912 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVENUE NW

Year Built

1876

Click photo below to see full sized image.

D. Vogt, 2022

Documents

History

The two-story, six-bay white brick 7-11 store is one of the oldest buildings in the Historic District. It was originally built in 1876 as a dwelling (for C.M. Floyd). It continues the cornice of No. 910 and appears to have been built as row houses. It has been used a neighborhood food store for many years.

The only remaining store of the many Jewish markets in the Historic District is the 7-11 store (912 New Hampshire Ave.), built in 1876 and one of the oldest buildings in the Historic District.

By 1963 it was Nichols Food Superette, and it became a 7-11 store in 1982 (over some neighborhood objections, although the store operation was reduced from two to one story). Although the area is zoned residential, the commercial use of this building preceded the zoning.

For less than a week in April, 1959, "Beatnik" Bill Walker operated a Greenwich Village-type coffee house, called "Coffee 'n' Confusion" at the site. The police terminated the operation.

The second floor of the building is used for residential apartments.

Resident/Owner

1890 - Theodore Ruppert, grocer, b. 1860, Germany. Otto Ruppert, bartender. Emil Spahn, clerk. (City Directory) By 1887 German Catholic immigrant Theodore Ruppert operated a grocery store but lost his liquor license in 1896 and subsequently moved.
1900 - French L. Floyd, b. 1865, D.C. , letter carrier. John E. Brown, barber. Bruno Hinze, brewer. (City Directory) Charles M. Floyd, French's father, owned 908, 910 and 912 New Hampshire Avenue. He transferred the houses to his children after his death. (Evening Star, Jul. 25, 1904, p. 3)
1903 - house/grocery store is listed for sale. (Wash. Times, Jan. 13, 1903, p. 11)
1910 - Henry A. Favelson, junk dealer, b. 1860. Wife, Sarah, b. 1856, daughter, Annie, b. 1888 who works as a saleslady and son, Herman, a grocer, b. 1889. They were all born in Russia. It seems likely they moved in before 1910. In 1895, daughter Jennie was born and Celia b. 1897, both were born in Maryland.
Around 1911/1915 until 1930 - The Kolker family lived at this address. Benjamin, b. 1894, wife Anna, b. 1874 (Kogod) and Sophie, b. 1894, Anna's daughter were all born in Russia. In 1920, Anna's daughter, Dorothy, b. 1902 in Maryland was a grocery sales clerk. (Census) Russian (Belarus) Jewish immigrants Benjamin and Anna Kolker (original name Kogod) ran the store from at least 1911 the 1920s-1930s. but he later became a lawyer and moved to New York.) Jacob, her son, b. 1905, Maryland, was a messenger. He was briefly arrested at age 17 for violating prohibition laws in 1923 for selling illegal cider, He went on to National University Law School and moved to New York. (Wash. Times, Sept. 1923) and then two other daughters Lillian and Sarah.
1940 - Flora Rubenstein, b. 1877 in Russia worked in the grocery store, "New England Market" at this address. Her daughter Mae Harrison, b. 1898, England was a beautician. Her other daughter, Minnie, b. 1908, D.C. was a sales worker. (Census)
1949 - Abe Weintraug, born in Poland. Listed in Evening Star article on Displaced Persons. (Evening Star, July 8, 1949, p. A-6). He was not listed as a resident on the Census.
1950 - Gene W. Hurd , b. 1924, Florida and wife, Betty I, b. 1920, West Virginia. He was a salesman. Their son William G. b. 1943 and daughter, Janet L. Schafer b. 1950 were both born in Virginia. (Census)

Recollections

Joan Goldwasser, from metro DC, remembers her grandmother, Anna Kolker, living in the building around 1910 to 1940. Her grandfather, Ben, died in 1918. They came from Belarus, Russia and lived in Baltimore for a while. Then they moved to Foggy Bottom. She hopes her cousin has some photos to share. (From a conversation with Ms Goldwasser at the DC HIstory Conference, March 2023. )

Source Material

FBA History Project, Funkstown - Foggy Bottom’s Jewish Immigrant Grocery Stores, Frank Leone, Oct. 12, 2025, https://www.foggybottomassociation.org/post/funkstown-foggy-bottom-s-jewish-immigrant-grocery-stores
FBA History Project, Foggy Bottom Historic District Walking Tour, "Historic Houses and Modern Murals." https://theclio.com/entry/144542
U.S. Census, 1950
DC City Directory 1911
Joan Goldwasser memory, 2023