Evening star., 1901-09-06
SOME OLD-TIME BUILDINGS
DISCUSSION AT LAST MEETING OF
OLDEST INHABITANTS.
Statement by Mr.. James CrOggOn
and Others Respecting Pennsyl-
yania Avenue Structures.

The Oldest Inhabitants Association held
it's regular monthly meeting at room No. l.
Corcoran building, Wednesday evening, Mr..
John Marbury, jr. presiding, and Mr.. Ben
jamin w. Reiss serving as secretary.
DR.. Howard presented a letter from the
family of the late Joseph Prather, for many
years treasurer of the association, acknowl-
edging the receipt of the resolutions OF
coincidence and the memorial card sent by
the association. MIR. John T. Sullivan OF
211 G street northwest was elected mem
ber of the association.
Mr.. ]. Richard Riggles, the treasurer,
made a. statement of the finances, and
urged the Importance Of paying the dues
and bettering the condition of the treasury.
Mr. Reiss referring to the tearing down
of the old Mansion Hotel on PennsylVanla
avenue between 14th and 10th streets, sald
he had heard that the late Joseph Wizard
was wont to point out the front room at
the east end of the building as that in
which Santa Anna was held when priS-
oiler during the Mexican war. Several eX-
pressed doubts as to Santa Anna having
been brought to Washington, put otnefS
declared he was.
Mr. James Croggon said it was true
that VIM. Lowell was at this house in 1907,
and the city government was organized
there. Mr. ReiSS asked whether any por-
the war, as had been intimated.
Mr. Dllinger said he was sure the build
ing had covered the entire lot-lU feet
front-since he had known it. from the
latter part of the thirtieS and the western
part looked old even then.
Mr.. CroggOn said he had made some in
vestigation and had found that Mr.. Nc
LeOd had a hotel there in 1913, and that Col
John Strother of Virginia was the land
lord before going into the houses erected
at the corner. The property in the early
days of the century was owned by Tappan
Webster, John MCGOWAN and others, and
some of the descendants of the latter state
that he kept public house there after
Mcleod moved to Capitol Hill. Mr.. Nc
GOwan was master painter, he said, VINO
was engaged at work on the Presidents s
mansion and the Van Ness home when in
1916 he met his death by falling from
scaffold while painting the ceiling of the
Presidents porticO, breaking his neck.
Continuing, Mr.. Croggon said: Stroth-
ers occupied the Mansion House before
1920 and Alex Sanford was on the 14th
street site but the latter's house then
known the Mansion Hotel and the for
mer the Washington Hotel. Before 1900
there was a tavern at the corner kept by
Walter Stewart. The building now being
demolished was. after StrOthers gave 1t
up, kept by Williamson, and about 1880
by the Fullers.
Conducted Stage Line.
Azariah Fuller first engaged in running
stage line between this city and Balti
more, having his residence in a two-story
brick 18th street north of the buildings
used as a hotel.
The hotel consisted of several brick
buildings, whose walls were pierced, turning
them into one the center one being used
the office, and they were erected by Col.
John Tayloe, father of Col. B. Ogle TaylOe,
the first president of the Oldest 1nhab-
itantS.
+Cl, +oo,
cussion, said he had heard of Fuller in
both places. and he remembered Gallabrun,
John Hands, Daniel Rowland and COburn
having been at the Mansion House, re-
marking that some high-toned people pa
trOnized the house.
Mr.. CrOggon said the Fullers were at the
18th street corner till 1886 when, the Post
Office Department having been burned out,
the government leased the building for a
year two, the Fullers going up to the
Mansion House and returning to 14th
street in time to entertain Charles Dickens
In 1880. The FulleTs remained here till
1877, when the WillardS came, the house
under their name being opened in October
of that year with a dinner. at which were
some of the most prominent men of the ma
ton.
As Mr.. DelIinger stated. continued Mr.
Croggon, the west part of the old Mansion
House was not of recent build. though it
must have been erected after the eastern
part was up. There We're west of this site
tending up 18th street. and he had found
the record of their destruction by fire, Feb
ruary l, 1851.
Mr. Genau said he remembered that a
COlOred shoemaker one of the best of his
day, did a good business there, and he was
in the habit of saying that he was the sue
cessOr of Mr.. COrcOran.
Declined to Name Price.
Mr.. Reiss said he had also learned that
Mr.. Jos. c. Willard had asked Mr.. COrcOran
his price for the land on which the Cor
coran building stands, and he had declined
to name price, saying that as it was the
first piece of property he had invested in
in Washington he intended to keep it.
There were other buildings Mr.. Croggon
here stated, facing the treasury. One was
a brick house, in which John Grove. a gun
smith and blacksmith, did a good business.
Mr.. Delinger said the billings were also
there in a store.
Mr.. CrOggOn remarked that Jerry Sullivan
kept stOneyard there. with a goody dis
also lived there. An English matchmaker,
ThOs. Thompson, he said, was as well
known as the father of a large family of
young children as he was as a rst-class
workman. In the thirties Mr.. John T. Sui
liVan of Philadelphia furnished the depart
ments with blank books and kept his office
and depot in this house.
On the corner of 14th street he added,
W
Kennedy kept a store, and which was af-
terward occupied by Mrs. Laub. On the
east were several residences, those of the
Callan family, occupied since 1904; the
Causten and Mrs. Wilson. The neighbor-
hood was a faVOrite one for public houses
eighty years ago, he said. as is shown by
the tavern of Simon Bassett, c. street near
10th street, and those of VIM. Bowling j.
Dumbeton, John Doherty and Abram But
Ter, on f street between 18th and 10Th
streets. The French minister about this
time moved from 18th and Is streets to a
large frame building of the colonial style at
the southwest corner of 14th and G. streets
afterward occupied by Mrs. Stewart
Mr.. ReiSS said he remembered this build
ing. 1t torn down but few years
before the civil war
Mr. NailOr said that there was a periodi-
cal store somewhere near the corner and
about 1857 John ID. Hammacks restaurant
was there located. Mr.. CrOggon answered
that the periodical store was kept by Mr..
John Bishop, who is now living in Balti-
more, and is over ninety years of age. Mr..
COrcoran bought the site of the Corcoran
building in the forties, and soon had a
three-story brick building at the corner OF
r street, the first story of which was used
for business purposes, the second by the
Attorney General and the third by the first
auditor of the treasury. Thos l.. Smith
Mr.. Marbury gave an interesting talk of
his schoolboy days in Georgetown, when he