4628 48th Street, NW Washington, D. C.

This house is one of American University Park’s earliest houses, built during the initial phase of development.

It is a two story frame wooden building on a stone foundation, stylistically transitional between the Queen Anne and American Four-square. The primary elevation is divided into three bays with an entry on center and a tower above.

The tower is semi-hexagonal with a single window on each of the three sides. Original wood floors, baseboards and trim are found throughout the house.

This house and its neighbor across the street at 4619 were the only houses on their squares for a quarter century. Built on two lots, it retains its original appearance from the street.

The house has been in the current owner’s family for over sixty years. Tenleytown resident Tom Giles, the architect and builder, was active in home building and selling real estate in old Tenleytown.

THis house an its neighbor across the street at 4619 were the only houses on their squares for a quarter century. A mailing address of “American University Park, DC” was sufficient for delivery.

The house changed owners almost annually until it was purchased by the Crown family in 1905. The Crowns occupied it until 1922 when they sold to the Huddlesons. Harvey Huddleson was a carpenter and built an addition onto the back of the house.

In 1942, the house was purchased by Martha Walde Carter, great-aunt of the current owner. Mrs. Carter was a native Washingtonian, and graduated from Western High School. She had a fifty year career in real estate.

The current owner, Mrs. Carter’s great-niece, has taken great care to retain the original architectural features in the process of adding modern amenities. The birdbath, garden bench and boxwood have been garden features since the 1940s.

(Listed in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, 2011)