The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-06-18

wrong dimensions, were rejected, IN,
were bought for the Exchange Bank
They were brought by ship 10 Rockets
and thence. with teams OF oxen a squar'
long. were hauled to their present site
The fire of the evacuation was all around
and about them, but luckily they sustained
very little injury, and stand to-day, a. thel
n have stood since 1887, models Of worI
and material.
TIE COLUMBIAN HOTEL.
like every hotel In Richmond, with the ex
ceptlOn Of the spotswood and American,
towards the end of the war fell into III,
hands Of the Confederate Government. OF
some department thereof, and finally per-
ished i'm the evacuation fire. IL was mucl
patrOnIZed by planters. aud many men
doing business in that neighborhood took
their dinners there. II occupied the pre-
sent Grain and Cotton-Exchange corner,
but ran farther up ShocKoe slip towards
ShockOe warehouse. Prior 20 1880 the
Columbian was operated by Mr. spotswood
/ u. Crenshaw. In 1890 his son, Mr.. Lewis
I ID. Crcnshaw. erected the spOtswOod Hotel
on the site Of Tan-Bark Hall, southeast
corner Of Main and Eighth streets.
THE sPOTswooD
/ having sheltered hosts Of great men. in
Guiding General Lee. JEFF. Davis, and Gen
eral Grant, after having escapedthe eyacu-
stiOn fire, which burnt around and about
and beyond il, fell n victim "a fire in the
midst II Christmas festivities, and on the
18th dav Of December. 1870. was totally
destroyed, with eight Oi IT. inmates. Since
the fire the lot has been occupied ~ coal
yards until 4 recent date, when Ir. james
b. Pace commenced The erection ~ his
block, which viii be 4 much handsomer
structure than ever the Spotswood was,
and yet will not supply its place, for il will
not be a hotel.
II was at one time supposed that the
Commercial Club would have the upper
floor % the two tencmenis nearest Eighth
street. but the Club and Mr.. Pace have not
been able 10 come n terms, and present
probabilities are that the Commercial Club
viii remain where il II for a year or two
longer az least.
The ALLAN MANSION LOT
has long been lovingly looked upon A. 4 pro-
per site fora fine, fashionable hotel. It's lofty
and spacious, and commands q fine view u
the river and II the greater part q the
city.
Bv the way, recent newspaper para
graph has thrown some doubt y 10 whether
Edgar Allan Poe ever lived in that house.
he did i've there.
There are citizens Oi Richmond. n wOr-
thy q belief A. any in this land. who re-
member seeing Poe there. II is true that
Mr.. Allan formerly resided on Fifth street
near Clay, and very likely Poe's earlier
days were spent at the old house. but he
liyed-oG and on, in his perverse way
With Mr.. Allan in the house southeas,
corner q Main and Fifth.
The late Mr.. Allan never saw Poe but
once. That was when be came 70 the
house in lfr. Allan'- l-st sickness to see
II. Allan, and Mr. Allan declined 20 see
him, and he went right away.
TIE PROPERTY ORIGINALLY
embraced the whole square. including the
lots now occupied by the buildings u the
Second Baptist church. Gibs0n's carpenter
shop, Maxwell +. Clarke's property, Mr..
Barretts former residence. &C., and was
long the residence If Daniel Meade Ran.
dOlph. marshal Of Virginia under 'he adj
minisiration of John Adams. and. being
one II those Federal ofice-holders who
world neither die nor resign WA. r.
moved by jefferson.
Next il came into the possession u Mr.
Gallego. the great miller, and upon his
death il was purchased by Mr.. John Allan.
% whom Poe was indebted Tor education
and father. love too n long As he behaved
himself t0lerably. After Mr.. Allan's death
Mr.. Allan enlarged the house by additions
on the Main-street side. giving il j. present
shape.
Il may possibly be q matter q local inter
c.i % know that Poe did really live there.
but in the event II hotel being built upon
the site. the builders viii hardly care 20
pay tribute 70 the poet 10 The extent u cali
ing their property
TIE POE HOUSE.
Thi- article. II il is about anything in
particular. j. about hotels. and Il we have
passed over We have not FORGOTTEN God
dln'- Tavern. that famous old place on
Brook avenue. where the great cushing
spring, flowing from q marble basin, the
splendid court and cooling shade. and hos
pit.ble proprietor standing under the arch
welcomed the traveller and made i q plea
ssnt place f0T country and city people. and
FOR barbecues and pic-nic-.
II Wa- built about 1900 by the elder
Martin Baker. and after hi- death. for ,eye-
ri years. was carried on by Martin Baker
Jr.. and afterwards by Mr.. William Steane
the butcher. About 1853 the properly
was purchased by Captain John GOddin.
father # Wellington GOddin. who IN iareoed
il and kept il f0r several years a. Bac0n's
Quarter Branch Tavern. He retired from
bookkeeping about 1850. Next the pro-
perry Wa purchased by Bishop McGill,
who established there The 81. Francis De
sales Iniirmarv, IN institution that. under
the care Of sisters 0f Mercy, did a great
public service. and. the war coming on. was
able % furnish 20 many wounded and
iorloTn soldier the comforts Of a home.
In the extensive grounds adjacent The
COnicderacy had IL depot FOR receiving
and furnishing horses and mules for the
army. and often there were acres and acres
covered by them. and most of them were
sorry-iooking animals. for horse-ieed was
scarce in those days. The property still
belongs 20 the church. and i rented out
for various purposes, but il may be that
some part Il il has been sold OF.
OF other hotels, the American, which
occupied the lot now covered bv Levy
Brothers store and the Fire and Marine
Insurance Office. was one of the best. II
was owned by Mr.. Henry Exall. and built
In lS4s and enlarged IN 1853. When the
war broke out Colonel J. L. Darlington
was keeping il. Mr.. A. J. Ford also kept il
once. Il went down in the fire Of the
evacuation.
FORD's HOTEL
succeeded the Powhatan House; the Pow
hatan House succeeded Mrs. DuvaF :
clearinghouse. known as the southgate
properly. Mr.. Ford has, substantially,
built a new house, which in appearance
and comfort Is very good. II is on one Of
the best hotel sites in Richmond, being in
the midst Of the city, yet IN a quiet and