The Story behind the “Florida Avenue Folly”

“Dear PoPville,

I’ve been wondering for quite a while what the story is behind what I’ve dubbed the “Florida Avenue Folly” attached to the side of a house on Florida Ave. just before 16th St. It’s hard to get a shot of it due to the location and fence, but I was passing when the light was right for it today. Any thoughts?”

This peculiarity used to come up every year but it’s been a minute since someone asked. They are the remaining columns from the Henderson Manor Garden at 16th and Florida Ave, NW. In 2009 The Post’s Answerman dug up the full story. In part:

“Burnap’s 16th Street garden featured an open lawn bordered with shrubbery. A high wall faced Florida Avenue and turned the corner at 16th before stepping down to a low wall and ornamental iron fence. At the rear of the property, four Doric columns held up a hanging garden. Most striking was the intricate latticework that covered most of the interior walls.”

The garden eventually came to be called the Henderson Manor Garden, named after the castlelike mansion on the other side of Florida Avenue. By 1938, 2108 16th St. NW had been closed for a few seasons, although fetes were still held in its garden.

All that remains of his garden are four crumbling columns. Why were they left untouched? That wall might be attached to the rowhouse at 1618 Florida Ave., making it more trouble than it’s worth to remove.

Read the full story here.