Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-19
BACK TO YEAR 1895
Construction of First Habitatlon
in Square 457.
ASSESSED VALUES IN 1903
Twenty-Six Lots, 0ne-Half Owned by
United States Government.
OLD.TIME WASHINGTON DATA
Advances in Price Shown in 1885
and Later-Some Of the Prop
erty Holders.

The first habitation to be erected in
the square between D, E, 9Th and 7th
streets, in which Odd Fellows Hall is To-
Gated, known as square 457, was built
about the year 1795. The structure was
on lot Is, on E street, in which Andrew
Jameson resided. Two years later James
Maitland was in possession. The former
was assessed on $500 and the latter 500 for
improvements in 1903.
In that square there were twenty-six orig
inal lots; and in the partition between the
original proprietor, Burns. and the United
States the former took lots at the north
east and southeast corners and the United
States the other corners. When the corr
pOration assumed Jurisdiction the valuation
OF the ground was three and five cents, and
IN 1867 three cents was fixed for the whole
square. AS before stated improvements
were. In 1903. listed to Jamison $6oJ and
Maitland 500 on lot 49, In 1907 John Cation
was assessed on $50 near the corner of 7th
and + streets. and John Major on $3.50 at
9Th and E streets In 1903 Robert McClan
acquired lot 20, now included in the site
Of the Stewart building at the corner of
9th and ID streets. 1t Is not known exactly
when or by whom the building long known
as the Hewitt house was erected. But when
1t was demolished, to make room for a
more modern structure, in removing the
thirteen coats of paper from the walls. a
name with the date 1904 was found written
on the wall. 1t was a three-story and attic
brick house. In 1909 it was purchased by
Washington Boyd United States marshal
who lived there few years. and in 1915 it
was bought with adjoining lots on the
corner and on D street by Mr.. VIM.
Hewitt. the city register, who resided there
until his death in the late thirties. Gen.
his law office in a two-story building adj
joining on the south. Crutchet, noted chef
Of his day, occupied the house in the six
ties, having Gen. Winfield Scott and other
Wallach after the war resided and had his
law office there, and for several years be-
fore it's demolition there were a number
of law offices in the building. among them
Cole.
Owners on 7th Street.
John Cation, John Clary and Patrick
Donohoo in 1907 were owners of lot 49,
on 7th street, south Of E street. the former
being assessed on only $50. He, however
improved the valuation in the twentes by
$3.50 In 1904 John Major had a lease on
lot % on 9th street. and in 1907 house
worth $3.50. This lease he assigned to
Brooke Edmonston in 1913, and the latter
acquiring the title in full. erected thereon
house valued at $500. which, before the
thirties, gave way to brick residence as
sessed at $3.50. 1t was long the residence
of the family and heirs Major acquired,
In 1913, the adjoining lot on the south on
which, In the twentes. he was assessed on
500 improvement, as was Thomas F. An
derson. In the thirties each had fine two
story basement and attic brick dwelling
of the assessed value of 81, 300. Mr.. Major
was carpenter and builder and erected the
house as his home. Mr.. Anderson, a clerk
in the Office of the controller Of the treas
ury for nearly half a century, lived there
until he was nearly ninety years Of age.
Vol 10
in 1918 bought part of lot 16 and all Of lot
II on E street. and there he resided during
the Monroe administration. when It was one
of the social centers of the capital. His
property was assessed at $4,000 Senator
James Barbour Of Virginia, Secretary of
War and minister to England under Presi-
dent ]. Q. Adams, next owned it. His
reputation as hospitable Virginia gentle
man was fully sustained there.
The Catons-John, a halter, and Michael
printer-were neighbors. The latter is well
remembered as one Of the old-tme print
ers long connected with the Congressional
Globe, and one of the original members Of
the Oldest Inhabitants. Before 1920 the
house adjoining the Hewitt residence on 9th
street was owned by Capt Philip Mauro,
one of the first auctioneers, and a leading
spirit in military affairs, being long COM
mander of the German Yeagers, the first
German military company in the city. At
the southeast corner Of 7th and E streets
was a grocery conducted by one Lowry,
in the teens of the century. the building
being a three-story brick. valued in the
twenties at $1,000. Messrs. Semmes Il
Picknell became the owners about 1920, and
were in the grocery business there until
the thirties. when #. F. Beall and S. N.
Washburn successfully carried on the bust
ness. In the forties ]. D. Evans. a merchant
tailor was located there. The dwelling por-
ton of the building was, in the twenties,
the residence of Mrs. M. Smith, and after
ward John Suter, a post office clerk, lived
tl,z haf fhn tfno
In a frame house near the site Of Odd Fell
lows Hall was the grocery and feed store
of Thomas lowering. one of the conven-
fences being an ancient pump OF fine water.
1t was for many years a great resort for
country people. In the twenties. in addition
to those mentioned.were Mr.. Michael Flani-
gan, at the corner of It'll and d streets. and
on the latter street, Washington Lewis, a
well known gunsmith, one OF the leading
Odd Fellows of his day, and on 9th street
lived John and James Bowen; the first
named a guard at the Jail, and the latter
constable who, for many years. was a
conservator Of the peace in the auxiliary
guard and in corporation service.
Appreciated in Value.
Nv 1885 the ground had appreciated to
sixty cents per foot on the corner of 7th
at D and streets down to rs cents in
other portions and the interior lots were
down to eight cents in value. In the latter
at that period was a hog wallow, and
though the law prohibited swine going at
large the animals did not know 1t, and the
people were averse to proceeding against
their neighbors hogs. consequently little
there was to prevent hog wallowing, other
than the infrequent attempts to capture
the animals by the corporate police, and by
the mischievous pranks of the boys. 1t Is
related by some old residents that the place
In question was as attractive for the fun
loving as was Odd Fellows Hall In the
height of old-time negro minstrelsy dec
ade later. Some few there are who recall a
certain occasion when a large specimen Of
live pork was saddled and q marine In uni
form successfully rode the animal down the
street to the market when the marine fell
or was thrown OF amid the laughter of
hundreds.
That the lots facing the streets named
had improved the valuations by the as
SCISSORS show: M. Flanagan listed for 81 900.
Thomas lowering. 81 400. and Semmes &.
Pickrell $1,000 on 7th street; John Cation
s. ,OOO James Barbour $4,000 William Ben
ming s., 900, G. p. Maxwell $3.50. on E street i:
G. c. Grammer $3.50. Brooke Edmonston
heirs 81 $50 John Major $780, T. F. Ander-
son s., 300. P. Mauro 100 and w. Hewitt
s., 500 On 9Th street. and c.. Lyons $500, Han
nah Allen 81 900, T. L,o-d 81 100, NJ LETTERS
500, s. Bacon $1,000. and ]. A. Kennedy
800, on D street.
At 7th and D Streets.
About 1885 the corner of 7th and ID
streets. lot 8, was owned by John Walker.