Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16

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one-fourth that valuation. and no actual
sales for purposes of improvement, appear
to have been made till after 1872.
Property Was Leased.
After that period there were numerous
leases for ten years, with privilege in some
cases to continue the leases for ninety -nine
years. A few. however. bought outright.
Mr.. John Bailey, a clerk In the city post
Office and the original letter carrier. or
penny post" bought at the northwest cor
ner of 7th and G streets in 1917. and erect
ed a dwelling which bore in the twenties
a value of 81 500 and in the thrties value
of $500. Mr.. Bailey was for many years
the only penny post in the city, and In
the course of the day. with horse and gig
assisting, served the entire city. The re-
cipients of mail matter paid 2 cents per
letter and l cent on each paper delivered.
In this work he was succeeded by James
A. Kennedy. who spent the balance of his
life in the service. reaching the position OF
chief clerk and living until nearly eighty
years of age. In the thirties DR.. Joseph
Burrows became the owner of the corner
on which for many years stood Valentine
Karbaugh's drug store
In 1920 James Clephane and BENJAMIN
Oliver secured leases on part Of lot 3.
fronting G street. and F. Brady. David
Martin and William Crandell on lot 4, at
Sth and G streets. Mr.. Clephane was as
sessed 81 900 for improvements Burns heirs
were assessed SEQ and John Gibson was
taxed on $780, The ground rate on 9TH street
was then valued 1T 10 cents. and on other
portions of the square down to cents.
On the northeast corner of Sth and q
streets, in the twenties. when the valua-
ton had reached cents per foot. there
were Noah Stinchcomb and Nathaniel Her
bert assessed for $3.50 each, and Mrs Mat
thews, for 5000 Ten years after James
CampbeIrs heirs were assessed on 81 600,
Improvement midway between 9Th ana 9tn
streets.
Section North Of G Street.
North of G street. on It'll street, prior to
1920, was property owned by Francs Burke.
a well-known printer. and William Queen.
colored. John Esehbach also owned prop
erty there paying at the rate of $1,000.
Aaron Van Coble and Mrs. Catherine Noyes,
in the early twenties, bought parts of lot IA
near the corner of street. which they
improved with two dwellings costing $1,000
each. Later Mr.. Eschbach bought the cor
ner of H street, and r. MacCloskey leased
part of lot near G street, on which was
5000 Improvement. On Sth street, north OF u
street. David Martin. Jos. Dove, j. M. var
mum, David Shoemaker, B. Machln, Abigail
c. Pierce John Golden and r. A. Golden had
property which reached Fl street. Some OF
this was improved, Joseph Dove paying
taxes on 5000, Abigail c. Pierce on SLIGO
and John Golden on $780, Samuel Dove. Q
carpenter, lived there then, as did MIR. Shoe
maker, a clerk in the general land office.
Mrs. Shoemaker was a member OF the
Pierce family who established Pierce's Mills
on Rock creek in 1885. and was a sister
of Joshua Pierce. who established the Hos
pital for Foundlings, on 18th street. and
was a leading nurseryman-the proprietor
of Linnean Hill nurseries-for years. Mr..
Shoemaker was the grandfather of Louis
p. Shoemaker.
To property on the west side of Sth street
south of H street. in 1918. William Holloran,
w. Rea, w. D. Furlong, James Delany and
William Gallant had leases, with right to
purchase. and in the twenties Simeon Bas-
sett bought near the corner OF 9Th and II
streets and put up $500 shop. while VIII
liam Gallant had $3.50 improvement.
carpenter shop, on the corner. In the thir-
ties Mr.. Bassett was assessed for 800,
81 400 Mr.. Collins for $780, w. D. Furlong
for $500, Delaney's heirs for $500. and g.
Stewart for 5000. In the twenties Mary
Hines. T. L. Mitchell and w. Deming had
simple property on 9th street. In 1924 Mr..
Demipg was assessed for $500. and ten years
later Gen. Van Ness owned the property
assessed in the same amount. and Mr.. Hin
ton paid taxes on $500. The corner lot. 9th
Kirkwood and Brashears. and after 2. p.
Brashears took 1t an assessment OF $500
was laid in the Van Ness name for improve
ments.
Erected House Of Worship.
In 1929. on the east side of 9th street
above G street, the first house OF worship
OF the Fourth Presbyterian Church was
erected and opened on. March 1 Of that
year. Rev. J. N. Danforth being the sup
ply minister. This church was frame
structure. 40 by 80 feet. and the space was
then amply sufficient for the congregation.
there being but twenty-three original men,
bers. Here DR.. DanfOrth ministered to the
communicates till 1885,. when he was ap-
pointed the agent Of the colonization So
ciety for New England. Rev. Mason Noble
accepted q call to New York. Rev. John
C. Smith came next, serving the church
till his death in 1878. 1t was in the early
years OF DR.. Smiths passionate In 1910 that
the brick house OF worship. on the oppo-
site side Of 9th street, was erected. and It
was dedicated In June. 1S41 This was
RACED and business houses are on its site,
the congregation having new edihce on
Yale and l4th streets, Mt Pleasant.
Between II. ]. 7th and 9Th streets, 1
cent per foot valuation was reduced to
one-fourth, In the first decade OF the CEN
fury. when the ten lots were In the names
Of Burns heirs. Benjamin StOddert and r.
T. Lowndes. There were few transfers till
about 1920, when the ground was valued
at from to 9 cents per foot. Benjamin
Cory, in 1879 took lease OF lot S, at the
southwest corner of It'll and I streets. and
in the twenties it stood In the name oof
D. Embree. assessed in $500 improve
ments. Before that time one Of the Kier-
nan taverns was on lot 1. at the northwest
corner of 7th and H streets. which in 1921
was leased to r. Clark, and two years later
w. Deming obtained fourth interest In
the lot. In 1924 Kiernans heirs were as
sessed on 81, $50; Towson, $780, and w.
Deming or w. Hand, $500. John Cooper
paid on $50 on lot 10. adjoining Kiernan's
lot.
Founded Orphan Asylum.
In 1920 John Hines had a lease on part
of the last-named lot, as did also Noah
-Stincheomb, and the following year Paulus
Thyson and George Ailer bought part of
the lot north, on part of which was the
Washington City Orphan Asylum. This
asylum had been organized in 1915, for
supporting and instructing orphans, main
ly through the munificence of Mrs. Van
Ness. the sole heir Of Dayy Burns the
land owner Over this she presided till her
death, about 1892 and was associated in
the work with Mrs. Gales. Mrs. Lee. Mrs.
Brown, Mrs. E. B. Caldwell Mrs. Commo-
dore Tingey, Mrs. Joseph Wheaton, Mrs.
JoSanh Meehlin Mrs lear MrS