The defector, the Van Ness visionary, the goose attacker and more people of the past

Until Ann Kessler wrote about then-Congressman and Senator Lyndon Johnson’s home on 30th Place, we had no idea his family had lived here. And they truly lived here. The image of Lady Bird Johnson as a carpooling Murch parent delights us to no end.

It got us thinking about other notable neighbors from our past, some of them brilliant visionaries, and some we’ll describe as… colorful.

These include:

The real estate developer who wanted to build a bomb shelter at 4501 Connecticut Avenue, and when the government said no, he built the high-rise known now as “The Avalon” instead.

The ambassador and Cold War defector who did not know if a line of unmarked sedans coming up his driveway would be his FBI protectors – or KGB.

The college president who broke racial barriers and changed Van Ness.

The farmer accused of throwing stones at his neighbor’s geese.

The physicists who lived and worked here, including one who has a crater on the moon named for him.

The woman who guilted Congress into securing funding to build Murch, Deal and Wilson schools. She also built the first Forest Hills Playground.

The sitting president who returned to his Forest Hills apartment for a turkey sandwich – and some shuteye – before taking up residence at the White House.

And the many Union soldiers who worked to fortify and arm our corner of DC against the Confederate army.

You’ll find a great deal more about our neighborhood’s past in our history section.