Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
WASHINGTON HISTORY
"reminiscences of the First
Plating of City.
THE REMARKABLE CHANGES
Some of the First Business Establish
ments in the City.
STORY OF OLD 0DEON THEATER
Old-Time Hotels and Boarding Houses
How Pennsylvania Avenue Look
ed Over Fifty Years Ago.

When the city Of Washington was laid
out B street northwest was created a due
east and west thoroughfare. and between
Sd and Az streets it passed through what is
now reservation 10, crossing Pennsylvania
avenue between these streets. This made
the reservation an almost perfect square.
with small portion abutting on the avenue,
and where the Hotel Vendome is, at the
southeast corner, was a triangular space
This reservation was changed from Its
square form by the extension of Its south
line to Pennsylvania avenue. In 1916
congressional act authorized the commas
sioner of public buildings (Col. Lance to plat
the southern portion of the square into
building lots, not exceeding two hundred
feet In Depth and dispose of every other lot,
holding the others for the United States.
Some disagreement as to how the act was
to be executed ensued, for it was found with
B street as laid down but two and three
lots were on the avenue, and the act was
allowed to lapse In 1920, however, the act
OF Congress for the reclamation of the low
grounds by the city, included this reserVa-
ton, and the line Of the avenue was de-
creed its southern boundary. At that Pc
riod some of the lands north ana west nao
been improved, but trees and shrupoery
were plentiful and looking northward the
idea Of country life was suggested. year
Az street the house long occupied by ". =.
Grammer with the surrounding GROUNDS
covering several lots terraced and laid out
bore the appearance of a country seat.
The reservatio was plated for forty-tour
original lots and their sale was mace unuer
the commissioners of the low grounds, the
terms being one-f1fth cash, the deed to pass
on the payment Of the balance. That these
were soon sold and improved is apparent,
for by 1924 there were several buildings on
lon oh a
So 200; John E. Frost at 81, 100 on Pennsyl-
vana avenue Thos. Stanley at S22o on Az
street The latter afterward sold to John
Wtthers. OF lot q, at the corner OF 412
street and the avenue, owned by Mr.. Law,
Henry NJ. Moff1tt, an attorney -at-laW, IN
1897 bought a part. 30 feet on the avenue
and 100 feet on AZ street, and afterWard
bought other portions of this lot, having
his residence here for a number of years.
There was some litigation between the
United States and Mr.. Law over the titie'
but the case was decided In FAVOR OF the
latter about 1880. After 1t had passed
through Moffitt's hands the corner was
purchased in 1887 by the well-known gro
Gerry, hardware and variety hrm or Aller q
Thyson, located for over a generation on
18th street 1t next became the Odeon Thea
ter and in the latter part of the forties
noted book and periodical stand was con-
Quoted on the ground by the popular Col.
Jos. Shillngton. This store was one OF the
best patronized establishments and was
great resort for men of note in national and
local circles. DR.. j. F. I. MacClery had his
office In the Odeon and later l.. b. True, q
general agent, was here.
The Old Odeon Theater.
The Odeon was opened as a theater by
Mr.. Kilmiste about December l, 1916, and
was SO used till April, 1S47. In this period
a stock company performed and in January
three noted dancers were the attraction. AS
the room would not seat four hundred and
the price of admission was only % cents,
no blame could be attached the manage
ment for raising prices when there were
extraordinary attractions such as Niles.
Augusta, Malvine and others. The old
building is yet standing and has been the
scene of many parties, balls, exhibitions,
society and religious meetings and has been
used for almost every possible purpose.
In the thirties an assessment of 90 cents
per foot was made on the avenue lots, 90
cents on those at the southeast corner OF
the square and so cents at the southwest
corner while other portions We're rated
at from IS to 20 cents. Mr. Withers had
by this time acquired lots l and 2, 40 and
Al on the southeast part of the square,
but later sold the last to F. x. Kennedy
Mr. Withers improved these lots later by
the erection of the building known in the
forties as VIM. Gadby's hotel, and later
a boarding house conducted by Mrs. Bev-
eridge and others. Beverly Johnson, SEN
ator from Maryland, and other congress-
men and later Henry Wilson, senator and
vice president, were for long time guests
in this house. Mr.. Kennedy also improved
his lot northward by erecting a residence.
West of Mr.. Withers' avenue property were
the tailor shop of John Simon, the house
of Darius Clagett, who sold to Briscoe &
Clark who conducted a dry goods store
for a time. These were succeeded by q.
J. f. Catiett Mrs. Mary E. Wertz had a
lease and kept a boarding house about mid
way the square, and Hannah Allen was in
a house held in trust for her. Samuel Mil
Ter had a brick dwelling, with store on
the avenue.
Daniel Pierce, whose name was before
the public for over fifty years as an UNI
brella maker had a shop here then. Sam
uel Miller had a house on the present site
of Jackson Hall. In 1885 Jonathan Elliott
and Andrew Rothwell, both well-known
printers and publishers, each set up bust
ness on this square. The name Of the for
mer is preserved on the earlyday direc-
tories and other publications. and the for
mer in the files of Rothwelrs register and
in the corporation records as collector OF
taxes Mr.. Elliott erected several buildings
here in which he located his business, and
the Elliott building contained his printing
office, with those of DR.. c. Boyle and other
professional gentlemen.
An Historic Old Street.
There were also on the avenue Michael
MacCarthys tailor shop, ]. D. Boteler, gun
and locksmith; Catherine Davis, milliner;
James Lawrence, and Jas. Sessford, whose
signs were the figure of an Indian. Mich
T@1,,