Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-26
Price Paid Was $1,000 and for I'm
provements, $11,s53.91.
VALUATIONS IN SQUARE WEST
Story Of Tenant Who Paid No Rent
and Demanded Pay for
Key Of House.

early days. 1t Is historical as the site OF
the famous Great Hotel, projected by Sam
uel Blodgett, anterior to 1900 and which
proved to be anything else than hotel.
In February, 1893, there appeared in the
public prints the announcement that the
drawing of Federal Lottery. No. / would
take place the following September; that
the purpose was to raise funds to build
tavern at the cost of exactly $4,000 which
would be the first of the 1910 prizes, and
that tickets were 81 each. July following
the cornerstone was laid with considerable
show of ceremony. and the work was
being prosecuted while the tickets were
| being sold; but not a sufficient number
was disposed of to warrant a drawing.
1t was postponed from time to time and
never materialiZed
The walls We're erected and the structure
| covered in,' but the interior was not COM
pleted until after the government pur-
chased it in 1910. 1t is said that incom-
| plete as it was, It played the part Of
theater about 1897, when some stroHing
comedians gave a few performances
there
A number Of families took possession of
the unfinished rooms, and some in tempo
rary quarters on the public ground north
Of F street, the Interior Department site.
| There is on record under date of 1918
deed Of William Fitzgerald to John Hearn
| for my dwelling house on public ground
| north Of the post office" When the gov
eminent purchased the ground it comprised
| the entire south front and was in the name
of R. s. Beckley. The price was $17,'
| and the cost of alterations and repairs was
$11, 1891. Here was located the Post Of
| flee Department, the patent office and other
government bureaus, when during the in
vasion by the British in August, 1874 1t
| was saved from destruction by the i'm
portunities of DR.. Thornton of the patent
Office. This building did duty as govern.
ment department until it was destroyed by
a., ~ rlv,<r 80 DN1A
/ spite the efforts of fire engine companies
nothing was saved but some books and
papers. In a few years, however, an i'm
| proved marble structure took its place,
into which the department moved in 1912.
| In 1S45 the whole square was acquired by
| the government and covered by the build
| ing now the home Of the general land
office.
There was a small engine house on It'll
street. adjoining the Great Hotel, In which
the Washington, afterward the Patriotic,
Fire Company. had charge Of apparatus
which had been bought by the government
and which was destroyed by the fire of 1896
| In the second story Of the house was the
armory of the Washington Guards. then
| one of the finest volunteer organizations OF
the District. Col. Seaton was the COM
mander. The hall was small one, and the
! drills were usually on the vacant northeast
corner of the square, afterward occupied as
| a wood yard.
First Material Improvement.
In 1913 the first material Improvement
other than the hotel appeared on the
square Cornelius Mclean, a builder,
bought lots on 7th street north Of the post
office on which he erected three three story
brick dwellings, known as McLean's row.
For years the houses were used for resi-
Dental purposes but about 1850 they were
| RACED and the new post Office obliterated
| the Site
From about 1874 the south house of the
| row was used as the city post office, and
above it was located the office of the United
States Telegraph Company. from which the
| wires were connected first with Baltimore
| The wires at one time became very useful
to gang of sharpers, it is saidt who came
| near to wrecking lottery company.
| At that time the Virginia lottery was
drawn at Sarepta Hall. in Alexandria, late
i In the afternoons. There was always on
whose friends supposed he was seeking
health by taking pleasure rides In Vir-
| ginia. This man would get few OF
| the first numbers and gallop to Jones
and by letting them off would signal con-
federate who, from a window near the post
| Office, could with glass see the rockets
and learn the numbers These numbers
| would be sent north by telegraph and dis
| tributed to members Of the gang, and In
the hour following the drawings tickets
| were kept on sale, all bearing one or more
| of the lucky numbers would be bought up
by the conspirators, and thereby their ex-
chequer would be replenished. In few
weeks the lottery people dropped to the
scheme and sails were threaftr closed at
the hour of drawing.
North of this block Samuel N. SmallWood.
a lumber dealer of East Washington and
mayor of the city in the twenties, owned
some ground which he had $500
house. On street Burns heirs owned a
$3.50 building. Matilda Orme $500 one, on
leased ground, and ]. A. Burch one valued
at $3.50. In the thirties, when ground had
l To no f0Of McTaan'S row
was valued at $780, Mr.. Smallwood, $2,5Oo
and $500; Mr.. Burch, 5000; Mr.. Digges,
$500.
Square West Of Post Office.
I The square west of the old post Office in
| terested among others George Blagden, a
builder: George Andrews and VIM. Worth
ington at an early date the first named ac-
curing lots at 9Th and E streets in 1874.
In 1902 Mr.. Blagden had a $500 improve
ment. Mr.. Andrews one valued at 5000 and
Mr.. Worthington one at 5000. Mr.. Andrews
| the latter east of him. On street were
Andrew and George Thompson, each as
| sessed on $500 following 1901. Timothy
Hogan, in 1870 owned an f street lot which
in a few years was transferred to VIM.
| Cooking. In 1924 Mr.. Blagden was as
| sessed on $500; James Moore, and after
| ward l. L. Skinner, on 1,e00. and on lot
| the buildings known as Buzzard Roost 9th
and e streets, in the name OF d Williams
of New York. were valued at $780, Abb
gail King paid on $3.50, and John Kings
heirs on S4OO on F street. George Hadfeld
| architect. was near the corner of Sth and
F streets with $500 frame office, and adj
| joining the house of James Shields, which
in 1926 was transferred to A. Hyatt, was
valued at s., 900. On Sth street Catherine
Bakers house was said to be worth $1,000
and VIM. Cocking's, 81, 800. In the thirties
| the Improvement valuation was about the
same the only change In the personnel be-
| ing Mrs. Ann Bagden in place of her hus-
band and the addition of Benz Chambers
| on street. who was assessed on property
/ valued at $500. Mrs. Ann Blanchard &C.