Long-time Eastern Market farmers line vendor David Fowler of Sunnyside Farms died suddenly on May 20, 2019 at age 73. He was the fifth-generation family member to sell produce at the Market in Space 17. In June 2009 he participated in an Overbeck project oral history interview, when he shared family stories of farming and selling produce from the Civil War to the present. He also shared his own memories of his life at the Market since earliest childhood. www.capitolhillhistory.org/interviews/david-fowler
On May 18, 2019, Helene Au passed away in an assisted living facility in Fredericksburg, VA, at age 105. She was born on Capitol Hill and lived in our neighborhood until the age of 103, when she moved from her long-time home. In her 2000 interview, Miss Au described life on Capitol Hill in the early 20th century, including schools she attended, stores and movie houses, and games that she enjoyed. www.capitolhillhistory.org/interviews/helen-au.
The Overbeck Project is deeply grateful to Helene Au and to David Fowler for participating in oral histories for this project. Their recorded recollections are important contributions to our understanding of the past of Capitol Hill, and will stand as memorials to these valued community members.
