Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-11
The Market Company's Statement
of Its Rights in Certain Lands.
PROPOSED DISTRICT BUILDING Site
The Attorney for the District Disa-
grees With the Company.
THE ALLEGED AGREEMENT

The Commissioners are confident that the
next Congress will look with favor on the
project to build a new municipal building
The only available site the District owns
Is the one directly In front of the Center
Market. on Pennsylvania avenue between
Ith and 9th streets northwest. When Ar
chitect Brady. who makes all the plans for
the public schools and engine houses, sub
mitted design for a municipal building it
was referred to President Ordway of the
Center Market, with the request that he
furnish his views on the subject. This he
did. and his memorandum on the subject Is
made public for the first time. 1t is as fol-
lows:
The attention Of the president of the
Washington Market Company has been
called by the Commissioners of the District
to plans which the inspector of buildings
has prepared. under the direction of the
Commissioners, for the erection of an
artistic stone District capitol building to
be located upon the inclosed park in front
OF the Center Market portions of which
ground were released to the District under
an act Of Congress. March g. 1878, as a
site for a District building, which would
protect the Srchives and accommodate the
District Offices
The COmpnny's Statement.
AT the time of the release of this front
and most valuable land by the market COM
pany to the District of Columbia ii was
understood and agreed that the center Of
the District building should be located as
near practicable on the front at the
junction of Pennsylvania and Louisiana
avenues and that the building only extend
east and west from that point a sufficient
number OF feet to make its entire length
pa feet and it's width 81; feet leaving the
remainder of the land thus released between
the east and west ends of the proposed
building and Ith and 9th streets as an OPEN
space, to be used for walks to reach the
market buildings with perhaps a fountain
In the center of these open spaces AGO
some ornamental landscape improvements
the whole, including walks, 10 lie kept
properly paved and open 20 the public but
entirely prohibited from being used for
sales of any product whatever, thus leay-
ing the elaborate north front of the Tth and
9th street wings of the Center Market in
full view from Pennsylvania and Louisiana
avenues. 1t was also conceded that a Cen
tral entrance to the market and grounds (aS
set forth in the original charteD should be
provided by allowing the market company
to erect and provide heavy artistic iron
bridge. or passage way, from the junction
OF Pennsylvania and Louisiana avenues to
and through the wholesale market row $50
called, thus connecting the center of the B
street market with the avenues before
named
In pursuance of these understandings,
company ordered, at a very large expense,
an elaborate iron bridge and passageway
across the center of the Sc feet of land
thus receded or released to the District of
Columbia.
Payment for the Bridge.
"The market company also under an
agreement with the District authorities al
lowed the ground opposite the center Of
the junction Of Pennsylvania and Louis
lana avenues to be extended temporarily
from S6 feet to 10 feet, in order to render
the lot while still unused for purposes in
tended more proportional; and also erected
an iron fence on the south side OF the Dis
trict lot, thus giving temporarily the Dis
trict and the public for the purpose of a
park quite a large space of land which
the market company was entitled TO use.
1t is now understood that the District
Commissioners desire the market company
to make permanent concession 10 the
District for it's building of about 80 feet OF
ground in the center of the lot described,
and to surrender the center passageway,
which would entail the loss of from S2O.OW
to $4,000 in removing the elaborate IRON
bridge across the park, and shortening the
iron passageway to the soldiers barracks
and second stories of the market build
ing.
.It is understood that the Commissioners
also desire to extend their building II or IA
feet east and west beyond the length OF
the wholesale market row, making the
building 300 feet long, and about 100 feet
the market company, the directors should
authorize the executive committee Gf the
board decides to assent to them) to secure
ample remuneration for the cost of the iron
bridges, walk and stairways, which will
have to be taken down and removed; and
also such additional concessions, with ref
erences to the uses Of the land to be used
IN common. and absolute concession Of sufn-
Client land at the east and west ends of the
lot to make a broad entrance for carriages,
and for ample sidewalk extending the en-
tire length Of the ground surrendered to the
District. from 1th to 9th streets, with suit
able walks connecting with this wide side
walk around Pennsylvania and Louisiana
avenues at the east and west ends of the
proposed building.
IF these and other Just guarantees can
be secured. 1t is undoubtedly incumbent
upon the officers of the market company to
said District Commissioners in carrying cut
In good faith by reasonable concessions the
agreements entered into between the Dis
trict officers and the Washington Market
Company. which by its terms went into
effect April 3. 1873 and which has been as
thereto"
Market Co.'s Claim Inadmissible.
This memorandum was sent by the COM
missioners to Mr.. s. T. Thomas, the attor-
ney for the District, with the request that
he furnish the Commissioners with an opin-
lon regarding the bridge across the reserva-
ton above referred to. Attorney Thomas
suaS IeluTnS tne memorandum with the
following opinion:
1T seems to me that the claim of the
market company that 1t should be rem-
pursed the expense of erecting this bridge
ana Tor damages for being deprived of it is
ihadmlssible. In 1878, when the market
company released to the District that Dor
non OF the reservation within the iron rail-
Ings upon which the erection of a muni-
cipal building was contemplated. there was
no reservation of any right on the part of
.le market company to erect the bridge in
question. The bridge was erected some
@ .line IN iSSo on request of the market COM
Pany. ana by Permission Of the Commits
sloners- The order, which is in the District
archlves. was dated April q. 1880 and ex-
Pessy states that 1t is never under any
circumstances to be taken as a waiver OF
any any right claimed by the District In said
Ianu. put that the District Is to have the
rsnt TO assert and maintain all its rights
anu claims as fully as If it had not assent
eo 10 tne erection Of the bridge The erec-
tlon or the bridge. II seems to me- was
temporary. and that II must have been the
understanding and agreement of the parties
at the time. that should the District re-
qulre the space at any time for municipal