Baptist Alley and preservation

[Jim Garrett]

One more welcome for mgambuzza. At least the rats that inhabit Baptist Alley today, are the direct descendants from those in 1865 (insert laugh track here). In the 1860s, the Harvey & Marr undertaking establishment was located in the Atlantic Building (long gone) on F St. The building was deeper into the alley than the adjacent building and formed a T. The Harvey & Marr receiving door was opposite the back door of Ford's. It was through that door that they brought JWB through when he was being prepared for re-interment in Green Mount.

Two Saturdays ago, Jim Page and I had lunch at the Wok N Roll. If you step back and ignore some of the facades, the buildings on either side of the Surratt bording house also date to the 1860s. Likewise, the rats in the alley behind Surratt's are also direct descendants. :0