Masterpiece Theatre

It was recently brought to our attention that we've fallen by the wayside when it comes to sharing the history of our little house. We do apologize to those who've been waiting and wondering... in deference to the current season, I invite you to grab the family dog (or borrow one if your have to), pour a glass of your favorite ice-cold beverage, and join us out on the patio for our next installment.

Michael and Mary (Riley) O'Sullivan

It was up to an Irishman to build the little house at 702 South Fairfax between 1852 and 1854.

The first smart move he made was to marry Mary Riley about 1850, certainly before census time.

Mary Ryrie (sic) had on January 24, 1849 bought from Amelia (Milly) Whiting the corner lot of Frankin and Fairfax "which was conveyed by Mayor Bernard Hooe ... and afterwards through several intermediate conveyances was devised to said Amelia Whiting." The lot cost Ms. Riley a mere 62 dollars and 50 cents.

Michael O'Sullivan had been buying up lots on Fairfax Street. Now, with his marriage to Mary Riley, he cemented his holdings on the 700 block of South Fairfax Street. The Alexandria Census for 1850 shows that the head of the family was Jane Sullivan, 50, born in Scotland; with family members Michael, age 30, shopkeeper born in Ireland, and his wife Mary, 26, born in England.

The sole evidence of this little house's construction lies in the tax records of the time. Records from as early as 1851 indicate that Michael O'Sullivan owned multiple lots and houses, though it is unclear if the house at 702 is yet among them. In 1854, the tax record states: Michal O'Sullivan (sic), owner of four houses and five lots at Fairfax and Franklin, worth $3,300, and occupied by Patrick Farrell, Mary Dainty, and Thomas Murphy. At this time it is virtually certain that the house at 702 was built, though there is not way to prove it, as building permits were not required at the time. The first reliable documentation of the home's existence is dated 1858: Micheal O'Sullivan (sic), owner of "L & M" [meaning "lots and improvements"] at "Frank & Ffx" [Franklin and Fairfax] worth $1,700, $400, $400, and $300 respectively. He paid two tithes (to vote), and furniture was worth $100. Total tax from the year was $33.50. Thus, through these invaluable tax records, the building of the little two-over-two house at present number 702 can be traced.

Michael O'Sullivan was a shopkeeper, as noted in the Census of 1850 taken in Alexandria. In 1856 and 1857 he made two disastrous Deeds of Trust and lost everything he had. He owed a little over $1,000.

I must admit, it is fun to imagine Michael and Mary O'Sullivan, first generation immigrants trying to make their way in America. According to the history, the two built this house at about the same stage of life as we're in now, over 150 years later. It lends a certain symmetry to the story that we're the ones who plan to revitalize it once again, restore the energy that it's managed to retain for so long. Let's hope our chapter of the story doesn't end as theirs did, in small claims court.