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Formstone Being Removed from former Frazier’s Funeral Home (391 Rhode Island Ave NW)

Photo by Hipchickindc – May 2012

Thanks to everyone who sent emails about the formstone being removed from the former Frazier’s Funeral Home at 391 Rhode Island Ave, NW. Unfortunately still no word on what exactly the space will become. Stay tuned.

September 2011

Category: Buildings, Ledroit Park

By: Prince Of Petworth | 11 May 2012 4:00 PM | 22 Comments

Bloomingdude

I thought it was reported that it’s going to be funeral home again.

I don’t love the formstone, but I don’t hate it either. I do like the castle looking stuff on the top and hope it doesn’t go.

May 11, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Annonny

I actually kinda like the formstone, so I’m not all that thrilled to see it go. Reminds me of Baltimore.

Like you, I really dig the crenellated turrets on the lower photo, so it will be disappointing if those disappear with the formstone facade.

I guess historical preservationist types will be happy to see the original masonry restored, but I’d hate to be the one paying for all that work!

May 11, 2012 at 4:33 pm
- Trueblue
  
  Formstone, the polyester of brick.
  
  May 11, 2012 at 6:01 pm
bb

It already looks better, although the disappearing of any battlement-type feature is kind of sad. Small price to pay for the disappearance of formstone and those awnings, though. Hopefully this will become a thriving business of some kind – any kind…

May 11, 2012 at 4:46 pm
3rdstreetdesign

Zoning ruled March 26th in favor of the new owner’s proposed conversion to a 6 unit apartment building.

May 11, 2012 at 4:59 pm
- 3rdstreetdesign
  
  here’s a link to the PDF:
  http://dcra.dc.gov/DC/DCRA/Media%20Releases/newsroom_archive/Zoning%20Determination%20Letters/Det_Let_re_391_Rhode_Island_Ave.,_NW_to_Sher_3-26-12.pdf
  
  May 11, 2012 at 4:59 pm
  - Bloomingdude
    
    Link is dead — no pun intended. Please update.
    
    May 14, 2012 at 9:51 am
    - PleasantPlainer
      
      How do you find these zoning or building permits? There’s a vacant lot that they started on near where I live and nothing’s happened for a while….very curious to know what it will be!
      
      May 21, 2012 at 6:00 pm
      - PleasantPlainer
        
        The address in question is 512, 514, and 516 Hobart Pl NW and use to be community gardens until supposedly Howard sold the property (although, curiously, the building permit I saw posted when they started digging listed Howard on it). Here’s a link. PoP, maybe you can check it out and illuminate for your neighbors to the south? http://maps.google.com/maps?q=hobart+place+dc&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=ybu6T-q8NOWl6gGrrtCHDg&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=3&ved=0CFAQ_AUoAg
        
        May 21, 2012 at 6:07 pm
- ledroit parker
  
  are you the developer? care to share a timeline?
  
  i was hoping it would turn into a bar/restaurant, but anything that isn’t vacant is a-ok
  
  May 11, 2012 at 6:34 pm
  - sparta
    
    The neighborhood needs fewer places to drink, more places to live.
    
    Sorry to see the turrets go tho, but not the formstone. A little goes a loooong way.
    
    May 11, 2012 at 8:01 pm
    - Anonymous
      
      I think we all have different specific ideas of what our neighbood needs, but most of agree that updating decaying buildings and putting them to use is the right direction. Personally I’d rather see places that can provide employment for people. I don’t see housing, unless subsidized, as particularly helpful to the hood.
      
      May 12, 2012 at 9:50 am
ustreethawk

Glad to see some progress. There for a while things looked kinda dead around there.

May 11, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Abe

Back in the day, this was a very desirable funeral home and people were dying to get in.

May 11, 2012 at 5:24 pm
brookland_rez

I guess we can’t have a thread about this place without a few funeral home jokes. So here goes:

Business was so dead at this former funeral home that it was bought and will be turned into condos which people will be dying to buy.

Seriously, this is such a promiment corner it will look a lot better with a restored building, even if it is condos. I wouldn’t want to live right there at that intersection, too noisy for me. But then there’s apartments/houses all up and down FL Ave, so apparently some people don’t care.

May 12, 2012 at 9:55 am
- Anonymous
  
  Haunted house saloon.
  
  May 12, 2012 at 10:05 am
  - Anonymous
    
    I sure could use a stiff drink!
    
    May 14, 2012 at 12:28 pm
RozCat

Any body know he history of the business? (Who was Frazier?). It dawns on my that I don’t know of single funeral home in DC proper. Where are they?

May 13, 2012 at 9:21 am
- Anonymous
  
  There are stiff quite a few. All over the city.
  
  May 13, 2012 at 11:27 am
- thoughtfull
  
  There were two funeral homes within six blocks of each other on Florida. Frazier and another near the intersection of Georgia and Florida, which gives you an idea of how much dying was going on in this town in the bad old days…
  
  May 14, 2012 at 11:51 am
  - textdoc
    
    Not sure this is really an indication of lots of death in the “bad old days.”
    
    See this thread about funeral homes in certain neighborhoods of D.C.:
    http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2007/10/friday-question-of-the-day-31/
    
    May 14, 2012 at 12:03 pm
  - f
    
    “in the bad old days”……..and exactly when would that be?
    
    May 14, 2012 at 1:10 pm