In 1904, one of the homeowners displaced by the construction of Potomac Yard was Richard Henry Roberts. The Roberts family had moved to the area during the Civil War. Richard and his brother Edward had built adjacent homes where Slater’s Lane and Powhatan St. currently intersect. After selling their homes to the railroad, the brothers moved to Del Ray. Edward built his new home at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Windsor Aves, where he raised his eight children.

 

Richard built a folk Victorian house of a common design in the region at that time. Sitting on the Southwest corner of Del Ray & DeWitt Avenues, the house featured a wrap-around porch facing both streets. Richard was a teamster when he moved to Del Ray, and he constructed a small barn on his property which no longer exists. He and his wife Annie never had children, though they rented out rooms in the house to neighbors and relatives. Richard was a community leader serving on several juries and investing in the community. When the Town of Potomac was formed in 1908, Richard was appointed as the acting Sergeant of the Town until the first elections could be held. In that capacity, he served as the equivalent of Alexandria’s sheriff.

 

After his wife Annie died in 1920, Richard remarried and moved away. The house was sold and modified over the years. The rear portion of the house and side porch was removed in the early 1920s. The house underwent a major renovation in the 1950s. In the 1970s, the foundation was rebuilt and the side porch was enclosed to create more living space. The current owners returned the house to its original footprint in 2014, restoring the wrap-around porch which serves as a gathering spot for neighbors. The house was featured in the 2016 House & Garden Tour.