Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-21
NAVY YARD SECTION
Part of District Which Long
Resemb|ed a Farm.
SITE OF TUNICLIFF'S HOTEL
Building Erected and Occupied Prior
to the Year 1900.
SOME OF THE EARLY SETTLERS
Isolated Residence Known as the
"Hermitage"-Envi Of
the Prout Farm.

That portion of the Prout farm which, In
| the latter part Of the eighteenth century,
| embraced the navy yard section of the city,
| and in which, between Pennsylvania ave-
| nue., G. eth and 18th streets building lots
were plated did not lose its farm-like APP
pearance in several genera tons. Almost
down to the civil war period much Of the
ground was uninclosed, and the few build
! ings which had been erected. mostly of
| frame, We're so scattered that they would
J pass for the tenant houses and outbuildings
Of a farm, and the brick building near the
| corner of the avenue and 9th street as the
residence of a farmer.
With the exception of a frame building
| on 10th street south of the avenue. the
| building at the northwest corner of 18th
| and G. streets, and that noted above, and a
few small buildings on G and sth streets,
| there were no indications of a future city
| neighborhood.
The construction of the bridge over the
Eastern branch, at the foot of Pennsylva-
mia and Kentucky avenues, on a line with
| the latter avenue and the line of travel
over the gZag roads, doubtless led to the
| erection of the building at Pennsylvania
avenue and 9th street and the establish
ment of Tunicliff's hotel there. This was
| before the year 1900. The location of the
marine barracks south, it would appear.
should have induced building, but number
of years elapsed before there was any i'm
provement between the hotel AMI the bar
racks. Square 9O3, between 18th, Sth, E and
G streets, of this locality, first showed
tivity, some parties settling there before
1911, in which year DR.. May made a sub
division of the lots.
Square No. $50, south of Pennsylvania
avenue between Sth and 9th streets, was di-
vided into twelve lots, and in 1895 all were
assigned to Mr.. Prout. the proprietor. iris
tam Dalton, senator in the first Congress
from Massachusetts. who invested largely
in Washington property, associated with
Lear & Co. the first purchaser here.
Lots 10 and IL were bought by him in
1895 and sold to John Nicholson, who trans
ferred to John Ashley. In the deed to the
latter a brick house thirty-six feet square
and outbuildings were noted. Who the
| buildings were erected by is not stated,
| but 1t is believed it was one of the houses
| built by Morris & Nicholson
Eastern Branch Hotel
This the following year became the East
ern Branch Hotel, and for several years
was conducted by, and known by the name
| of, William Tunnicliff aftcrward associated
| with Pontius D. Steele on Capitol Hill.
There is to be seen in the files of the
Washington Gazette under date of January
20, 1897. Mr.. Tunnicliffs advertisement of
shirts. drawers, stockings, etc, for sale at
the hotel.
In 1897 the name of Louis Debois at
taches. and in 1903 Ashley conveyed the
property to John Travers of Philadelphia
for $4,000. In 1908 Elizabeth Travers. adj
! ministratrix. conveyed 1t to Bond & Ash
| ley, who in the same year conveyed 1t to
Josiah Fox and in 1913 1t passed to William
| Morgan of Georgetown.
| Caut. William Easily became the pur-
chaser at public sale in 1921 for $500 and
| resided there for twenty years or more.
| Capt. Easily was at this period and for
| M n al r1 CHI r, COZ ,fnr
| gagged IN the navy yard as master boat
| builder. He regarded as man of
| much force Of character outspoken and res
| olute, and widely known by his activity in
| every movement tending to the advance
| ment of the interests of the community.
Well known prior to 1913. he then became
prominent before the public of i'm
| movable will power.
| When Gen. Van Ness died demand for
| Widows interest in the estate was set
| up by a claimant known as Mrs. Conner,
| who conducted a boarding house on Mis-
| souri, avenue near AZ street. Her claim
| was denied and suit was entered against
| the estate. Capt. Easily was one of the
| jurors at the trial. which came on in 1S4S
and during It's course motion was granted
that the Jury be directed to find a verdict
| for defendant.
| Capt Easily refused to give such a YER
| diet. insisting that he had been sworn to
| endeavored to make it plain to Capt Easily
that it was his duty to obey the court 8
| direction, but the juror was immovable.
| Committed to Jail.
A commitment to Jail for contempt was
| threatened, when Capt. Easily said he
| would go there and rot before he would
bulge from his position. A private consul
| tation was held by the attorneys with the
| court, which resulted in the recalcitrant
| juror being discharged and verdict being
found by the eleven remaining jurors. the
, parties consenting thereto.
This incident was the general topic for
| some years, and Capt. Easily for the rest
| of his life was very popular He established
! the shipyard at the west end of the city
| which, with his sons. he conducted a num-
| Der of years. He also had lime kilns, and
the name of Easbys point long designated
| the locality.
Lots and 8, fronting on the avenue,
! We're bought in 1897 by A. Woodward, a
| distinguished lawyer of Virginia, who early
| in the century went to Detroit, Mich. He