While visiting relatives in the DC area in April 2001  I happened upon an old Journal that was in my husband's grandmother's effects.  It was going to be thrown away.  You can imagine my horror at such an idea.  I confiscated it and have been trying, as time permits, to transcribe the pages and post it to the Washington DC list and my genealogy website.  There are 153 pages written in old script so it is taking awhile.  My husband's grandmother's name is listed in the journal.  So I'm assuming this was her teacher.  The information spans over forty years.  The information was not entered in year order. There is no title page or indication of who the owner was.  I have come to some conclusions about the journal but please keep in mind they are only my best guess.  The Asylum mentioned in the first of the journal is the German Orphan Asylum. On the headings of many of the pages are what appear to be school names and the dates the teacher was there.  I have made a list of all the different schools and it is posted below.  I have also constructed a map where I think the various schools were located.  I used the USGS National Mapping Service.  The School location map is below.

After much study I have figured out who the Unknown teacher was who kept the Journal.  It is Clara Brandt.  She was one of the Orphans in the Asylum.  She was born December 25, 1869 and admitted to the Orphanage December 2, 1879 at age 9 along with 2 younger siblings, Alfred Brandt and Wilhelmine Brandt.   The very first entry in the Journal is Clara Brandt - Confirmed- May 25, 1884 at age 14.  She was appointed public school teacher Feb. 1. 1891 at age 21.  She "went housekeeping" at 1601 N.J. Ave. N.W. Sept. 29, 1891 and was joined by her sister Wilhelmine on Nov. 9, 1891.  In the journal she usually identifies herself with the initials Miss. C.M.T.B.  The last entry in the journal is her class for the year 1926.  She taught school for 35 years.

In 1901, Clara M T Brandt was a teacher residing at 145 S St NW
Also listed at that address were:
Alfred E Brandt, employed at the Bureau of Printing
Minnie E Brandt, employed at the Bureau of Printing
See Notes on surname Brandt

In 1833, the Concordia German Evangelical Lutheran Church (today Die Vereinigte Kirche/The United Church) was established in Hamburg. In the 1835, this congregation completed a church on 20th and G Streets, N.W., on one of the sites reserved by Funck for this purpose. John Philip Sousa (1854–1932), whose mother was from Bavaria, was baptized here. The current building was begun in 1889. Members of this congregation founded three prominent German-American institutions still functioning today: The Washington Sängerbund, the German Orphan Home (today a foundation) and Prospect Hill Cemetery. This cemetery was established in 1858 at 2201 North Capitol Street, N.E., by the German Evangelical Church Society of the Concordia Church; it contains the burial sites of many prominent German-American families.

German Orphan Home used to stand on a high hill to the east of the Anacostia River. It had a family atmosphere. Children
attended public schools and had chores on the small farm surrounding the orphanage. As they grew older, some found part-time employment with the florist across the street. They also had May Day celebrations and other festivals.

Originally the idea of the orphange came from Friedrich Imhof of Concordia Church. Germans immigrants, soon after they came to Washington, set up ways to take care of "their own" in need. After building a church, they established an old folks' home, an orphanage, and a cemetery. Until the middle of the 20th Century, children were often placed in the orphanage if
one of their parents died. Unless she had family here, a German immigrant woman was often unable to earn enough money to support herself, much less any children; and men were not expected to work and care for children.

Karl Thomas Obermeyer was a superintendent of  the German Orphan Asylum. His wife was Rosina Obermeyer.  He died at 315 8th Street, NW, on August 9, 1896.  They may have had a daughter, Carla Obermeyer, born in DC in 1888, died of enteritis on August 17, 1888, at the German Orphan Asylum.

