Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-10
OLD TINE FIRST WARD
Section Of District Which En-
braced Town Of Hamburger.
PRESENTED RURAL ASPECT
Hamburger Peoples Interest in Crea-
ton Of National Capital.
CONDITIONS IN THE YEAR 1877
Some Of the Early Settlers and List Of
Their Holdings-Prevail-
ing Values
PRESENTED RURAL ASPECT
CONDITIONS IN THE YEAR 1877

The southern portion of what was in the
days of the old corporation the first ward,
particularly that portion west of the Presi-
dents grounds and south of F street. long
| after 1t was mapped out In streets, avenues.
| etc.. presented distinctly rural appear
ance, this. too, despite that the town of
| Hamburger, projected before the revolu-
/ tionary war. was included In this section,
| and there had been some attempt to build
! up industries. such as the manufacture of
| glass and similar enterprises. That Ham
| burgh had made some progress toward
| becoming a town is easily inferred from
the names Of the lot owners, and there
| are a few of the original settlers repre-
| scented in the ward through whose descend
| ants come the traditions of Funkstown, as
Hamburger was commonly known.
| At or near the intersection of New York
and Virginia avenues, according to tradi-
| ton. there was quite vineyard In the
| colonial days, and. wine making was en-
gagged in. 1t is known that when the name
as well as the lots in Hamburger were
! absorbed in the projected city that some
of the Hambugh people figured in the real
estate operations in Washington. In the
acts for the transfer of the lands for the
purpose of establishing the capital this
village. we'll as that on the point at the
foot of South Capitol street. was fully rec
ognized, and provision made to protect the
interests of lot holders. That Hamburger.
with its wharf near the foot of 2fst street
in the infancy of the city, was regarded as
a point OF Importance is seen by the act
of 1906 fixing the rate of hack fare from
the Presidents house to Hamburger wharf
at % cents.
The town OF Hamburger was laid off by
Jacob Funk in III on land he purchased
trtxx Loo
be described a paraiellogram exteniiug
from the river to between G and II streets
and from 10Th street to 18th street. This
was laid off in squares and such streets as
High Arch, Market, Persimmon, Walnut,
Locust and Mulberry were designated. rum
ming nearly east and west; Water, Front,
Alley and ID Sd 4th and 9Th streets, nearly
north and south.
Land Partly Submerged.
Some of these squares were partially I'M
der water, which formed semi-circular
basin, into which ran two small streams.
issuing from opposite directions and
teYing about c street.
The river shore to the mouth of the Tiber
was irregular and the water was of con-
siderable depth.
The Washington city canal was for many
years in process of construction. and 1t was
not till 1915 that the Tiber east of 18th
street was confined in its walls. In that
year 1t was formally opened from 18th
street to the Eastern branch, that portion
west of 18th street remaining for some
years In state of nature. With the west
end of the wall, now the Monument
grounds unimproved. and the south
grounds of the President" an open coun-
try. there was little promise of city COM
ing into existence. But the hand of man
was at work and slowly and surely the city
has been built up.
That portion south of street between
18th street. and the observatory grounds,
Notwithstanding what has been said to
the settlement called Hamburger or Funks-
town, was of remarkably slow growth in
the infancy of our corporate existence. ex-
Cepting the eastern and northern edges. 1t
appears that the streets were not graded,
and but few were as good as the old-time
county roads. All Improvement in this sec
ton seems to have halted at the door of
the Octagon house, Col. Taylor's, at the
corner of 18th street and New York ave-
nue., until after 1910. Seventeenth street
south of New York avenue had foot pave
ments early in the century as far as New
York avenue. and below to the wharf,
early known Burns and afterward
Van Ness. 1t was graded in 1905. There
was slight point here on which the wharf
was located, and near II a warehouse, used
subsequently cocoonery. There was
some business done here in the days of
sailing packets, and about 1920 1t was d
landing for the Alexandria steamboats,.
There were, however few buildings in
sight-only house here and there.
Some Early Improvements.
The first Improvement In the square south
of F street and west of 18th street was that
made at the corner of New York avenue
and 18th street In 1897 Col John Taylor
of Virginia bought lots at this corner and
here he built the house subsequently known
as the Octagon house, which for many years
was his residence and once the temporary
executive mansion. President Madison,
when burned out of house and home in
1914, lived there several months. 1t is now
in the custody of the Daughters of the
Revolution, and an interesting museum OF
articles pertaining to the daysswhieh tried
mems souls is maintained there.
By 1900 the following persons had pur-
chased New York avenue lots: George
Small Alex. Mcdonald, William Foxton,
Lewis Clephane William Simmons, J.
Southgate-the latter at the corner of 18th
street-and c. Lovejoy and j. NJ. CANT on
F street. The first valuation of the grounl
was six to eight cents per foot. Col. ray
lor's house was assessed at $4,000; A. Brad
leys, at the corner of 18th street, at $500;
William Foxton $500. and A. Mcdonald
| $780, on New York avenue; and Leonard
Harbaugh, $500 On street By 1872
Charles Glover, Commodore Decatur, J. b.
| Undertake and Thomas Munroe had in
vested here, and the assessments on the
| ground were about the same. Mr.. Bradley
was assessed 81, TOO for improvements; j.
| B. Undertake, S1,200; 4. Sims, S1,400; w.
| Taylor's valuat ton had been reduced to
| $4,000; G. Small, 800, and Mr.. S.mms
| $500, on street.
| About this time Mr. Samuel NJ. Mexican
! long a treasury clerk. came into the prop
| erty on 18th street south of street and,
| erecting fine brick residence moved from
| the neighborhood of 18th and II street s
| This property is still the Mexican resi-
| dence" and some of his family live there.
| Gen. Nathan Towson, postmaster general,
| for a long series of years lived for time
| near the K street bridge on Rock Creek
| but in 1895 he purchased the two lots at
| the northeast corner of the square and
| erected the fine old residence in which he
| spent the latter part of his life.
Columbus Alexander, whose printing Of
| fee was on the site of the Winder building
! in 1874 purchased lots fronting on both
| New York avenue and F street. where he
| afterward established an office with book
bindery attached, the latter conducted by
| Mr.. John Espey For several years this
was one of the leading offices, but In 1857
| the place was destroyed by fire.
Property Values.
The square south was In the early days
owned by DIR. VIM. Thornton and w. II.
| Dorsey, and was assessed at cents per