The Washington times., 1903-04-26
MARKET
Il GOT A NAME
THAT'S IN a name?
NJ Many have wondeEed, per

NJ Many nave WOnQekedy per
haps, at the name Northern
Liberty Market affixed TO the old pro-
duce market at X, L. and Fifth Streets.
The market was instituted during re
construction days, and it would not be
illogical to ind in the appellation
Northern Liberty" a tribute Of the new
South to the principles OF Northern
emancipation just then being put in ap-
plication.
At consideration Of the name, visions
of a sbrewd bid for patronage from a
population Just coming into closer con-
tact with Northern spirit and methods
may arise, visions OF ole bTack NAM
mics" thronging the market booths with
capacious baskets ready TO be filled with
fresh vegetables and meat and game
but such imaginings must fade into thin
air.
Or, it might be supposed that the,
word Liberty was merely inserted as
q patriotic reference TO the genius Of
the American nation, and the word
Northern" had reference merely to the
zotatlD1 tA AiiE mai Mt III iilt ubE tlCi II
quarter of the city.
But such surmises are all far from
the truth.
Some sixty years ago a spot near the
present location of the Public Library
Building. and two squares distant from
the present 80 ofthern Liberty Mar
ket," was occupied by the barn which
housed the fire engine OF the neighbor-
hood volunteer fire company
In those days before the war, fire en-
gines had pet names of their own. and
this one reioiced in the Northern Lib
erty-" When the market was founded,
years later. it took the name of the
famous old fire fighter of the District,
So says Mr. Bohrer, present superin-
tendent Of the market. who has been
connected with it for the last fifteen
years.
But the question remains, Where did
the engine get its name?
Few in the city could answer such a
question. The speculations applied 10
the name of the market are equally as
unsatisfactory when transferred to that
of the fire engine.
John J Peabody, of 916 L Street,
an oldest inhabitant," who was q mem
ber OF the Northern Liberty Volunteer
Fire Company from its beginning n
1s41. and who knows more about ante
bellum days in Washington than proba-
bly, any other man in town, recalls the
fact that sixty-five years ago that part
of Washington, which, like many an
other now linked TO the city, was a
settlement distinctly separate from the
city proper, was founded by families
from district once q similar suburb OF
Philadelphia, and from which the name
North" or Northern Liberty" was
taken. Further than this concerning
the name deponent knoweth and careth
not
But apart from the subject OF its
name the status Of the old market gives
1t an Importance as one Of the city's old
landmarks that warrants a short sketch
of its history.
When Governor Shepherd entered
upon his regime Of municipal renova-
ton, the wretched. filthy stalls of the
old open market on Mount Vernon
Square, near the present site of the
Public library Building, were among
TIE STRUCTURES GUA-ASl4AA4E1- AZ 10 -
they were torn down, being property Of
the District government. Nine men who
had held booths in this market de-
cided it would be a profitable business
venture to institute new market in bet
Ter quarters, and receiving authority by
act OF Congress resolved themselves, in
sTanuary of 1874, into "The Northern
Liberty Market Company. Of the Dis
1rict OF Columbia" The men were
George ". King, John r. Kelly, Theo-
dore Barnes, James A. Hoffman, 3. z.
Elliott, John Dunn. William Linkins,
and John Hammond, Of whom some are
still living In May, 1874, arrangements
were entered into for the procuring Of
Savage Square, the lot lying between I
and K Streets. east Of Fifth It was
then owned by an eccentric old gentle
man, known as "oId man Savage" who,
among other things, was warm TEN
perance advocate. The story Is told
that the workmen who laid the bricks
Tor the old mans residence s#ore a Jest
ing <ow that he should never go in OF
out Of his door without being under Iiq-
uor, and fulfilled the threat by waIling
in a bottle of whisky over the Intel
OF the door.
On August :. 1874. the contract for
the building was awarded 10 Richard
Morgan On bid Of S41, $50. The edince,
as planned by Architect McGiu, was
325 feet long and 125 feet wide. There
we're no interior columns. the roof be-
ing supported by fifteen circular steel
1russes, with the same breath as the
floor and q height Of 35 feet. At the
time OF its completion 1t was the second
largest building OF It's kind in the
world.
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