The times., 1899-02-19
WASHINGTON City
In DAYS long PASSED
Extinguished landmarks That
Old Citizens Remember.
The Northern Liberty Market and
the Raging Canal.
Time Whom = :,nd Fourteenth Streets
Were Mainly t>ed far Private
He-idcncrs.


today realizes this but it is certain that
very few. comparatively. have any idea as
TO the extent Of this expansion during the
last thirty years. 1t is hackneyed sug
gestion thai a large part of this city's pop
ulation is transient, with no memory OF
the city for longer period than a few
years at a time, but this fact. of course.
explains why so few comparatively in 1899
know anything Of the Washington OF
Boss Shepherds time To the business
man who complains that business is duh,
10 the real estate broker who says that
nothing is going OF in building lines and
transfers of realty. the statistics of each
year would undoubtedly be a revelation OF
rapid growth. The changes since 1870 have
been marvellous No growth of any West
ern metropolis has caused = more comp etc
transformation.
Thirty Years Ago.
A business man who came to Washing
ton thirty years ago, in conversation with
a reporter for The Times on this subject
last week, told something of the appear
ance of the city when he arrived. Some
of the matters he alluded TO are here re-
peated.
Business Washington in 1870 was confined
almost entirely TO Pennsylvania Avenue.
Offices were then residence streets entirely.
Among these F Street is a conspicuous
example of the metamorphosis. long
time ago. in the early days of the city,
this street was lined with fashionable resi-
dences. In 1870 d large part of its glory
had disappeared, but it was still devoid of
business houses. Some of the old families
lived in the street and other families of
small fortune without social pretensions.
For the most part, however, the former
family mansions were given over to board
ing houses, of which there were a great
number.
At about this time the Masonic Temple
was built. II was tremendous structure
when il was built, the most imposing pri-
Yste building in the city. II lowered above
all the surrounding private buildings and
was only dwarfed to reasonable and SEEM
ing proportions because il was near the
Interior Department. Opposite to the Ma
sonic Temple, where is now the great
Washington Loan and Trust Building, was
then 4 small but popular hotel, two stories
and an attic in height. Next TO the tenn
pie was old Gonzaga College, small build
ing of two stories. Beyond this all the way
TO Tenth Street was a great vacant lot.
The next tallest building, built at about
this time was Vernon Row, now the bank
building on the corner Of Tenth Street and
Pennsylvania Avenue, opposite The Times
Building All around this building were
the small structures then recently turned
from dwellings into stores and shops. 1t
is noticeable however. that Pennsylvania
Avenue has changed less in appearance in
the last few years than almost any other
street in the city.
Hotel of Old Renown.
At the corner of Twelfth and Pennsyl-
vania Avenue was the old Kirkwood Hotel.
where now is the Raleigh. This building
was remodeled later, and became the Pen
sion Office. After that the Palais Royal
store was located in The structure, which
had been again Temodeled. And only a
few years ago the new hotel took the place
OF the store. .
The only other large private building in
the city at that time was the structure
now occupied by the Southern Railway
general offices, al Thirteenth Street
and the Avenue. This structure is a mon
ument TO the enterprise OF the old Ma
tfonal Republican which in its prosper
Gus days believed that it needed such a
magnificent temple. The paper is now on,y
IN z1Ory, but the building still remains
even now, in the day OF large buildings,
imposing and a credit to the Avenue.
The Corcoran Art Gallery was built soon
after this time With perhaps one or two
exceptions these structures were the only
ones in the city ID the least approaching
the modern idea OF tail buildings. For the
most part the remainder Of the city was
composed Of one, two. and two-and-a-half-
story dwellings.
Changes i'm Fourteenth Street.
Fourteenth Street. now one Of the prin-
ciFal business thoroughfares. has changed
as much as F Street in its character. The
last store in this street. going north. thir-
~ years ago was q little pharmacy run by
sam Lewis between Rhode Island Ave-
uUe and p Street. Beyond that were d few
houses and many vacant lots. 4 one-horse
bobtan car line ran out the street. The
old ball park was at the corner of Six
tCenth and s. On the afternoons when
hall games were scheduled a two horse
ear was taken on the Pennsylvania Ave
nue. line TO carry the crowd of fans" out
TO the park.
Connecticut Avenue was not laid out. A
wilderness of commons filled all the
squares where now the most fashionable
and pretentious residences Of the Capital
are located. Two little frame dwellings
some where near where Connecticut Avenue
would some day run we're the farthest out,
near NJ Street.
The old Stewart mansion was the first
fine house in the fashionable northwest" q"
When it was built hundreds of people went
into the wildernss 10 look al the fine house
erected, as everybody believed in sheer
folly. The strange whim or Stewart was
maryeled at for a long time. The city
surveyor had TO locate the line Of Connecti-
cut Avenue for him before he could build
Columbus Alexander one of the largest
holders of real estate at that time decided
that 1t was useless 10 Keep his Connecticut
Avenue property longer, and il was sold at
auction. The price paid was 3 to 6 cents
a foot. The British Legation stands on
some Of this 3-cent land.
The business firms OF the old Capital
have nearly all disappeared. Barbour &
Hamilton, y. II. Shea, and Browning &.
Middleton, the grocery firms, We're proba-
bly, the largest in that line Of business, and
IL is interesting to note that TWO of them
are still in business. Mr. Thompson's drug
store. IN Fifteenth Street, was in the same
spot as at present. Gait the jeweler was
In the same location as at present, and
the only important jeweler in the city A
Few other Of the leading business lines
were represented by houses now still in
existence. In most such cases however
II not all, the sons of the original proprie-
tors are now conducting The houses founded
by their fathers.
The Northern Liberty Market.
Alexander r. Shepherd was in those DAYS
at The zenith of his fame. Few months
passed that did not witness one of his
dazzling ventures at regenerating the city.
The Northern Liberty Market affair was
one OF the most remarkable OF these The
Old markets were crying disgraces to the
clly. The Northern Liberty was a huddIe
OF dirty. dark, one-story shanties. located
on Mount Vernon Square. One Saturday
night the Boss" put a great gang of men
at work without leave or license and when
Sunday morning came there was nothing
left OF the market but a vacant lot The
RAT hat had fnfa