Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-01
EAST OF THE CAPITOL
Transactions in Realty Early in
Past Century.
GROWTH SLOW BEFORE WAR
Various Squares Plated for Resi-
dence and Business Purposes.
STATEMENT OF GROUND VALUES
List Of First Owners Of Properties in
Several Squares and Assessments
Charged to Them.
STATEMENT OF GROUND VALUES

In the early years of the citys existence
the ground adjacent to Pennsylvania ave-
nue. east Of I'd street. which was plated
on the maps for business and residential
purposes, was put to such use only slowly.
About the Capitol grounds there was some
settlement, and also on East Capitol street,
but until Sth street east. then popularity
known as Garrison street, was reached, the
improvements could be numbered almost on
the fingers. The avenue and Sth street was
not then the ordinary route to and from
the navy yard and the course of the en-
ployes from the center Of the city was by
way of New Jersey avenue and NJ street
south, or over a ravine west of st. Peter S
Church. and across the commons to about
Virginia avenue and 9th street. Until the
forties there had been but little done to-
ward improving Pennsylvania avenue but
about 1s45 Congress recognized it as road
to Congressional cemetery and provided for
grading 1t. Under these conditions much of
the land was held at figures disproportion-
ately high as compared with the valuations
shown on the assessment books.
The square south of the Library between
1st I'd, B and c streets, except as to loca-
ton, was not geographically inviting for
business or residential purposes A stream
of water flowed from the northeast to the
southwest corner Of the square. and about
the center Of the block it was joined by a
smaller one from spring on the present
Library site. The water made its way
through a ravine to the low grounds. Some
Of the lots were not sought because filling
was necessary to prepare for building and
others needed . to be graded down. The
Carroll tract was plated for forty-four
lots. fourteen of which faced on the fifty
foot street to which the name of Mr.. Carroll
later attached. In 1895 these lots were as
signed between the government and Mr..
Carroll, and the following year those in the
name of the United States were included In
the extensive purchases by Morris and
Nicholson, and eleven went into the hands
Of Thomas Law. In 1899 Stephen Cook as
signed an interest in the ground at the cor
ner of I'd and streets to Samuel Cook,
and in the first assessment was rated an
improvement of 5000 value. Thomas EWell
secured the northeast corner of the square.
lots % to %, fronting B and I'd streets In
modore Decatur. The same property,
through John p Ingle, passed to John Mar
bury in 1898. Two of the lots, % and "a.
were bought by John Queen, master
bought lot %, on I'd street. In 1929 Patrick
j. MacNantz, a carpenter, who had been In
the neighborhood some years, bought lots
% to %, and shortly afterward he sold the
first lot to Edward Rice and the corner lot
to D. Pancoast and John Johnson.
During the Twenties and Thirties.
In 1917 Jane Decker bought on the west
and south fronts OF tne square, y ana ISL
streets, lots to 10. Twelve years later
the lots We're in possession Of John
P. Ingle. John Caldon, William Joyce,
Patrick Rice, L. Finn, E. Rice, John
MacCarthy and BENJAMIN Giveney were
among the property owners in the
square during the twenties and thirties.
In the twenties the ground was valued at
but two and three cents per foot, and the
improvements listed were as follows Lots
Inh . po m
Joyce, $3.50; p. Rice $500, and L. Finn, $500
S. Cook established blacksmith shop near
I'd and G streets and William MacCarthy
was in the same business here late as
1910. The Rice family lived for years on
lot IS at list and B streets. Mrs. Rice con-
Quoted a grocery store. Mrs. Joyce, widow
of William Joyce stone cutter, lived on
street until the fiftes.
Lot "a, corner of and I'd streets, early
in the thirtes passed from Daniel Pancoast
to John johnson, and the adjoining lot
south, %, to ]. l.. Club, who later sold to
Mary and John Pagan. w. w. Corcoran
owned lots 26 and y in 1894. In 1885 the