Peter Himmelheber was born January 15, 1939 in Washington, DC. He moved to the Lexington Park/Flat Tops in 1944 when his father was seeking work building Naval Air Station Patuxent River. He lived at 48 Lei Drive until 1951. His family’s duplex unit had three-bedrooms and a coal furnace. The differences between burning coal and wood are strong memories from this period.
Peter also specifically remembers the diversity of the neighborhood, which had all types of people such as Native Americans and New Yorkers, with the exception of African Americans, who lived in nearby Carver Heights at that time. In the early years the Navy provided almost everything for Lexington Manor, at that time called Lexington Park. Most shopping was done at a small center called Tulagi Place, adjacent to the housing project.
As a child he remembers attending Baptist Church functions with his mother which particularly stands out in his mind because he is Catholic. The only job he had as a child was mowing lawns which he did not enjoy. He loved to play ball with friends and play in the woods. He remembers going on Sunday drives with his family and sneaking onto the Navy base to go swimming with friends.
Text Courtesy of "An Oral History of Lexington Park/Lexington Manor (also known as “Flat Tops”) MHT/OHC 028 (SM-LXM)" Master Report created by the St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners. Copyright protected by the St. Mary’s County Board of County Commissioners 2007. Reproduced with permission.