951 25TH STREET NW

1883 - Jason or James Gowens (Gowans) b. 1843 and wife Ellen/Ella (b. 1846) and family. They own the home and he works as a plate printer. They have six children, four boys and three girls born between 1866 and 1877) (Building Permit and Census)
-- "Gowens, a plate printer maker moved into the house with his six children. Just seven years later, he built an even grander building next door at 949 and moved into the new house with his family; renting out the previous home to a white family, government worker Milton Ailes and his wife and two children. Also living in the house was an African American servant, Florence Page, the only live-in domestic help on this square in 1900." (A. Hoagland) --
1890 - Milton E. Ailes and wife Mary E. and family. They were both born in 1867. He is a government work and they rent the house. They have two daughters and young girl, Florence Page, b. 1878, who worked as a Black domestic live-in with the family. Later, Milton was the president of Riggs Bank, 1921-1925. (Census)
1903 - 1905 John N. Martine (City Directory) Maybe the same family group in 1904 with similar last name, Martie. Frank A. John N. and William T. Also in the house was a Charles T. Lawrence. (City Directory)
1906 - Vacant
1907 - Walsh family. Morgan, Patrick, Thomas, William and Walter. (City Directory)
1908 - Vacant (City Directory)
1909 - 1910 - Maris F. Bayne, John S. Gavin, and Stephen and Margaret Noonan (City Directory and Census)
John, b. 1853 was a calker and he rented the house. Also in the house was his wife, Anna, b. 1856, three daughters and two sons born between 1878 and 1890. In 1911, It seems the Gavin family moved out of the house and it was occupied by Mr. Bayne and the Noonans.
1912-1913 - Vacant
1914 - The Shelton family moves in with a total of six family members. In 1919, Mathew and Morgan Merritt join the Shelton family. In 1920, Barbara E. is the only Shelton. She shares the house with William and Lillie S. Taylor and Theodore W. Motley. (Census)
1921 - Samuel and Nellie Clayton share the house with Julia Harris.
1924 - Thomas L. Holmes, b, 1854 and wife Clara.
1925-27 - Vacant
1928 - Mary Boyd
1930 - Eliza Seigles, b. 1866 in D.C. (Census) Jeanette Ridgley, b. 1868, sister who works as laundress, Nellie Clarke, b. 1881, daughter who works as a maid at Place Theatre, Evelyn Clarke, b. 1902, granddaughter who is a music teacher in DC and Allen Yates. (City Directory)
1940 - Nellie and Evelyn Clarke have four lodgers. Charles Kilpatrick, b. 1901, VA and his wife Marie M. b. 1908 in Ohio. He is a chauffer. Arthur Jeter, b. 1914 in South Carolina works as a laborer and his wife Gladys born in Maryland in 1914 works as a maid. John McKan is a wage worker, b. 1907 in Louisiana.
1950 - Esther Shamburger, b. 1899 and her family, Claude Shamburger ,Jr. b. 1938 , Benny D. and Vera T.. They were all born in Mississippi. Claude lived in the house until 2021 and its reported he was a former Harlem Globetrotter basketball player. Also in the house was the Brewster family (Joel, Cleola, James R. A.C. Nilon, Wilbur and Willa Mae) who had occupations as cooks, kitchen manager and houseworkers. (Census)
1954 - Vacant
1960 -1983 - Joel Brewster. The house has a telephone. (City Directory)