The morning times., 1895-08-25
QUAINT and HISTORICAL
Strange Memories Cluster About
the Old Winder Building.
INTENDED FOR A HOTEL
Purchase Recommended by Jefferson
Davis-Its Use in Peace and War.
of Clerks and Offic la Is-StOry of
a Hole in the Wall.


of Clerks and offic la Is-stOry of
Al Hole in the Wal.
Buildings are, in certain respects, like
men. Some offices are thescenes of historic
or tragic events, and are as intimately con
nected with and mixed up in the affairs OF
men as a bailiff, while others pursue the
even tenor of their ways and their lives
are as free of excitement as tina tOfa seventy
year old clerk who has been sitting since
early manhood on the same stool in the same
counting room.
To the latter class belongs that old struc-
ture situated oD the northwest corner OF
Seventeenth and streets, and which is
known to every Washingtonian as the
WiDder building. Built originally for d
hotel, it has figured in the stirring times OF
the thirteen years preceding the war as
Government Department office building,
and since that time has had tine same kind
of life. There are few great states
men OF the past fifty years who have not
at some ime or other enteredi its doors. Few
great financial or military plans and pro-
jeCts that have been put into execution in
the last half century of our eountry's history
that were not first thoroughly discussed
and debated i'll one OF the little brick walled
rooms OF the old WiDder building.
Men have entered the employ OF the Gov
| erDment while young and have lived and
died having no other place for working than
old NnfbinCr Is laft n
tell that they have ever lived except the
| great mass of finely written files that are
stored in-the vaults OF the Winder building.
THE BEGINNING OF 1T.
In 1913 W II. Winder built on the corner
| of Seventeenth and streets northwest a
! large six-storied structure. which it was
| intended should be used as a hotel
| The foundation was dug deep. and huge
| stone abutmcntS as strong and as sOlidly
| cemented as the walls Of a feudal castle or
sacred shrine built TO stand forever and
| aye were laid on a bed of rock. The six
| floors Were erected almost entirely of
! brick and the floors made of the same ma.
| terial With the exception OF the roof the
| building was entirely fireproof. In 1881
| fine iron roof was put on at a cost of
| S25 900
| Each floor is honeycombed with little
rooms admirably suited to the keeping OF
records and files, 10 which use the ma
| jority of them are put. In case an office is
wanted the dividing partition is removed
| and the two made into one good-sized room.
| There are now l30 rooms IN the building
| proper while twenty vaults for storage
purposes are to be found in the basement
| The life of the building as a hotel was
! short, although 1t always VIII have the
| appearance of Il hosteIry because OF the large
! porticO which runs along the entire outside
| and the spacious doorway with its broad
| steps and upright lamps The Government
| obtained the building soon after its com
pletion and has used it ever since.
GOVERNMENT PURCHASE.
Until 1854 yearly rent of S21 ,S75 was
paid TO W. A Winder. Then it was recon-
mended by jefferson Davis, the then Sec
| retary of War, that the Government buy
| the property. This was done, but only after
| some delay. which was oCcasiOned by re-
ports which had been circulated to the ef-
| feet that it could not be properly heated.
| A board of Army officers who were detailed
| TO inspect the building reported unfavOrably.
| James Evceth, who was for many years the
superintendent, had, however, prepared a
plan by which he thought the building could
be heated, and when this came to the ears
of jefferson Davis he was invited to state
his plan
1t appeared feasible to the Secretary and
was put into execution at a CCSt of only
$4,000 The method has been ia use ever
since. The price paid for the building was
100000.
The troublesome periods of the history
of the country can be traced in the clerical
force employed in this building. 1t was
until about eight years age under the
control of the War Department. The
ordnance office and the quarters of the
Judge Advocate General, the Engineer
Bureau, and the Army Museum were in this
establishment. The Second Auditor, or
Auditor for the War Department, who comes
under the Treasury Department, had the
three upper floors and as this department
was compelled to obtain additional space
elsewhere, it continually sought te in
crease the part of the Winder Building,
which was allotted to them. Various ex-
pedients were used
At one time a man was sent into 4 room
used by a War Department official, and
the occupant was informed that new
carpet was to be laid and new furniture
put in OF course he acquiesced and left
for the night. In the morning he found his
desk and papers in the hal while Treasury
Department clerks feet were reposiBg on
a new desk in the room where he was
accustonled to work. The Second Auditors
man refused to be dislOdged, ard was not.
There was continual war between the
two departments, although the warriors
had the best of the fight for room until
they moved into the handsome State,
War, and Navy building about eight or nine
years ago. This left the Winder Building
in control of the Second Auditor, and to 1T
| were moved all of the files and records OF
the office In times of peace the Second
Auditors office has only medium amount