Henry Ermold was also a superintendent of the German Orphan Home. Henry was born in Germany on March 11, 1856, died June 17, 1900. His wife was Elisabeth Ermold.
Known children who appeared in the 1900 Census, were:
Bertha L., born in Germany in May 1883;
Marie H., born in Germany in May 1885;
Lena M., who was born in Germany in August 1886;
Henry J., born in Germany in April 1889;
and a second Henry, (Josie)  born in DC on June 1895.
The Ermold family immigrated to the US in 1892. In the 1900 Census, Elizabeth indicated she had given birth to 8 children, five of whom were still living.
                                           *************************************************

There is a name that appears on the top corner of several pages.  The name is J. T. Freeman.  Microfilm of the 1901 Washington DC city Directory lists the following people as teachers or principals with those initials:
Janey T Freeman, teacher, 1222 16th St nw
John T Freeman, principal, Wallach school, h Kensington, MD

P.S.
After transcribing a good many of these pages I've come to see a teacher or principal that devoted her entire life to her students.  You can see the caring as she goes back years later and makes entries about marriage, children and death  beside the students names.  I've begun to see a teacher who made a valiant attempt to keep up with their students.  I feel honored to have looked a part of Clara Brandt life through her legacy of this journal.
 

Pages 1-3	Pages 36-37	Page 57	Page 72	Page 95	Page 128
Page 4	Pages 38-39	Page 58	Page 73	Page 96	Page 129
Page 5	Pages 40-41	Page 60	Page 76-77	Pages 98-110	Page 130
Pages 6-7	Page 42	Page 61	Page 79	Page 112	Pages 132-133
Pages 8-9	Page 43	Page 62	Page 81-82	Page 113	Pages 10-11
Pages 16-17	Pages 44-45	Pages 64-65	Page 83	Pages 114-115	Pages 12-13
Pages 18-19	Pages 46-47	Page 66	Pages 86-87	Pages 118-119
Pages 26-27	Pages 48-49	Page 67	Page 88	Pages 120-121
Pages 28-29	Pages 50-51	Page 68	Page 89	Pages 122-123
Page 30	Page 52	Page 69	Pages 90-91	Pages 124-125
Pages 32-33	Pages 54-55	Page 70	Pages 92-93	Page 126
Pages 34-35	Page 56	Page 71	Page 94	Page 127

Since it is taking me such a long time to transcribe the journal I've scanned in a few pages.
This will also give you a view of the original handwriting.
To view orignial pages of journal click below.
These files are three quarters of a megabyte and will take awhile to download.

Pages 10-11

Pages 12-13

Pages 14-15

Map of Washington DC Area

---

(Below are notes I've made to myself that may help me to figure out where the Asylum was located.  It seems that the now Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. used to be called Nicholas Ave., but before that it was known simply as Asylum Road.  All the Schools above I believe are within a few miles of this road.)

Rosa B Barkanda (my husband's grandmother wrote this in her memoirs)
The next fall I went to school in Anacostia with many new children, the same clothes and I still had to walk, which we all did. Streetcar fare from Congress Heights to Anacostia was 5 cents which none of us had. We really didn't mind. We'd walk in groups, hurrying in the A.M. but slowed down at 3:00 P,M. because it was up hill, and we had fun though laughing and joking, and that terrible hill, it's still there. It was Nicholas Avenue then from Anacostia to Congress Heights but now to my poor bones it seems much higher and larger and longer. Now it is called the Martin Luther King Avenue.

It wasn't always known as Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. The name was adopted by the D.C. Council on April 27, 1971. Before that, the street was Nichols Avenue, so named in 1872 in honor of Charles Henry Nichols, a former superintendent of St. Elizabeths Hospital.
Before that, it was known simply as Asylum Road.

Anacostia Historic District Roughly bounded by Martin Luther King Avenue on the west, Good Hope Road on the north, Fendall Street and the rear of the Frederick Douglass Home on the east, and Bangor Street and Morris Road on the south One of the city's first suburbs, incorporated in 1854 as Uniontown (with later expansions); initially a working-class community dominated by Navy Yard employees; most early houses free-standing or semi-detached frame structures with front porches and Italianate detail; also includes brick row houses, two business streets with early-20th century commercial buildings, Frederick Douglass Home on hill overlooking neighborhood; contains approximately 550 buildings dating from c. 1854-1930; DC designation 11/27/73 (expanded 2/3/78), NR listing 10/11/78

