Chasing an Elusive History

Built in 1919, the first owner listed at 5408 Cathedral was Clarence Oliver Hamilton, a housing contractor and carpenter. But in the 1920 census, he lived nearby in Cabin John, Maryland. Perhaps he built this house as an investment and never lived here, or maybe he moved in after selling his own home in 1922 ? I can only guess what happened for the next five years. 

According to the deed, the next owner was Rose Dowling. Rose’s father died in 1916, and her mother moved up the hill to 5016 Jewett street which is what Cathedral Cathedral Avenue was called back then. Rose may or may not have lived with her mother until she died in 1920 when Rose was 32 years old. 

Rose's oldest brother Marshall bought the property for Rose in 1924,  but a few years later she finally married. Rose and her new husband Paul then moved to New York.The property was listed for sale, but did not change hands again until after the couple divorced in 1945. I believe the house was rented out most of those years. I found a little gem in the Evening Star in 1927 about policemen caught up in a gambling raid. One of the arrested listed his address as 5408 Cathedral. A year later though, a different man ran an ad for a lost collie. Again I'm grasping at history straws.

I do know that William and Edith Blowe officially bought the house in 1948, but they may have been renting from Rose since at least 1935. William was a bakery salesman. They had two boys, William Jr and Peyton.  Both went to Western High school. Here's a school shot of Peyton who was named for his maternal grandfather.

By 1940, William Jr, his wife Vera and their baby Caroline all lived here as well. Vera Maceron formerly lived around the corner on Sherier Place. William married his "girl next door” in 1936.  

In 1952 the Blowes sold the house to Blanche Stevens, a former missionary teacher and specialist with the Mapping Service. Before working at the map service, Blanche had taught school in Japanese occupied North Korea from 1911-1940. (If those walls could talk, I'll bet Blanche had some interesting stories.)

In 1963 Blanche sold the house to the McFall family. Also a teacher, Frances McFall taught third grade at Key Elementary for many years and was known for taking her students on a bird watching expedition every spring.  She raised her own children here and stayed in the house until the end of her life, shortly after retiring in 2004.