American University Park Neighborhood

From a 3,124 acre wooded tract named “Friendship” granted to James Stoddert and Col. Thomas Addison, the land that would evolve into the American University Park neighborhood was settled in 1713 and passed down through the Addison family. In 1760, relation John Murdock built the area’s first residence, a single story frame house on what is now Massachusetts Avenue, near the southern border of the property. Eventually, a chain of farms grew in the area, linked to one another and Murdock Mill by Murdock Mill Road. The mill was located near today’s Dalecarlia Parkway, and the Murdock family ran it until 1889. John Murdock enjoyed entertaining and hosted many notables, including George Washington and Abraham and Mary Lincoln at his estate. One of the area farms belonged to brothers Samuel and Levi Burrows, who purchased the land between the mill and what is now Western Avenue, from John Murdock’s grandson, W.D.C. Murdock, during the mid-1800s. The Murdocks kept about 800 acres south of the mill in the family, including what are now Ward Circle and the Katzen Arts Center. During the Civil War, Murdock’s tract became Fort Gaines. The American University campus functioned as a training center and the Burrows property, adjacent to Fort Bayard, was used as barracks and parade grounds. Local lore states that Mrs. Burrows was personally acquainted with President Lincoln and hosted him for informal meals during his visits to the fort.

According to wdchumanities.org; “The American University Park subdivision was the product of real estate investors John D. Croissant and David D. Stone” and “the first purchase of land for American University Park included an area of 54.367 acres. The second purchase included 70 acres along Murdock Mill Road.” The first house Croissant & Stone built was 4701 Fessenden Street, a large 2.5 story Queen Anne-style residence, c. 1880. By 1897, ten more Queen Annes were under construction and in the next five years, construction would being by others in the area on such projects as the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, Washington Cathedral School for Girls and St. Albans School for Boys. Development slowed in the Croissant & Stone subdivision, mostly due to last of transportation, and just 7 new homes were built by 1903. One of these was a small Queen Anne designed for David Stone’s son Robert in 1900 at 4901 47th Street. John Croissant died, and his son DeWitt took over the subdivision, which had stopped selling altogether by 1904. For more than 20 years, only one completed house sat on each block, with the exception of 4900 47th Street, a speculative Craftsman bungalow c. 1911, built by DeWitt Croissant.

In 1889 the “Friendship” tract, including the Murdock estate house, was purchased by Achsah C Davis. Less than a year later, Davis, or the Davis estate, sold 90 acres of two tracts known by then as “Saint Philip and Jacob” and “Friendship” to Bishop John Hourst on February 28, 1890 for $100,000.00. Also in 1890, the Georgetown and Tennallytown Railway line started to run across a stretch of land that is now Wisconsin Avenue. By late 1892, Congress had chartered the university, but funding took thirty years and it wasn’t dedicated until 1914. In 1896-97, the Burrows brothers sold a parcel north of Murdock Mill Road for the American University Park subdivision.