at the front entrance to
their house with their dog Terry.
imagecourtesy Ancestry.com.
The 1900 census entry listing Dr. Carter and his family at 1401
21st Street.
photo--Kelsey &Associatesprivatecollection.
The 1887 Hopkins map shows the intersection of 21st and O
Streets nearlydevoid of any substantial buildings.
illus. HarpersPictureLibraryof theWorld War,1920.
Major General John F. ORyan, a later resident of
1401 21st Street.
photoPaulK. Williams,Kelsey &Assoc.
The northeast corner of 21st and O Streets as seen today.
