Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-27
CITY HALL "REMINISCENCES.

l THE OLD NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. IN lSN-
THE FIRST CIVIC PROFESSIONALS GROWTH OF
THE oTrY-coNTRAcT PRICES IN THE OLDER
| TIMES.
The City Hall, In which fire occurred on
Sunday last, endangering valuable records and
documents, was erected originally for the Joint
use of the courts and corporation. at that time,
1920, the city was, indeed, one 'of magnificent
distances the buildings being generally in
| small numbers located over the plan of the
city, with nothing but footpaths, often through
| and 1t was many years after the completion OF
the City Hall before there were any buildings
enc the Of 9qWaag and the
that time, under the charter of that year,
consisted OF a mayor, 10 aldermen q
men. At this period there were within the cor
| porate limits less than two thousand private
dwelling houses and residences, and on January
| 1st, 1922, the number was ,045 brick and ], 1S4
frame, the assessed valuation of real and per-
sonal property being s. 66S, 726, yielding reve-
nue. OF but So, s43.63. Before this time the cor
poratton offices had been located In rented build
1ngs, and the councils met In rented premises.
At this time the courts of the District
were held in what was afterwards known
and streets, and Mr.. E. J. Middleton, at pres
ent one OF the clerks in the Office of the clerk of
the court, was then clerk Of the court, and for
many years afterwards he was clerk of the
councils
SOME INTERESTING FACTS.
From old documents on file in the Columbia
buildings the following interesting facts relating
to the City Hall are obtained:-On August 18th
| 1920, Mayor Samuel N. Smallwood issued a pub
lie notice TO the citizens Of Washington infor n
ing them that Tuesday, the 22d of that month,
had been appointed for laying the cornerstone
of the City Hall, in which notice he stated that
sit was to be the seat Of legislation and of the
administration of justice for the metropolis
when it Will have reached its destined popu-
lOusnesS, ~ and it was to be constructed with q
view to durability which would extend be-
therefore, on behalf of the commissioners ap-
pointed to erect the hall, invited the citizens TO-
witness the ceremony, adding that Masonic
procession would be formed, under the direction
Of a committee of arrangements, to move from
Strother's hotel (now Willard's) to the building
ground, and that the civic procession would
has ever had the opportunity of forming"
Tuesday. the 22d of August. 1920, the masonic
part OF the procession was formed at the Grand
Lodge room, corner of 18th street ana Pennsyl-
vanfa avenue, and before 10 o'clock moved to
Strother's hotel, {now Willard's,) where it was
Joined by large civic procession composed of
almost every able-bodied man in the city and
the surrounding country, all taking part In 1t.
The masonic portion was formed as follows:
Grand Marshal, two ulers with drawn swords,
two stewards with rods, entered apprentices,
fellow crafts, master masons, junior and senior
deacOns, secretary, treasurer, past wardens,
junior and senior wardens, past masters, mas
ttdS VI lOuSeS, ulUSlC. BfduQ Uller ana RTaQQ pur
suivant. two stewards with white rods, brother
with vessel containing corn, two maSonS with
vessels. one containing wine and the other
OIL FolloWlng. were clerks OF the Orphans
Court, marshal of the District and his
deputies, District attorney, judges of the Dis
tr1ct courts, foreign ministers and their secre-
OF departments, President of the United States,
master builders of the work. principal architect
with square, level and plumb, officers of the cor
IN nj fnCrfn
and Georgetown, ex mayors of Washington,
board of aldermen and common council and
their secretaries, commissioners of the building
and the mayor. Following was the grand sec.
Rotary and treasurer OF the right-WOrShtpful
grand lodge Of the District bible square and
compass borne by master mason, two stewards
with white rods. chaplain and orator, five or
ders OF architecture embracing the Tuscan
DOric, Ionic, Cor1nthian and Composite borne
by five masters, past grand officers two lesser
lights borne by past masters and grand war
dens, one great light borne by amaster, the book
OF constitutions borne by master, grand master,
grand sword bearer, two stewards with white
ment Of the United States, military and naval
officers citizens Of the District, adjoining coun-
" and strangers
O'Clock, and formed around the northeast cor
ner where Grand Master William Hewitt, esq,
addressed the assembled people in eloquent
Rev. Mr.. Hawley. According to arrangements
all persons Qadies excepted) were excluded
from the grounds who did not join In the pro-
by the grand master, aided by the mayor and
the building commissioners, who deposited In
its cavity the following articles:
nation device consisting Of chisei mallet,
square, compass, twenty -four inch guage, tn
square, triangle and sprtg of Acacia; also the
ner stone Of ehs cy ef
signed by George Hadheld, was laid on the 22d
day of August, A. D. 1920. A. L., $500, in the
enc p5 Wm e me
Of the Grand Lodge Of Free Masons of the Dis
trict OF Columbia; James Monroe, President of
the mn az sta states Samuel Spawood
verse side of the plate were Inscribed the names
of the commissioners for erecting the structure.
specimens Of the gold, silver and copper coins
OF the United States package containing the
Holy, Bible, Ramsay's Life of Gen. Washington,
the On sen Gy Bsn
Of DR.: Franklin, Tyler's Declaration OF In
dependence eIIen Gales es. seatons Constt.
several states; register of the officers and
agents, civil, military and naval, In the service
OF the United States on the 3Oth September, 1919,
with llstof the naval vessels; the national cal
ender for 1920, by Davis & Force; Congressional
directory OF the first session OF the 10th Con-
gress; birds-eye view of the House of Repre-
sentatives showing the plan Of all seats, &C., by
DR.. Darlington; list of patents from 1890 10 1920;
digest of the laws of the city of Washington as
published by Jacob Gideon; charter of the city
OF Washington, list containing the names of the
mayor, boards OF aldermen and common council
ana officers OF the corporation, the architect and
committee for building the City Hall, on parch-
ment; Robert Kings map OF Washington, and
one OF each OF the newspapers printed In the
city of Washington. These packages were
thickly incrusted with composition OF bees
wax and rosfD, then enveloped In one package,
sewed up In linen, and the same composition
put on over 1t, then placed In lead box, which
was soldered on the ground, and, after being de-
posted in the stone. the whole was covered
with marble top. John Law, ESQ.,, the orator
OF the day, then delivered an address.
REC0LLECTIONS OF A QUARTER OF A CENTURY.
In the course of his address Mr.. Law gave his
recollections of 25 years, in which he spoke of
the time when there were scarce 500 tnhabit-
ants and he walked almost In solitude to school,
and spoke with pride Of it then containing
1900 souls, with assessable property ex-
ceeding S6.0O0,000 and a revenue Of $4,000.
The Grand Master then called Mr.. Henry Smith,
superintendent Of the building, to the foot Of
the stand and presented him with the working
tools, charging him to be faithful and diligent
in the execution OF his trust. A bounttful col
latton was then served all present partaking,
and after music by the Marine band and
national salute from the navy yard the cere-
monies concluded, the procession breaking
ranks and the Grand Lodge returning to its
lodge room.
ERECTION OF THE CITY HALL.
On the It'll of March 1891 the commt ssonera