Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-31
in JUDICIARY SQUARE
Old Time Buildings Occupied
by Lawyers.
NOTABLE STRUCTURES
ONCE THE RESIDENCES OF PRoMI-
NENT WAsHINGToNIANS
Up-to-Date Office Buildings Recently
Added-The Bench and
the Bar.

The city hall, as is well remembered by
the older inhabitants and as was recently
stated in a. published article by one of
them, was two score years ago the hub of
the town. the head-center of all the mu-
nicipal judicial, business and social activi-
ties of the city. This writer added:
THE courts, the city councils, the mayor
and all the other municipal officers were
quartered there All the great public
meetings were held in front of the city hall
The eminent lawyers naturally sought resi-
dence in its neighborhood, and within a
stones throw We're housed most Of the no
table people of the city. There We're the
Seatons, Bradleys, Taylors, McGuires,
Weightmans, Wallachs, Fendalls, Helens.
Blakes. Grammars, Browns, Halls, Gun
tons, Forces, Keys, Parkers, CoXes, Ben
tons, Davidges, Towers, Perrys, Maurys,
Shusters, Carlisles, Lenoxes, Guilds and
BacOnS.
THE leading statesmen of the period, in
GLIDING the great trumvirate, Clay, Web
ster and Calhoun, all quartered here
AS the eminent lawyers naturally sought
residence in the neighborhood of the city
hall years ago so have the majority of the
practicing attorneys located their offices III
the same locality of late. Nearly all Of the
structures in which were housed most of
the notable people of the city half CEN
fury ago are today the business headquar-
tiers Of the disciples of Blackstone. In fact,
Judiciary Square, along the south edge of
which the city hall is situated, may be de-
scribed as a rectangle bounded on the
north by the pension bureau building and
on the east. south and west by lawyers Of
fees. Not only do those on 9TH street, 4th
street D street, Indiana avenue and Louis-
ana avenue bear the signs of attorneys-at
law, but most of the houses do also on
John Marshall place, E street and F street
near the city hall.
There is reason for this congregating.
The city hall is the place where a great
part of the lawyers business is transacted,
and therefore he has chosen to establish
himself within easy reach thereof.
Ancient and Modern Buildings.
The structure on D street adjoining the
Police Court and once. owned and occupied
by Daniel Webster, has the sign webster
Law building on it's outer front wall The
rooms of the historic edifice are now occu-
pied by lawyers for Office purposes. The
demand for modern Office rooms in the city
hall neighborhood has been active that
several thoroughly up-to-date structures
have been erected there within a few years
past. One of these is the Columbian build
ing at 416 9Th street facing the city hall. 1t
is an attractive editice, and, having been
built especially for lawyers purposes, sell
dom has a room vacant. Mr.. A. B. Duvall,
the corporation counsel of the District of
Columbia. has his offices there.
Next door to the Columbian building, ON
the south, is another modern office struc-
ture. 1t is the Century building and was
built by the law firm of Hamilton & Col
bert, who retained an entire floor for their
own uses. The construction of this build
ing was novel in this city, the walls, parti-
tons and floors being of cement.
The two-story brick structure which is of
considerable depth and which is directly
south of the Century building, is jointly
owned by Mr.. ]. j. Darlington and Mr..
Lambert, and is occupied, one floor each,
nv Ny To 1i nd Nv 7
and Baker.
The Fendall building, at the southeast
corner of d street and John Marshall place
is popular with lawyers. 1t is provided
with many conveniences, including a metal
vault for each suite of rooms. The demand
for offices was so great that it was found
desirable few years ago to add materially
to the height of the Fendal building
The Gunton building, on Louisiana avenue
near 9th street. is also occupied by lawyers
and the same holds true of large number
of other spacious structures.
Lawyers Must Eat.
An interesting occasion each week day in
the city hall neighborhood is the lunch
hour, when the attorneys, who constitute a
small army, take brief respite from their
labors and attend to the wants of the inner
person The several courts usually take a
daily recess from 1870 o'clock to 1 o'clock,
and the judges and most of the attorneys
partake of their midday repast at that time
A cafe which has been established in the
basement of the city hall is largely patron
lied. The judges of the courts are supplied
with luncheon from this cafe, their respect
i've messengers taking the viands on trays
to the consultation room, where the men,
berS of the court, as a rule lunch together
and at the same time discuss matters re-
lating to their duties The United States
attorney and his assistants, the United
States marshal, the register of wills and
other officials located in the building also
lunch in their rooms. their messengers act
ing as walters. One of the rooms allotted
to the city hall cafe is set apart for mem
bers of the bar. 1t has permanent cliten-
tele, and interesting things are heard each
day when the lawyers assemble there dur
ing the recess hour of the courts
At the northwest corner of 9TH and D
streets Is a lunch room under the same
mana cement as Is the city hall cafe. 1t has
steadily increased in size from Que small room
to a suite of four. 1t is not only patronized
by lawyers but by the officials and en-
ployes of the District government, the Dis
trict building being located just across the
street from 1t.
A New Establishment.
new establishment, only few months
old, is known as the Dutch Inn. 1t is on
9Th street, few doors north of the Column
bian building, and has been success from
the day it was opened. 1t is tastefully
fitted up and is usually crowded between
the hours of IL and 1 o'clock, being visited
by many employees of the pension bureau
well by legal lights.
In the city hall neghborhood are a num-
Der of other places where food is served
and the present indications are that none
of them will go into bankruptcy. The gath
erings at these places are always of pleas
ant character. although the talk that is
heard is mostly of "shop." Cases are dis
cussed and stories of happenings in the sew
eral courts snapped In fact, the members
of the bar keep in touch with one another
more closely by these lunch-time meetings
than through any other means