---

1. German Orphan Asylum Good-Hope road
2. German Orphan Asylum was on Minn. Ave. SE. J
3. St. Ann's Infant and Maternity Home. From 1860 to 1943, St. Ann's was located in DC. It is still in
operation today, but is   now located in nearby Hyattsville, Maryland.
4. StJoseph's Male Orphan Asylum 922 H
5. StMary's Orphan Asylum 5th C Wash'n
6. StVincent's Orphan Asylum 616 10th  St. Vincent's Female Orphan  Asylum which was adjacent to St.
7. Patrick's in DC. It was run by the Sisters of Charity, at least in the 1860's.
8. Washington City Protestant Orphan Asylum 1739 14th
9. StJohn's Orphan Asylum 525 20th
10. StJoseph's Orphan Asylum H near 10th a Catholic Orphan Asylum in the District during that time
period. Their records are now housed at Catholic University of America in DC
11. The Washington City Orphan Asylum in DC , (in the middle 1800's located at "H St. North, between
9th and 10th.).
12. St. Joseph's Male Orphan Asylum and St. Vincent's Female Orphan Asylum, each, I believe with a school attached.

---

Pages 1
Confirmed

#	Name	Date	Priest?	???
1	Clara Brandt	May 25, 1884	Schneider	20 v G
2	Louise Burki	1885	Schneider	20 v G
3	William Schultz	1885	Schneider	20 v G
4	Harrison Miller	1885	Schneider	20 v G
5	Helene Schiek	1887	Schneider	20 v G
6	Emma Doehrer	1887	Schneider	20 v G
7	Charles Hartung	1887	Schneider	20 v G
8	William Miller	1888	Schneider	20 v G
9	Martha Doehrer	1889	Miller	20 v G
10	Minnie Brandt	1889	Miller	20 v G
11	Rosa Geist	1890	Miller	20 v G
12	Harry Miller	March 22, 1891	Tacius	6 v N
13	Henry Hass	April 1891	Luebkert	4  1/2 v N
14	Minna Hass	April 1891	Luebkert	4 1/2 v N
15	Bertha Reece	May 29, 1892	Drewitz	20 v G
16	Emma Fox	May 29, 1892	Drewitz	20 v G
17	Amelia Zuschuitt		Drewitz
18	Tillie Nephuth		Ham
19	Perry Hoffman		Drewitz	20 v G
20	Carl Doehrer		Drewitz	20 v G

Pages 2-3
Blank

Page 4
Deaths at Asylum

Carla Obermeyer, born in DC in 1888, died of enteritis on August 17, 1888, at the German Orphan Asylum. She may have been the daughter of Karl Thomas and Rosina Obermeyer. Karl Thomas Obermeyer was a superintendent of
the German Orphan Asylum. He died at 315 8th Street, NW, on August 9, 1896. In March 1940 his remains were moved to Cedar Hill Cemetery, but Carla remained at Prospect Hill.

Dorothea Amalia Fuchs (German for "Fox") was born in DC on March 12, 1883.  She died March 19, 1889, at the German Orphan Asylum with cause of death listed as "exhaustion" (which often meant coma, which could have resulted  from convulsions). She was the daughter of Charles H. and Anna M. Fox. (The Fuchs family switched to the English "Fox" very soon after coming to America, but German records continued to carry them as "Fuchs." )
Charles H. Fox was born in DC ca. 1838. His parents were from Wurtemberg, Germany. A baker by trade, he and his wife, the former Anna M. or Mary A. Betz, were  married at Concordia Church July 22, 1864. At the time of the 1880 Census,
they were living in the 800 block of 7th Street, NW (a block from what exists  today as the Chinatown Gate and the new MCI Center). He and his wife were affiliated with Concordia Church (now known as "The United Church.") Charles died of cancer and was buried December 22, 1905.   Anna M. (or Mary A.) was born around 1844 in either Magstadt, Wurtemberg or
Stuttgart, Germany. Her parents were from Wurtemberg. She died April 14, 1885.
Children included:
Maggie E. Fox, born ca. 1865, in DC
Joseph Walker Fox, born March 21, 1866, and baptized at Concordia May 13, 1866.
Lulu C. Fox (baptized Louisa Catherine), born October 3, 1868 in DC, and baptized at Concordia may 18, 1869.
Mary B. Fox, born in DC ca. 1871
Ernest W. Fox, born in DC ca. 1873
Rosa D. Fox, born in DC ca. 1875
Emma Fox, born in DC ca. 1877
Florence Elisabetha Fox, born December 6, 1880, baptized July 8, 1881 at Concordia with Ernst G. Betz and Anna D. Friess as godparents.
Dorothea Amalia Fox, born in DC March 12, 1883, baptized at Concordia August 29, 1883 with Frau Maria Dorothea Friess as godparent.
Also buried in the family plot is the child of Walter and Florence Donaldson, who lived only one hour and may have been a grandchild of Charles and Anna.

