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on East Potomac Street, the last "holdout." It closed
in mid-1990.
odist Church is on the comer. EAST POTOMAC STREET
NEW YORK HILL
Join the s tore-tour, beginning on New York Hill.
Near "A" Street at 7 Ninth Avenue in a room attached to the house where he lived (No. 9), Forrest (Red) Moler operated his first grocery store. It was m anaged by Charles "Parry Wenner. At Ec1st "B" Street and Ninth Avenue, just a block away, Bob Corun and his brother operated a storeina roomattached tothecomer house. George Burg0e, who Ii ved in the house, and Bob became partnr:; s for a brief period until George bought the businr•ss. This store was in operation at the same time as Red Moler's store. At ~ome point, the store '"'hi :; extended the wid th of the building to the sidewalk. Eventually Burgee sold out to Forrest (Red) Moler. Parry Wenner and Paul Harrison in turns, at times assisted by Elda Woods Thomas, managed the store, with Paul taking time out to serve in World War II. Harrison continued managing even after Red Moler sold to Churchman and Ridgeway. When Jimmy Ridgeway died in 1957 in an airplane crash, Paul and Doris Harrison became owners until Paul died January 11, 1965. Donald Woods then became owner, followed by Frank Souza, who officially closed the store several years ago. This block also hosted businesses that were not "convenienc e - groceries," but were part of the residential neighborho od. Separated from the corner store by a vacant lot was a two-storero om building that was in great demand. On the left was a barber shop, used by Glenn Good during the 1930's, then in the early 1940's by Frank Wenner and Walt Ambrose. The other part housed Ezra Barker's store and ice business (early 1920's),deliveries by truck. Next, Bill Weller bought the building and had a T-V and radio service in the early days of television. More recently, Donald Wilson bought and converted the building into apartments, in which form it exists today. When a shoe shop was in one of these buildings in the 1920's, a kerosene heater explosion caused a fire that destroyed the entire building, including garage and storeroom. Ez Barker rebuilt the store room and barber shop. A small space separates the foregoing from three dwellings, north of which is a driveway. Surprisingly , a barber shop once existed here. The remaining buildings are dwellings, and the Meth-
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Moving toward downtown via "B" Street and Tenth Avenue (Fitzgerald Row), a great curve onto Potomac Street, you soon come to the site of Barker's Store, on the south side of the street and opposite the gulley between the 700 and 800 blocks. Turner T. Barker opened this store, perhaps earlier than the 1920's. He is reputed to have had groceries brought in by railroad boxcar, being unloaded at "Barker's Siding." Turner's daughter, Hilda, operated it after the founder's death. This was a small, low-ceilinged room with groceries, soft drinks, sweets, and similar fare. TI1e store was located across from 801 East Potomac Street where the owners lived. The store closed in 1963.At one time a store was opera ted in a 13-room structure at number 703-705 East Poiomac Streei; it is the se:::ond house east of the city park; B&O policeman McCaha lived there many years. Richard Magalis (grandfathe r of Ann Malone Burke) ran an ice cream parlor there. Ellwood Wineholt remembers that four traditional ice cream tables and chairs were in the room, which had its private door on the west side of the porch. The living quarters were completely private, being entered by a door at the right side of the porch. Mid way of the 500 block of East Potomac Street is a double house. The walk to its left passes a basement door leading to a small room where the owner, Mrs. Welch, and her daughter sold homemade candy. During school recess, supplies were available to the students in a garage in the alley to the rear of the house and across from the school (now Sigler's apartments) . Half a block west is Fifth Avenue. At nearby 425 East Potomac Street the double display windows of an early store remain. "Daddy Rice" had a candy shop there with the "best stock of candy in town," according to Austin Cooper. Mrs. Conway had a grocery store there, followed by Clara Calhoun and "Buzz"Harr ison. After it ceased being a fcxxi store, Lula McMurry and Carl Margrabe operated a used-furnitu re store there for a decade. Because the building was removed years ago, few know of a shop that once thrived west of the Moose Home on what is now a parking lot next to 325 East Potomac Street. Levi Crummett and Lucas Crummet served sandwiches , soup, and related items to railroaders - a natural when one recalls the bustling activity of the westbound yards and transfer shed near this location in earlier days. Progressing west, one comes to 207 East Po-