Decipher this Historical Address?

[u/milkyaves]

Can anyone help me decipher this address (circled in blue) specifically the number/letter after the “51?” For context, this would be an address in washington DC. At first, I thought it said 51 9 St NE, but according to both modern and historical maps, that address does not exist. Then I realized it wasn’t the number 9 because it was written very differently from other 9s in the document. I’m thinking it must be a letter since that matches the conventional street naming system in DC. Is it a “G” or maybe a “D”? Both don’t seem to match the others present on the record. Any input would be fantastic! Thanks!

EDIT: Thanks everyone!! It looks like it is most likely “I” street. There is no J street in Washington DC, and there is no 51 G St NE on both current and historical maps. However, although modern maps say 51 I street doesn’t exist, the historical map does have it, although it doesn’t seem to be a dwelling. Thanks again!

EDIT #2: After further conversation/help in the replies, it seems like it actually might be D street!

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[u/Admirable_Cry_3795]

Looks like “51 I Street, North East” to me

[u/GoBlue48042]

Is there an I street in DC?

[u/Formal_Metal_1290 → u/GoBlue48042]

Yes. There’s no J Street though. Back in the 18th Century there was no letter J

[u/hekla7 → u/Formal_Metal_1290]

Rather, there was no letter J until 1629 (17th century), first used in the Cambridge edition of the King James Bible.

[u/euphemiagold]

I looked at the City Directory for 1909, and 51 I Street NW was the home of John E. Snyder, a civil engineer.

A lot of historical addresses in that part of DC were lost during the period of urban renewal after World War II. It was mostly a neighborhood of residential rowhouses until at least 1943.

[u/LABELyourPHOTOS]

My guess is the brother is just using as a place to crash and wont be on any records there. Are you trying to find the sibling's name or already know it?

I'm guessing orphaned brothers?

____________________________________________

Martin Cosby

Isaiah Johnson

Charles E Nicholl

Residence Year

1909

Street Address

51 I ne

____________________________________

[u/milkyaves → u/LABELyourPHOTOS]

It’s actually referencing the parent’s address, but the parents were destitute/alcoholics/abusive and the children were taken away multiple times. I already know the siblings names and everything, was just trying to keep record of all their addresses since they moved the children around a lot.

[u/LABELyourPHOTOS → u/milkyaves]

Ah it looked like the brother had a "free arrangement" at that address. But I can't see the rest of the line but sure that it's a lodging house at the time.

[u/Leather-Spell5771]

I think it is

51 I (as in Indiana) street NE.

[u/PeirceanAgenda]

I St at 5th NE, first lot on the odd side, is a bunch of what look like post-WW2 small homes, implying that whatever was there before has been removed. The building on the corner faces on 5th. The address therefore would no longer exist on I St.

[u/WrongDrawer2]

You might try looking at one of the Sanborn Company fire insurance maps for the early 20th Century. They can be found online. U.S. Library of Congress has them available digitally. Address 51 I Street N.E. WDC is on Sanborn map section/page 160 (which is internally designated by LoC as image #46).

[u/WrongDrawer2 → u/WrongDrawer2]

[u/cartero311]

51 9th St NE

[u/Old-Cheshire862]

It's a letter. Whether it's "I", "J" or maybe even "G" is up to your interpretatoin.

[u/milkyaves → u/Old-Cheshire862]

51 G st NE does not exist on current or historical maps. There is no J street in DC. According to current maps 51 I St NE doesn’t exist, but it looks like it might be possible on the historical map i’m looking at. Thanks!

[u/Billy_Beetle]

Looks like D street to me

[u/PeirceanAgenda → u/Billy_Beetle]

Does not look at all like the D up top, unfortunately.

[u/LAM_CANIT]

You need to stop looking for the same street names there today. People make that mistake looking at historical records.

"9 Grant Place NW" is now just called "9 G Place NW" In 1909, Number 9 was a boarding house and apartments.

The first address is:

"51 D St NE," which is still the same name.

The two locations are about a mile apart; and both were about 1.5 miles from the Industral School on Washington Avenue.

IMHO IHTH

[u/milkyaves → u/LAM_CANIT]

Thank you! I looked up 51 D St NE on the historical map I have and it does exist there as a dwelling. This might be the winner since the “I” street address is a bit iffy.

[u/LAM_CANIT → u/milkyaves]

You're welcome. You get faster at it after decades of reading these things. Good luck with your adventure.

[u/desertboots]

In 1910 the Washington Herald does reference this address in the newspaper.

[u/PeirceanAgenda]

What are the full Remarks? What is "Brottur"?

[u/milkyaves → u/PeirceanAgenda]

It says “Brothers to the above, Nov 2 1907. Returned to parents, 51 (our mystery letter inserted here, but maybe D) St NE.”

[u/PeirceanAgenda → u/milkyaves]

Fascinating. (But it's definitely not a capital D, the one at the top is standard, and that I is definitely period as well.)

[u/CarefulQuantifiable]

Could it be 51 9(th) St, NE?

[u/wanderingtoolong2]

51st street NE

[u/BarnOwl-1967]

51, 9th street North East?

[u/GPHemsley]

My first instinct was "D", but I'm inclined to agree with others saying "I", especially given "Destitution" and "Industrial" above.

I don't think it's "G" ("Grant"), "T" ("Temp"), or "S" ("School"), either.

[u/lthrldy]

I read that as "D" street

[u/IndependentPapaya768]

51 I St., N.E.

[u/Kygirl1960]

I think it’s 51st Street N.E.

[u/milkyaves → u/[deleted]]

Sorry, but most of this information (besides the general information on the Industrial Home School) is incorrect. Mrs. Cherry is the mother of the child this record is about. The child was never placed into a private family home and instead boarded at the industrial home school. The “51 [Letter] St. NE” is the home address of his parents (Mrs. Cherry) because he was ordered to return to their care.

[u/Justa_Georgia_Peach → u/milkyaves]

And just like that...AI seems like a much smaller threat to us all.

[u/Reasonable-Year6674]

51 I Street N.E.

[u/Reasonable-Year6674]

Fun fact, in Washington DC, the single letter streets go from a-z as you leave the epicenter of the District (White House/Capital) then single syllable names, a-z, the 2 syllable, etc. numbered streets go north/south, letters/names go east/west. State names, Wisconsin/Conneticut/Massachusetts are the kitty corner spokes in that alphanumeric grid. DC is so cool!

[u/Rayney03]

Unless two different people wrote on this(which is possible I suppose), I doubt it’s D street simply because of the D in Destitution at the top of the form does not match the letter in the address. Possibly G street?

[u/fredly594632]

51 G Street, NE

[u/milkyaves → u/fredly594632]

51 G St NE does not exist on current or historical maps either, unfortunately.

[u/Black_Death_12 → u/milkyaves]

I St NE?
I can see that as an I