Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-14
An Interesting Bit of Ground on
Pennsylvania Avenue.
LAND PROPOSED FOR THE LIBRARY
Record of an Offer for a NUM-
c'paI Building Site.
THE CENTER MARKET SPACE


Andrew Carnegie on the triangle in front
of the Center market arouse interest once
more in the subject of the title to that
ground. The land is now believed to be
owned by the municipality. That suppose
ton underlies the bill prepared yesterday
by the District Commissioners and offered
in the House permitting the construction of
the library building on that site. 1t is also
to be recollected that until lately there was
a decided sentiment in some quarters in
favor of the use of this same site for the
new city building. When that proposition
was before Congress the matter was con-
sidered at length by the board of trade
committee on public buildings, and a re-
port submitted to the board, under
date of March -, 1894 which bears inter-
District governments search for a home,
but upon the ownership of this triangular
piece of ground north of the market. The
report follows:
Early Quarters.
The accommodations of the municipal
authorities at the national capital appear
to have been of a peripatetic nature until
December 20, 1904, when the councils rent
ed the Masonic building, on the southwest
corner of Az and d streets, for corporation
uses. Appropriations for house rent appear
WIN ullNarVlnS regularity thencefOrWard
until ISL. In the fall of 1914 the budding
greatness of the federal capital had so far
impressed upon its inhabitants the notion
that the municipal dignity required accom-
modations for the transaction of the city's
business more nearly commensurate with
the Importance of the city as the political
center of a mighty and growing nation
that they resolved to build a city hall.
A Local Lottery.
BY the act of February 80 1915, 1t was
decided to raise by lottery $4,000 for the
purpose of building a town house or city
hall From time to time similar predatory
action was taken by the councils until
April 1, 1920, when the matter came to
head by an ordinance authorizing the may
or to advertise for plans and specifications
for a city hall to cost 500 900 The first
plan of George Hatfield was so elegant and
magnificent that the councils were COM
PEELED in the interest of economy to reject
it. Mr.. Hatfield subsequently modified and
reduced his plans until they became prac-
ticable, and on July IA, 1920, the corpora
ton authorized the advertisement and con-
tracing for the erection of so much of the
building according to Hattield's plans as
the commissioners in charge of the work
thought expedent, directing that the cor
ner stone be laid on or before the oath day
OF August ensuing.
The Court Building.
This measure resulted in the erection of
the comedy Ionic structure at the intersec-
ton of Az street, Louisiana and Indiana
avenues, now occupied by the District
courts, which cost S14S, -, about $50, 900
of which was reimbursed by Congress in
various ways exclusive of the $4,000 sub
sequently paid for the total surrender of
the Districts interest in the building.
The city appears in 1871 for the last time
as tenant for quarters of its city faith
ers, but seems to have beer compelled
to receive boarders to enable it to bear
the heavy expense 1t incurred in it's strug-
gle to keep up appearances, for we find
the city endeavoring to get occupants for
the rooms in the building not needed
for the municipal offices, and eventually
succeeding in inducing the courts to take
up their quarters there.
Municipal Consolidation.
This joint occupancy continued until 1871,
when the local government of the entire
District of Columbia was consolidated into
one municipal corporation, known as the
District of Columbia. The mayor and city
council continued to occupy the building
until the LIST of June of that year. but the
governor and board of public works thought
1t better to occupy rented buildings, and
the city hall was therefore never used by
the authorities of the new municipality, ex-
cept by the surveyor.
The Governors Message.
Inc governor III Ills ufSl message 10 the
legislative assembly, in June, 1871, dis
cussed at length the inadequacy of the city
hall for the accommodation of both the
municipal authorities and the courts, and
recommended that the interests of the Dis
trict in the city hall be disposed of and the
proceeds used for the commencement of the
erection of a new municipal building on
one of the reservations. On January .,
1873, the governor and board of public
works memorialized Congress- representing
that $4,000 would be just and reasonable
sum to appropriate as the value of the Dis
trictS interest in said building, and asked
for an appropriation of that amount. They
submitted a statement of the justices of
the Supreme Court of the District made
under date of February 10, 1872, showing
the need of the court for all the room i'll
the building. Congress recognized the
sage of the following provision in the de-
fciency appropriation of the act of March
3. 1878:
The Market Site.
For the purchase by the United States
of the interest of the District of Columbia
in the present city hall building in Wash
ington, now used solely for government
purposes, such sum as may be determined
by three impartial appraisers, to be select
ed by the Secretary of the Interior, not
exceeding $4,000, the same to be applied
by said District only for the erection of a
suitable building for the District Offices and
the governor and board of public works are
authorized, if they deem it advisable for
that purpose, to make arrangements to Sc
cure sufficient land fronting on Pennsyl-
Vania and Louisiana avenues, between 18th
and 9th streets; provided, that the govern
ment of the United States shall not be
liable for any expenditure for said land, or
for the purchase money therefor, or for the
buildings to be erected thereon, and no land
or the use thereof is hereby granted for the
purpose of erecting any building thereon for
such purpose.
The Land Described.
Pursuant to the authority given by this
provision, an agreement was made on
March IS. 1873, between the Washington
Market Company and the board of public
works by which the company was to trans
fer, as site for a suitable building for
District offices, all its right title and in
terest in the following portion of the reser-
Walton at the intersection of It'll street and
Pennsylvania avenue.
Beginning at the southwest corner of
9TH street and Pennsylvania avenue thence
westerly along the southern side of Penn
sylvania avenue to its intersection with
the southerly side of Louisiana avenue:
thence westerly along the southerly side
OF Louisiana avenue to the east side of 9th