Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-17

Purcell and Walter Stewart figured Near
the corner of Vermont avenue, fronting Fl
street, as a few old residents remember
there was what was in Its day fine old
house owned and occupied In the beginning
of the last century by Mrs. Ann Cazanaye,
the widowed daughter of Nattey Young
one of the original proprietors. Mrs. Cazen-
ave returning to South Washington. this
place was in 1911 bought by John d. Bar
clay, and for some years 1t was taxed for
81, 400 improvements, and 10 cents per foot
on ground which ranged down to cents
In other portions of the square. This house
was Tor many years occupied by Fielder H.
Dorsett, well-known carpenter: James
Spellman, Benjamin Gilpin owned the lot
adjoining In 1913. but in few years 1t
passed into the hands of George Hay, n
prominent lawyer who lived there some
years with is>brother, Charles Hay of the
Navy Department. This house was valued
at $1,000 IN the twenties. This house
passed in the forties into the hands of
Matthew st. Clair Clarke. clerk of the
by John c. Hardness. This fine residence
was used by him for some years and then
by Sir Henry Bulwer and later was the
home of Mrs. Col. Freeman.
St. Johns Church Site.
At the corner of 10th street St. Johns
Episcopal Church vestry bought two lots
in 1916 on which that edif1ce was erected.
and In the parlance of that period, was
known as Parson Hawley's Church, Rev.
VIM. Hawley from 1877 for nearly forty
years being the rector. 1t is needless TO
state that the old structure is object of
generation, and that in the older families
the former rectors, Doctors Hawley and
Pine. are well remembered
Old Female Academy.
North of the church the Misses McPhail
bought lot In 1891 on which they erected
a $500 school building. A female academy
- . he
school for the west end families and many
ladies have kindly remembrance of their
start in education there.
In 1850 w. w. Corcoran owned much of
the property In the northern and eastern
portion of the square, and on l street
story residences. Before that there was
some frame residences Vermont avenue
in which there lived at different periods
Mr.. Pottery, Elijah Ourand well-known
employee of the treasury; q. M. p King and
]. Harrison Knott. In the fifties William
H. Philip of the wel-known book house OF
Philip & Solomon. lived on II street east
of st. Johns Church.
East of Lafayette Square.
The square east of Lafayette Square, on
which are now the Riggs Bank, the Ameri-
can trust building, the Colonial, the build
ings of George Washington University, for
merly the Columbian College, and Belasco
Theater. was of little use for residential or
business purposes during half of our first
century. For nearly twenty years it was
bare of improvement In 1892 the ground
was valued at but cents per foot, but in
1920 the south part had appreciated to 20
cents, and in the next ten years to cents
more. Col. Richard Cults, who had served
six terms a representative from Maine,
and for many years was the second con-
troller of the treasury, owned four lots
On the northwest corner of the square
there was erected in 1871 the house now
: the Cosmos Club house. This property, III
1926, passed into the hands of ex-President
Madison, and was held by his family for
some years, but in 1851 Commodore wilkes
of antarctic fame, became its owner ana
resident IN 1918 Col. John Tayloe bought
four lots including the southeast corner OF
the SQUARE on which he erected the building
long used for banking purposes. fine resi-
dence was built adjoining on the West The
hank building was used by the United
States Bank, which bought the property OF
Col. Tayloe in 1923, till its forced suspen-
sion in 1887, and the dwelling was occupied
by the cashier, Richard Smith, for many
wears This property was assessed at S16,Oo0
for improvements After the suspension OF
the bank the building went into possession
of Corcoran and Riggs and has continued a
money mart to the present day
Old Tayloe Property.
About the same time prior to 1890 Col.
Tayfoe erected two fine residences adJoin-
ing the Cults property, which were assessed
vat 5000, and he and his son. Col B. Ogle
Tayloe, lived here for many years. TO
those who remember the latter who came
into possession of the prop erty In 1926, it is
needless to say that they drew about them
a congenial society, and were iarge-hearted,
Public-spirited citizens of the old school.
The H street front, In 1918, found AleXan-
der Kerr, the cashier of the Bank OF the
METROPOLIS in possession of three lots and
two years after Mrs. Rebecca Newall
bought an adjoining lot, Each of these
erected dwellings, that of Mr. Kerr serving
as the family home for two or three gen
erations.
After them lived on this front of the
square Rev. S. P. Hill, George w. Riggs
VIM. M. Meredith, Secretary Of the Treas
ury, and Lieut.. T. j. Page, U. s. n.
In 1921 S. H Smith bought lot on 10Th
street north of the banking house, on which
he erected a house valued at 81, 100 Here
J. Bayard H. Smith, a well-known lawyer,
lived having his office near by, and Col w.
L. Hodge, once assistant secretary OF the
treasury, lived here many years. In the
latter part of the war the office was used
by Col w E. Doster, who was counsel to
Payne, one of the Lincoln conspirators hung
at the arsenal in July, 1865.
In 1929 Commodore John Rodgers: then
president of the navy commissioners
bought the lot on which the Belasco The
alter stands, and in 1881 erected large
double brick three-storied residence. This
house. outside of its interest as Commodore
Rodgers home, has history. 1t has served
as the residence of Chief Justice fancy,
Secretary of the Navy ]. X. Paulding, and
as the boarding house OF Mrs Latimer; De
fore the civil war 1t sheltered many sena-
tors and representatives. Then it became
famous as the Washington Club house, ana
near its door Philip Barton Key was shot
During the war of 1876 Secretary w. H
Seward lived there. and in April. Go. was
attacked by an assassin simultaneously
with the shooting of Lincoln.
About 1881 DR.. James S. Gunnel bought
the lot on the southwest corner of the
square now for many years vacant. ana
erected a three-storied and basement dwell
ing, where he resided for number or
years. Dr. Gunnell was one of Washington's
leading dentists. In the thirties the house
was assessed al 5000. In 1854 DR.. l.. May
nard, who had reputation as an ordnance
expert, bought the property, and lived there
a number OF years.
Big Jump in Values.
Five and six cents per foot was the
corporation value of ground held today
at the same figures with noughts APP
pended in that square north of New York
avenue and east OF 18th street now occu-