There was no Jacob Ermold listed in Prospect Hill.  However, there was a stillborn child born to Henry and Elisabeth Ermold at the German Orphan Asylum and buried at Prospect  Hill December 19, 1893.

Page 5
Deaths Elswhere

Jan 1889	Ellen Hering	Spinal Trouble	Died  Father's Residence, D.C.
	Minnie Silverberg		Chris Hospital (there is a line marked thru this one)

Pages 6-7
Orphan's Asylum

Pages 8-9
Orphan's Asylum

No.	Name		Born	Admitted	Remarks
26	Paul Brandt	Paul		July 1880	His mother took him.
27	Martha Brandt	Martha		July 1880	Her mother took her.
28	Charles Grager	Charlie Baby		Aug. 20,  1880	His mother remarried and took him June 15, 1883
29	Mary Schlosser	May	Dec. 22, 1870	Aug. 1880	Her mother took her away Sept. 22, 1885
30	Katherine Schlosser	Katie	Jan. 9, 1873	Aug. 1880	Her mother took her away Sept. 22, 1885 Married Samuel Banllanf March 15, 1892
31	Henry Schlosser	Harry		Aug. 1880	His mother took him away Sept. 22, 1885
32	Anton Grager	Anton		Oct. 1880	His mother remarried and took him, June 15, 1883
33	Henry Scheull	Henry		Dec. 1880	His parents became reconciled and he left May 17, 1882
34	Anna Scheull	Annie		Dec. 1880	His parents became reconciled and he left May 17, 1882
35	Conrad Scheull	Cooney		Dec. 1880	His parents became reconciled and he left May 17, 1882
36	Theodore Vogel	Theodore		Feb. 9, 1881	His mother took him
37	Helena Laemmer	Lena	July 27, 1872	Feb. 1881	Her mother took her Sept. 17, 1883
38	Henrietta Laemmer	Hattie	Aug. 3, 1874	Feb. 1881	Her mother took her Sept. 17, 1883
39	Mathilde Laemmer	Tillie	Feb. 7, 1877	Feb. 1881	Her mother took her Sept. 17, 1883
40	Richard Schultz	Richard	March 4, 1867	Feb. 1881	Left July 19, 1883
41	William Schultz	Willie	Aug. 1, 1869	Feb. 1881	Left Nov. 13, 1885
42	Harrison Miller	Harry		Feb. 1881	Ran away March 12, 1886.  Died in Chicago?
43	Helene Schiek	Lena	Oct. 8, 1871	March 1881	Entered into service for her Aunt, Aug. 1, 1889 Married George Gerholdt, March 2, 1890
44	Jacob Schiek	Jakie	Nov. 26, 1875	March 1881	His Uncle took him March 15, 1890
45	Perry Hoffmann	Perry	June 1879	Aug. 1881	Died
46	Christine Maske	Christine		Nov. 1881	Her Grandmother took her.  June 21, 1883
47	Conrad Stolz	Conrad		Dec. 1881	His father took him
48	Louis Hartung	Louis		April 1, 1882	His father remarried and took him March 17, 1884
49	Otto Hartung	Otto		April 1, 1882	His father remarried and took him March 17, 1884
50	Margarth Roth	Maggie	Jan. 11, 1876	April 24, 1882	Went to her Aunt, Mrs. Grupe,(Gruper?) Sept. 30, 1891.  Married(added later in pencil)
51	Frank Zolb	Frank		May 15, 1882	Mother took him Nov. 20, 1884.  Married

Pages 16-17
Orphan's Asylum
start index here

Continued on Teacher's Journal page 2

Return to Barkanji Page

Disclaimer:  The purpose of this Web Page is to share information for the purpose of research.  I have not proved documentation of all genealogy material, nor have I kept source notes as I should.  But I had lots of fun and met some great people along the way..

If you find any mistakes please contact the Web Page creator, Trisha Carden  , and I shall try to correct them.

Site copyright 1999, 2000, 2001 Trish S. Carden (Please feel free to use this information but if you do please put a link back to this page)