Skip to main content
RETURN TO Return to WETA website Donate
Boundary Stones logo

Main navigation

  • Washington, D.C.
  • Maryland
  • Virginia
  • Video
  • About

Minnie Keyes

DC
Savior or Slumlord?

Savior or Slumlord?

09/22/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

In 1933, eleven words made Minnie Keyes a wealthy woman. They were scrawled on a blank telegram slip, tied to a pencil with an elastic band, and stuffed under a mattress. “Minnie Keyes: You have been good to me. All is yours.” These sentences were the final will and testament of Leonard A. Hamilton, who had lived as a boarder at Keyes’ home for 30 years. Once a court accepted the scrap as legitimate, Keyes inherited Hamilton’s $100,000 estate, about $2.1 million in today’s money. Most of its value lay in real estate: dozens of homes scattered across Washington. The properties Minnie Keyes came to own, however, were not the city’s best. And what should happen to them became the source of great debate.

  • Share by Facebook
  • Share by Twitter
  • Share by Email

Read More

Surprise Me!

Not sure where to start reading? Let us pick a story for you!

Categories

  • DC (577)
  • Maryland (110)
  • Virginia (151)

Latest Posts

In the 1850s, Maryland Courts Considered Whether Freeing Slaves was Proof of Insanity

09/15/2023

In the 1850s, Maryland Courts Considered Whether Freeing Slaves was Proof of Insanity

President Harding and The Vagabonds

08/30/2023

President Harding and The Vagabonds

The Evolution of Arlington House: From Plantation to Military Camp and Freedperson Settlement, to National Cemetery

08/18/2023

The Evolution of Arlington House: From Plantation to Military Camp and Freedperson Settlement, to National Cemetery

Most Popular

Hugh Bennett and the Perfect Storm

11/19/2012

Hugh Bennett and the Perfect Storm

Nazis in Arlington: George Rockwell and the ANP

01/02/2013

Nazis in Arlington: George Rockwell and the ANP

Elkton, Maryland: The Quickie Wedding Capital of the East Coast

02/14/2013

Elkton, Maryland: The Quickie Wedding Capital of the East Coast

Tags

1860s1870s1890s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990sAlexandriaArlingtonArtBlack HistoryBygone DCCivil WarGeorgetownSports HistoryWhite HouseWomen's HistoryWorld War IWorld War II
More
Historical D.C. Metro Map
WETA

Footer menu

  • Support WETA
  • About WETA
  • Press Room
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletter
  • RSS
  • Accessibility

Contact Us

  • 3939 Campbell Avenue
    Arlington, VA 22206 | Map
  • 703-998-2600
  • boundarystones@weta.org

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About Boundary Stones

Boundary Stones explores local history in Washington, D.C., suburban Maryland and northern Virginia. This project is a service of WETA and is supported by contributions from readers like you.

DONATE

Copyright © 2023 WETA. All Rights Reserved.

Bottom Footer

  • Terms
  • Privacy
  • Guidelines