Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-24
THE CUST0M-HOU
RxMiyiscgycEs or ONE or TIE CHEF
HISTORICAL BUILDINGS OF
RIcHM0SD.
Incidents Connecting II with the Life Of
President Jeifsrson Davis and Other
Crest sen-Post-ofies Peo-
pie az the Fssk

Itlsnot very often that you bear the Gus.
tom.bouss spoken OF as monument as IL
were, Of Confederate days.
Yet 50 u L.; sad u Is the more 70 be
valued siuce so many other landmarks are
disappearing before pick and shovel. Gre and
time.
She Mechanics Institute Confederate
wsy Department. was burned at the
svacustioo. and Castle Thunder has gone
the same road since tbs war; Libby Prison
"a soon % be uprooied and set down In
Chicago. and now a new front and back
have h,en ont 10 the custom.house, making
n onte a Acknowledging structure from
whsf n wss wren President Davis had HIS
oe3e, IN Il: when the maii-carriers from tho
army around Richmond came 10 the post
Office 10 get tbe soldiers letters from wives
and sweeihssrts. from fathers and mothers,
snd other dear ones nj home; and when the
peOple who met each other on its steps talked
not Of politics. not OF the markets, but a
great campaigns, Of bloody battles, OF heroic
deeds. 81 hard struggle for food, OF despt-
rate DAYS aud uights without sleep.
Happily. though much added TO snd re-
shaped until its ground plsn now resembles
the letter I. none Of the Old house IL extln-
guishcG: 70 has simply been added tO-a
wing on each side Of ;he uninsured front and
= Bsnk-strtet front. which latter absOrbs most
NJ the WIDE sidewalk formerly there, and
givcs the building one third more room than
before. Oi granite and iron. u Is
building destined 10 last perhaps, after the
Capitol has crumbled INFO the ashes OF
great cOhhagi alton: when Oblivion has
seized upon the "JtG Davis Mansion;
when most Of the Confederate landmarks
have disappeared a. utterly "a have the great
hospitals which once Gro wded ChimbOrazO
Hiu and hllcd all that space between
Cary street and Ashland street on the one
hand and Reservoir and Carter street on the
other.
The custom-b house. therefore. is not UNI
WORTHY Of passing notice just now, AZ 1t -
about 20 leave the builders bands and be
put back to It's original uses.
TIE LOT.
Formerly the lot on winch the customs
house stands slOped from Bank street 10
MN, aud early in the history Of the city It
was occupied by buildings OF various sorts,
bat none u an imposing character until hr.
FwAu leasing several Of the lots from Mr..
Wickbam, erected upon them three three
story observation-disclosures, and IN doing this he
removed TO the Capitol square a iire-engine
house.
In 1854 Congress passed an act authori'
xing the erection Of public building here
with the intention OF accommodating the
Unued States Court aud the custom.house
and the posl-oflice.
The custom. house was then I'm q rented
building on the west side OF Fifteenth street
between Main aud Csry; the post-ollice was
under the Exchange Hotel on the Four
tccutb-sifeet front, and ibe court WAS occu-
uying temporary quarters. though 10 had
from time T. time held its sessions Ia the hall
Of the House Of Delegates, and there II was
that Chlsl-Jusiice Marshall sat to try Aaron
Burr.
The LOT was bought in 1854, The Exall and
other buildings removed, ana the erection OF
the Federal building was begun IN 1879.
The architect WAS Mr.. Henry EXall, and
be was also the superintendent ~ cOnstruc-
fou a, The beginning, but was succeeded by
Dir. Albert LyhrOck, who had been hls EN-
ployee. and whom be had brought here
from New York,
Under Mr.. Lyhrock's management the
building vas erected and turned over 10 the
Government. The cost was shout $3.50 900,
though IN this SUN was INCLUDE, d some alter
ations long afterwards MAZE to suit the aeeds
of the various departments.
A GREAT DINNER.
Blythe 2gd Of February. 1853, the entire
evening Of that day. being The day on which
the statue ~ Washington was unveiled,
when Richmond was crowded with distins
pushed gtt-ts ~ the State aud city, ban
quet took place lcre.
The celebration Il that memorable 22d in
cluded "A parade. Of whicD MaiOr-Genoral W.
b. Yahalerro was chief marshal, and ia line
were the cadets oi the Virginia Military In
,niute and military companies, civic orders,
Nc. Litutenqnt-G General ecott was con-
tuually chccred bY tie enthusiastic crowd
along Main street, Which he GcknoWledeed hy
raising his clspeanr There was an address
hv Grand Orator NJ. w. Robert q. Scott.
Governor Henry A. Wise then spoke and IN
froduced John r. Thompson, who proceeded
To read his poem. Hon. K. VI. T. Hunter
was then introduced and made an address.
J3neS Barron Hope then read closing
poem. The cannon in thunderiug tones an
nounced tbc wisncd.tor event and the statue
wa unveiled
among The distinguished persons IN the
civ were Hon. Il. Al. L. Hunter. orator;
Hon. John u. Floyd, Secretary of
War: Hon. Jane, n. Mason; Hon.
shcrard Clemens, 0t Virginia; Hon. Mr.
shorter. OF Alahamg; Governor H0llev. OF
Connecticut; General Harvey, Of the United
states army; Captain Mugruder. who dis
iineuished himself IN The Mexican war;
Governor Newell. Of New Jersey; General
PersiferF. SAITH. OF the Mexican war; Major
Van Niech, 90 The United states army Cow
ernor Bingham, OF Michlpan.
The Inauguration dinner was spread in the
new custom house building, and was pre-
pared under the auspice, OF Alexander
Duval, OF the American Hotel, aided by that
Well.krown caterer, Charley THOMPSON"
Toasls were read by Northumberland
william l.. Jackson. aud repeated by John
Blair ilose. OF Berkeley, and y. \. Chap~
nan, OF MoOros
Hon Edward Everett, Governor Bingham
Of Michigan, Governor Newell Of New Jei>
sey, AID Wil'iEn L.. lauceY, OF AiabamS' re-
spopded 20 tossts.
John RandO Pm Tucker, Attorney General,
"was called. aud responded IN bis usual
happy manner >,
The next night (2Sdl Edwin Booth. Jr.,"
PLAYED Al the Theatre in a "Ncw way 10
PAY ola Debts
IHE TOCsIN OF WAR.
The po,t-onice, the custom house, aud the
Vnucd states Court people we're all comiorta-
b.y cnconsced in Tie building when wars
rIfe aiarum wgS sounded, and here proOSOiy
va. one OF the first OF 1.-THE oNertae's IN VIZ
g.r,a-one OF he hr>t t0csins OF the uprisiug
ss4,nst The Federal Government.
over the porch on the Ban6'strees 'front.'
was the sign
.............. ..s..s.''
UNrTED sTATEs COURT.
........... ...........s...s.
II was painted in gold letters on black
,auded background and extended The whole
speth OF the caves OF the porch and was
about s,xteeo inches high. Ca tue 10TH gay
Of Aprn, 1861, when II became known tnst
the Virginia Convention had passed tue
ordinance Of secession there was inuch OK
Citcment snd enthusiasm M the Guy, SUI ouo
81 tos natrioiic ebuliitions OF the waI-invitlug
youth sent them TO the custom house 10 tear
down that sign.
A number Of Young men AID some school.
bows rau up the steps Snd quickly got out
OF the window snd upon the reoi OF Tue
porch. add with blows OF their hands ana
~ -. L.. ..--.rl ~ ~. the AMI