Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-01-29
SITE OF NAVY YARD.
Known in Washington Records as
Reservation No. II.
1t Has an Interesting History Which
In Most Interestingly Related by
an Old District Res
ident.
Especial Washington Letter.l

IT. HIS is the story of Reservation
A." as described on the origi-
nal maps of the city of Wash
ington, by the engineer L'Enfant, in
1892, confirmed by Washington, March
2. 1897, and adopted by congress in
several enactments.
The various land reservations pro-
posed by the wonderful genius who
planned this beautiful capital city are
numbered on the maps, and their pro-
posed uses described in voluminous
notes which accompanied the draw
ings. Preservation 14'' was set apart
for a navy yard, and it was the pur-
pose of the delineator that there
should also be located there ship
building plants of magnitude BETTING
the great nation which he believed
would grow upon this continent.
The navy yard has always been and
is vet located on Reservation H." and
there is there in operation SPLEEN
did gun factory; but the ship build
ING of the nation has almost always
been done by contracting parties in
other seacoast cities. The eastern
branch of the Potomac, where the
navy yard is located, is nowadays so
shallow that it would not float mod
ern cruiser, while a battleship would
have a hard time coming any further
up the river than Alexandria.
This reservation is about mile and
a quarter southeast of the capitol
building, and was originally in the
tract known as 1.-The Prout FARM" but,
when the yard was authorized, under
an appropriation made in 1899, addi-
tional land was found necessary ard
the two triangular squares westward,
numbered SS3 and SS4, were purchased
of the commissioners, Scott and
Thornton, for $4,000. The conveyance
recited that the land was ''for the
sole use and behoof of the said United
States forever"
There is an impression that some of
the officers residences in the yard
were once connected with the Prout
farm, but, as will be seen by the dia-
gram, but two of the buildings of Mr..
Prout came within the navy yard line,
and these disappeared years ago. The
first building for officers was erected
in the yard in 1901, and for many years
was occupied by Capt. Cassin, and is
known now as 1.-The captains house "
The residences for the commandant
and other officers were built in 1904.
The mansion house of William Prout
was large brick fronting on Eighth
street, north of M street, originally
two stories in height and AZ by 43 feet
in size. The barns were of frame, one
As by "a feet, another 40 by "a. The
smaller buildings were built of logs.
Many old citizens remember the man
sion as having been the home of the
Otterback family for years, it having
been purchased of Mr.. Prout in the
thirties; but the site is now used for
a car barn by the Capital Traction
company. The graveyard was in Geor
gia avenue and M street, % by 81 feet
in dimensions, and from the stories
told by old men, who as boys played
about the tombstones, it was well pop
ulated. 1t will be observed that in
the form of square $50, in the cut, the
lower angle does not appear, and the
explanation is that the graveyard was