Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-27
EAST Of THE CAPITOL
Three Squares Possessing Un-
usual Historic Interest.
SOME REALTY VALUATIONS
Buildings the Home of Congress Fol-
lowing the War of IL.
OFFICIALS RESIDED IN VICINITY
Part of East Capitol Street Devoted
to Business-Many Hotels
Located There.

Located There.
The locality of squares 726, 727 and 72S.
east of the Capitol grounds and north of
the Congressional Library possesses much
historical interest from a national as well
as local viewpoint With the library and
the Office buildings for the Senate and
House of Representatives, the area known
as the Capitol grounds are inclosed by
marble walls, with The exception of that
portion fronting on list street between East
Capitol and B streets northeast. Doubt
less, at no distant day, the government
will take the squares first named as the
site of a temple of justice, for the accom-
United States.
Should building be erected there for the
highest judicial body, It would be peculiarly
appropriate, for after the burningOf the Cap
itol in 1914 the head of the judicial system
sat for a number of years in the building
at list and A streets. The quarters men
toned were thus occupied from 1916 to 1920.
The old Circuit Court of the District was
also in this building from 1916 to 1925, when
quarters were provided in the City Hall
for the local court, together with offices
for the clerk, the marshal and other ofh-
Gals.
AS on the library site, heretofore de-
scribed, an avenue intersected and made
two divisions, where otherwise there was
but one square. These were triangles
known squares 1876 and I21-the first In
the lines of Maryland avenue, list and B
streets, and the other bounded by Pennsyl-
vania avenue, I'd and streets they eX-
list today. Square 72S, between East Capt.
tol A, 1st and I'd streets, was one in form
and name. Originally the ground was roH-
nd 70
Decidedly rural were the surroundings
for long series of years, North of
street and Maryland avenue was a wagon
road and other streets underlined gave
little evidence of a growing city. Prior
to the thirties, with the exception of one
house and little gardening plat, there
were evidences of mans hand1Work
north of A street.
In square 726 prior to 1890 Aaron Van
Horn owned property facing Maryland ave-
nue., which he had an imposing house
for that day in the midst of garden, then
valued at $1,000.
Home of City Register.
Charles H. Wiltberger, then a watch
maker and afterward city register, lived
here in the twenties and in the thirties 1t
was held by VIM. ]. MacCormick, who also
served as city register. Before 1900 this
operations of Greenleaf Pratt, Frances &
Co. and others, but there is no material
evidence of any of their enterprise In the
building line. By 1925 B. 0. Tyler and Ell
mer Bliss were names connected with
square 726 and Thomas Munroe with 127
In the first appraisement, in 1SO3 the
ground was valued at cents per foot, IN
the name of Daniel Carroll first square.
and of Thomas Law in the other. In 1870
cents was the figure and ten years later
cents.
Square 72s was plotted for thirty lots and
the title to fifteen each vested In Mr.. Car
it, tnta
a. being at the southeast, southwest, north
west and northeast corner, respectively. Al
the commissioners sale in 1913 h Nlchois
bought lots IA and Is for S53333, r. Nicklen
Colard bought lot "a on street Luke
Washington, 1897, bought lot 16, corner OF
1st and A streets, for $4O9. TO- when the
following year was sold to George walker
for $780, and in this Gen. Washlngton ana
Thomas Law were interested. In 1913 A
Robertson bought lot q, I'd and A streets,
with house and r. E. Griffith became IN
terested in lot on East Capitol street. Or.
John Kearney in 1900 bought lot IL on A
street, and in the following year sold 1t to
MacIntire & Armstrong for s., ST, with,
the brick house thereon 5. Coliaro, r. hlI-
by and Mr.. Walker owned GROUND on a
street and w. Byram On East Capltol
street in 1901 In 1902 e. Fallon and John
MacIntire are registered as buying lot ~:
In this year Mr.. Walker sold lots 10 ana II
to VIM Tunnicliffe, who In 1so4 SOLD 10
b,
W Rrashears bought lot on East Cap
itol street.
Valuation in 1908.
In 1919 the ground was valued at and Z
cents per foot and there were but two I'M
movements listed-those of George Walker,
81 800 on lot II. and John MacIntire. $500,
on lot 1S. each on A street. By 1907 the
value of the ground was reduced to six
cents per foot, and there was additional
property listed Mr.. Stelle's name took the
place of Mr.. Walkers for $500 IN lot T.
and there also appeared those OF j. b.
Brashears. $500, and q. Farrell, $500, lot z.
and G. Walkers, $780, lot %.
That these figures do not cover all the
improvements in the square is evident from
the old Intelligencer. Some of these are
signed by Mr.. Carroll. Offering buildings
about the northeast corner of the square
for sale or rent, and Carroll buildings often
appear in the records While title was vest
ed in others, they all afterward went to
Mr.. Carroll.
The corner as above stated passed from
Luke Washington to George Walker prior
to 1900, and in 1902 Mr.. Walker had title to
lot II on the east On these lots had been
erected three-story brick buildings and
stabling, and William Tunnicliffe, who had
been in the hotel business 9th street
and Pennsylvania avenue southeast. bought
them and opened Tunnicliffe's Hotel. This,
in 1904, went into the hands of Pontius D.
under his name. The consideration to Mr..
Tunnicliffe was $4,000 for ground, hotel
buildings and effects, with stabing for
fifty horses
In 1908 the MacIntire property, lot 1S east
was acquired by Mr.. STEELE. About 1910 the
entire property, lots 16 to IS, was sold to
Peter Miller. and in 1916 to Mr.. Carroll with
lot 10. In the meantime Thomas Coyle had
obtained a lease in the latter lot, and
public house was conducted by H. c. b.
CART, who, about 1909, assigned to Robert
Long, and for a few years Longs Hotel
was popular place. The elder Howell Cobb
of Georgia, uncle of the Cobb of the con-
federacy; John Dawson and Edward Gray
of Virginia. and N. r. Moore and Gen.
Roger Nelson of Maryland, We're sojourners
at Longs. The property of the Steles and
Longs was in 1911 advertised for sale or
lease by Mr.. Carroll, who described houses
as each of over fifty rooms with stablng for
fifty horses. Coolidge of Marlborough then
came in the block, did Macleod and it
continued to be hotel locality.
Temporarily Houses Congress.
After the war of 1912 the property named
passed into the possession of Mr.. Carroll.
the original proprietor. The British having
destroyed the Capitol Mr. Carroll, Thomas
Law and others, in 1915, erected a new