A DC Story From 1321 33rd St. NW: Alexander Graham Bell, The Kennedys, General Douglas MacArthur and More

I have been receiving emails from GoDCers with increasing frequency. Quite often these emails contain wonderful personal or family history relating to DC. This is one such email that I have to share.

I received it this weekend while enjoying a Father’s Day dinner at the Tabard Inn with my wife and visiting father. I don’t check my email at the dinner table (that would be rude), but as we were walking home, I had to read it out loud for my wife and dad. They agreed. This is a really cool story. So, thanks to GoDCer Sharon for passing this along. I trust that the rest of the readers will agree with me.

I have another cool story. My great great grandfather, William B. Easton, purchased the house at 1321 33rd St. NW from Alexander Graham Bell. My grandmother, Lillian Easton, grew up in the house, and after her marriage to my grandfather, Claude, they lived there together, where they raised their four children. When Grandmom was giving birth to her second child (my father William on May 16, 1918) in that house, my grandmother went deaf. Her hearing never returned. I have always found it ironic that Grandmom lost her hearing in the house that Alexander Graham Bell once owned, as he devoted his life to inventing devices that would help his deaf sister. The house stayed in the family until the early 1970s.

The Kennedys lived on N Street, just around the corner from my Grandmother’s house on 33rd Street and when I was a young girl, I often saw a very young little Caroline walking with her Governess by Grandmom’s house.

My grandmother’s next door neighbor for many years was Louise MacArthur, first wife of General Douglas MacArthur. She gave grandmom a writing desk and other furnishings that had belonged to the General.

We moved out of the DC area 12 years ago and I am still “homesick”. Visiting your site makes me feel like home isn’t so far away after all. Keep up the good work! It’s wonderful that you have such a passion for DC!

Sharon

I can’t seem to verify the ownership of that house in Georgetown, and I know Alexander lived at 1500 Rhode Island Ave. NW when he was in DC, but he also had a laboratory near this house. Anyway, the email was good and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Thanks for sending this Sharon!