The Surratt Courier

[L Verge]

I passed the story of Belva Lockwood on to my staff and volunteers. One of the volunteers is part of a group that conducts tours of historic D.C., and her group leader supplied this extra tidbit:

I love Belva! I had to research her for a tour called "discover historic downtown dc" waaaaaay back in 1998. She had a home on F street for awhile (very fashionable then post Civil War) where the Verizon Center is now. She used to ride her bike to her law office on Capitol Hill and she did not care if you were in her way so people jumped when she raced toward them.

They did an excavation of her block and the objects uncovered were displayed in the store at 7th and F. God knows what happened to them when the store closed. Bits of dishes, dice, combs, civil war odds and ends. They were conserved by the City archaeologist and she handed them over to the store to show off. They looked great but they were kept under halogen bulbs in the glass vitrines. One day, as I stood by the shelves, waiting for a tour group to assemble, I noticed that the bulbs had set fire to the paper photograph (reproduction) of Frederick Douglass in the case. I shouted for help but the store was so busy that no one cared. I had to go drag some to the case and say "look, the artifacts are about to go up in flames". Yeeesh!