Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-18
ONLY ONE RAILROAD TO THT CITY
Location of Some of the Hotels of
Former Years.
HOMES OF MEN

tlIlOre ana OhfO-and that landed pas
sengers on the west side of the Tiber I'D
street and Pennsylvania avenue north
west0 The depot was narrow, three
stored brick building, surmounted by a
bell, Of small size, which gave the public
to understand that train would leave ten
minutes prior to the time for starting. On
the west and north sides of the building
extending to street, open sheds afforded
protection from the weather.
The trains left at o'clock am. and $50
pm, and arrived at IL am. and 7:30 Pm;
and the fare then was $3.50 straight, bag
gage extra. There was also train which
came in at am Passengers from the
north Travelled part of the way from New
York by canal, and from the west took
the cars at Cumberland then the terminus
of the road) Between the depot and the
Capitol, on the north side of the avenue,
were mostly ordinary buildings, occupied
by both white and colored, some of them
keeping small stores, shops or saloons.
The land opposite the Botanical Garden
had been but partially improved, the most
Of 1t was marshy ground, and the open
Tiber ccursed to its confluence with the
old washington City canal. The Botanical
Garden then contained. principally, the col
lection made by the Wilkes exploring eX-
petition. West of the depot, on the avenue,
were houses mostly of three stories. used
pIjHcIpdily as DOarulnS houses. Inc west
end Of the square was occupied then as
now by the st. Charles Hotel.
The Steamboat Service.
Between Washington and the south COM
! mEnication was had mostly by the steam
boats, the Augusta of the Mail line con-
| Meeting with the line to Richmond at Aqua
| Creek. arriving at o'clock pm, and leaT-
| ing at 3 am. daily. The OSceola made
| semi-weekly trips to Norfolk in summer
| and weekly trips in the winter months
| The Baltimore route was covered by the
old Columbia. pleasantly remembered by
many old citizens, for 1t was then the
| popular excursion boat for Tuesday after
noon trips as far as Indian Head and re-
| turn.
The Alexandria steamers were the JOS
Johnson and Phenix, which, between them-
| made but four round trips per day. At this
time the steamboat wharves were at the
| foot OF 18th street southwest, and the usual
| route to the heart of the city was up 18th
| street to Maryland avenue, thence to It'll
| and through the mall to Pennsylvania ave-
| nue.. The Washington channel of the Po-
| tomac extended from the Arsenal point
| to the canal at 18th street, and what are
| now the flats were covered with water.
The old-fe shioned stage coach was a IA
| miliar object in the streets, and there was
| considerable travel by these lines. The
| Western or Frederick stage and Winchester
and Warrenton left Hepburn's Hotel on
| Pennsylvania between a. and 9th streets
tri-weekly. The Leesburg and Winchester
and Upper Marlboro left Peck's, near Hep
| burns, tri-weekly, and the Port Tobacco
and Leonardtown, semi-weekly from the
bsame place.
The City Hotel. conducted by A. Full
| Ter & Co., known as Wizards
was collection of dwellings. A few years
later Gin 1S4O it went into the hands of the
Wizards. The Metropolitan was Their
the Indian Queen Hotel, conducted by Jesse
Brown. assisted by his sons who succeeded
him, and it was run by the Browns till
late in the eos. 1t was a three-storied
brick building. and a large figure of ar
Indian queen was the sign in front 1t was
patronized principally by southern custom
ers. The building is now fully three times
larger than then.
| Some Well-knOwn Houses.
Fullers afterward the Kirkwood. located
on the site where the Raleigh now is, wa.
not in existence as a hotel till a few year:
later, the site being occupied by Fuller.
drug store The National was then in CD
Grafton under the management of Col S
5. Coleman, who subsequently conducted
houses in Baltimore and other places 1
was then owned by a company, and as tn,
policy of the management was comfor
before display, 1t was a popular house, ell
1oying the patronage of such men as Joh1
Bell OF Tennessee, John P. Hale of New
Hampshire, E. A. Hannegan Of Indiana
s; S. Phelps of Vermont. General samue
Missouri. Senator Bright of Indiana, ant
many others of note
The United States was then a popula
house, on the north side of the avenu'
between Sd and AZ streets, under the man
| agement of JAS H. Birch. Among its prom
inent guests were John c. Calhoun O
South Carolina, w. T. Colquit of Georgia
and A. Burt of South Carolina
On Pennsylvania avenue near 18th stree
was the European Hotel, better known a.
Gallabrun's afterward the Mansion House
and 1t was quite heightened place.
l vn hov II1tD 81
OF street between Sd and AZ q. M. Gil
bert proprietor), was patronized by mem
Ders OF Congress and their families then
On the northwest corner of Sd and the ave
nue was GadSbys, quite comfortabl,
place This house was for some years run
as boarding house by Mrs. Beveridge
and was popular one. Reverdy johnson
VINO long was In Congress from Maryland
representatives Hampton of New York an(
w. T. Thompson of Kentucky were amons
the patrons On Sd street, above the ave
nue., was the Temperance Hotel, kept b,
Isaac Beers, and it was a cozy home Xix,
place for those who had become converts
to the cause through the Washingtonial
campaign.
The st. Charles had also share of con
gressional patronage. Strange to say, a
) that time there were no hotels in the i'm
mediate vicinity of the Capitol, in place o
' the old hostelries which flourished there
. abouts years before Boarding houses
were, however, numerous on the Hill,
Favorite Stopping Places.
: Eberbach's Columbian Hotel was on tn
southwest corner of Sth and E streets. TIL
; Republican House was on the north side O
D between 9th and 10th northwest A three
stored brick, on the south side of be
tween 18th and 14th streets northwest
was known as the Union Hotel, under tn
management of Abram Butler Gather of tn
. late Ferd. Butler. long years boniface il
the neighborhood Of Pennsylvania avenu
and 14th street,. The Franklin Hotel wa
conducted by Thomas Baker, father of MI
John A. Baker, at the northeast corner o
Sth and D streets, the site of Hoy's Hotel
I This building was destroyed by fire on tn
, night of December %, 1851 Between B
and AZ street, on the north side of tn
avenue, was the Verandah Hotel, con
Quoted by Cotter & Thompson.
On the south side of the avenue, on tn
! square west, was Congress Hall, kept b.
: Maj. P. H. King, well known in local mill
o | tary circles in the early days of the wal
Near by was P. ]. Henning's hotel and tn
| Metropolis House, A. Jenkins, proprietor
| B. Jost carried on the First Ward House
- on the avenue near 18th street, then an
| for many years afterward.
=, The Farmers and Drovers Hotel was a
> the north end Of the Long bridge, an
. | Farmers Headquarters were kept at tn