Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-01-14
The Market.House Qupstiou

10 THk EDITOR OF THE SrAR.-Slr. motto
that a bill has been introduced TO Incorporate
company to build market on the Centre
Market grounds in this city, aud believing it
would not be uninteresting to the readers of
your valuable paper to know something OF the
circumstances connected with thai grouud,
and being fond of antiquarian subj cts, 1 have
taken considerable pains 10 see whether the
original proprietOrs or their heirs could ma %
any claim 10 the ground should the EIarke ct De
removed 10 some o,heI place, Upon examina-
ton l find recorded The direction of President
george Washington to Thomas Beali, o:
George, and John NJ. CAN'T, Esq, who were
he mutual trustees of the original proprieto7s
OF the city OF Washington, and the GJyern-
ment, mace on the I'd day Of March, l797, 10
deed @ certain property to Gustayus Scou, VIII
were then the commissioners for the United
states, with the same powers that the Commits
missioner of Public Buildings now has. and
the beQUest made to Messrs. Beall and CAN'T
was in the folio wing words:
'I on are hereby requested 10 convey all the
streets in the city of Washington, as they are
laid out and delineated on the plan of the city
hereto annexed, and also the squares, parcels,
and lots of ground following, to wit" Then
follows the several reservations, numbered
from one to seventeen. The Presidents resi-
dence contains a little over 50 acres; the Capitol
reservation-running west to 18th street west
contains 227 acres; the Monument grounds mo.
- has about 30 acres, and the Centre Market
grounds are numbered Ssren and described in
metes and bounds as follows:l "Beginung at
the intersection of the north side of Canal street
and the east side of 9th street west; thence north
TO the south side of an avenue NOW known as
Louisiana avenue) drawn IN front of square
numbered $780, thence northeaserly with the
south side of said avenue .til it intsrsects the
south side OF nsylvania avenue; thence with
the south side OF said avenue until ii intersects
the west side of 7th street west: thence with the
west side OF said street until il intersects Canal
street; thence west with the north side OF Canal
street to the place of beginning"
Rvyf fha Hood frnv IkaoI Itlo
title originally held by the propretors passed
to the United States in all the streets, avenues,
alleys, and public reservations, without con-
dition or other reservation or evasion. About
hye years after that the city of Washington
was IN ncorporated, to last ttco years. and in Nav,
1872, the corporate authorities appropriated a
few hundred dollars to grade aud fill up the
grounds above specified for market purposes
The city authorities seemed to take possession
of the land, and il has occupied it ever since as
a market. The land originally belonged to
Daniel Burns. and not to Notify Young, as has
been supposed by some. Congress can give the
right TO build upon the above described ground.
well as the streets and avenues, (what little
there is of the latter as the market grounds,
because the title to the whole il in it. The
pres ent market structure was not built upon
the line Of the market grounds, because the res.
ervatIon, liz running from 9th street, would
strike pennsylvania avenue al point directly
south of the centre of Sth street, and not at the
corner of 9TH street. where il now strikes il, and
break in the line would in lure the effect OF a
building running along the avenue.
/ have heard it mentioned that a hotel, run
ming from 7th to 9th streets along Pennsylva-
MIA avenue, is TO be built with the upper story
for grand hall, which would be over fl We
hundred feet long. As to the hotel. suppose
that would not be very bad thing, but think
If either on the avenue or on oh street a hall
can be built Of the size that can be made there
1t ould be a blessing TO this community, and
| think politicians would not object, as the
national conventions could be called here: and
as the Presidential Conventions are al Eays
called the year of the long session of Con gress
Ii would be convenient for Congressmen to
have the conventions here. But 1 sac move
was made on Monday evening, by the Com
mon Council, 10 oppose the enterprise, al
though they are 10 be furnished with comfort
able house forever free OF cost, together with
the Police Headquarters and all city Offices
Besides the property will be subject TO taxation:
and 1t Will. OF course, with the ex xpenditure OF
million OF dollars (Which will be at least the
cost OF the building proposed ID be built, as l
understand be assessed at that am ount, which
Will afford an income TO the city, as We are
now taxed zone dollar and fifty cents on one
hundred dollars,) of fifteen thousand dollars
year. and probably the business done u pom the
same property, twenty-five thousand dollars
more. Yet some clerk or other official about
the market proposes to leave the old thing as it
is, and committee is appointed to 60 70 Con-
gress TO oppose the improvement.
Mr.. Editor: am a citizen of Washington,
and have to go to market every day. l feel
satisfied that the present site will accommo.
date the people best, but it is quite time that
astructure not so utterly dlsgracefui TO the city
II ~