This house was built in 1794 and designed by architect William Lovering who is also credited with designing the Thomas Law House (featured last in this series HERE), The Maples (which will be featured next), the Octagon House and Wheat Row, both of which will be featured later in this series. The house was designed in the Federal style popular at the time and was built as a double house, occupying 468 and 470 N St. SW.
The lot on which the house was built was originally owned by Notley Young who deeded it to the City Commissioners when the site of the federal city was first determined. Captain William Mayne Duncanson, a wealthy merchant who came to Washington from Europe on a boat with Thomas Law in 1795, lived in the 470 half of the double house from 1795-96. He lived in the house while awaiting his new home, later known as The Maples, was being built on Capitol Hill. The Maples will be featured next in this series.
Several years later, the other half of this house was occupied by William Cranch. Cranch was the son of Mary Smith whose sister was Abigail Adams, making William the nephew, by marriage, of President John Adams. William married Nancy Greenleaf in 1795 and had four sons and three daughters. Their great-grandson was poet T.S. Elliot
A Harvard educated lawyer, Cranch moved to Washington D.C. in 1791 where he worked in private practice for 10 years. From 1800-1801 Cranch served as a City Commissioner for the District before being nominated by his uncle, John Adams, to serve on the newly established U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia. In 1806, Thomas Jefferson nominated Cranch to be the Chief Judge of that same court. Soon after accepting the position as Chief Judge, Cranch and his family moved into the 468 side of the Duncanson-Cranch House and lived there from 1807-1811. Cranch also served as the second Reporter of the U.S. Supreme Court after it moved to Washington in 1801, a role he kept until 1815. Cranch served as Chief Judge of the D.C. Court for 49 years until his death on September 5th, 1855. His funeral was attended by President Franklin Pierce and U.S. Attorney General Caleb Cushing. Interestingly, one of his pallbearers was John Marbury, son of William Marbury who lived in the Forrest-Marbury House which I looked at earlier in this series. William Cranch is buried in D.C.’s Congressional Cemetery.
Adolphus Lipphard, a shoemaker, lived in the 470 side of the house perhaps as early as 1846. He purchased 470 outright in the 1860s and his family lived there until 1904. The same year the Lipphard family moved out of 470, 468 was purchased by Alice Pike Barney. Mrs. Barney loaned the house, rent free, to the Neighborhood House, a public service organization which used the house as their headquarters. In 1910, Barney bought 470 as well and she deeded the house to the city on her death in 1931. Neighborhood House used the building until 1960.
The Duncanson-Cranch House was rehabilitated in 1964-66 and is now a private residence. It is not open to the public.
D.C.’s Oldest Homes was intended to be a single post with an overview of the history of some of the beautiful buildings from the city’s first decade and before. The more I looked at the history of each property though, the further down the rabbit hole I went. I hope you enjoy this series of brief posts looking at each property individually. All photos are available for sale and licensing