Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-06
Within Pennsylvania and Missouri
Avenues and 4 1-S and 9Th Streets.
EARLY PRICES OF REAL ESTATE
Site of Theater, Printing Office and
Numerous Boarding Housewife
First Improvements.

In the early days theres was thought
that it would ever be the location of bust
ness houses, residences and workshops. and
to demonstrate this it is only necessary to
state that it was until about 1920 part
and parcel of the grounds reserved by the
projectors of the city for the public. In
addition the physical conditions were such
as to repel any idea of placing habitations
there being south of the avenue the ground
but a foot or so above the level of the
waters of the Tiber or canal and at best
the surroundings were regarded as uninvit-
ing to seekers for homes and to builders.
Nevertheless the lots when placed on the
market near a quarter of a century after
tho establishment of the municipal govern
ment and over thirty years after lots in
the vicinity had been utilized. were not
drug on the market nor were the purchasers
tardy in making Improvements. AS early as
1870 the avenue front had upon 1t an auc-
ton firm. a restaurant. a dry goods store
and several boarding houses and these were
not slow in multiplying. In the course of
few years the boarding houses were DOM
inant feature and the buildings large and
well managed Among the patrons there
were so many members of Congress that
there was often heard the remark that on a
call of the House the sergeant-at-arms
could easily secure a quorum from the ad-
joining squares
LII tuC LOW oiouhoo-
This was in the section known as 1.-THE low
grounds" which it was expected would be
drained by the Washington city canal. and
from about 1910 to 1892, the canal wall was
along the south building line of the avenue
TO a point midway between Az and 9th
streets. then taking a due west course.
/ There were bushes and vines in evidence.
and according to some of the early settlers
of the locality it was similar to the
''slashes' in the northern part of the city,
we'll remembered by some now living. and
ifrequented by the wandering boys in search
of adventure. An old lady who had occa-
! sion when a child to pass over this ground
told the writer before her death about
1850. that many times when she was sent
| to market she would loiter by the way to
tpick blackberries.'
Under an act of Congress, passed in 1922
the corporation was authorized to contract
with the canal company to change the
, course so as to more effectually drain the
How grounds Under this act the canal was
I cut in a new course south of the reservation
fabout directly west of the center of the
Capitol. The act conveyed the interests of
[ the United States to the city. and provided
THAT the grounds should be plotted and the
lots sold at public auction: that the pro-
Eceeds should be used in paying for the work
Fin planting trees and improving the space
left vacant between the south line of the
reservation and the canal, the balance to be
paid into the United States treasury. This
| act was executed by the commissioners of
| the low grounds. consisting of Mayor Thos.
SCarberry, r. c. Weghtman, George Waiter
sson. James Hoban and Adam Lindsey. with
sthe mayors clerk, Thomas L. Noyes Sec
sretary. The reservation was plated, and
the sale took place that year in September.
Gen Van Ness, who married Marcia
Burns, the heiress and daughter of David
Burns. claimed that the land having been
tdiverted from the use contemplated in
Burns deed, the estate was entitled to it,
+l,.N IG - 10 1Y,1 ,nI
, therefor. This did not deter purchasers
and lots We're bought subject to the decision
of the court, the execution of the deeds by
the mayor being held up for a time.
Neither were parties deferred from build
ing.
Considering this with the fact that the
reclaimed ground was low, the prices OBJ
tained were regarded as good being in the
nelghborhood of 90 and % cents per foot
on the avenue and 10 cents on the other
streets.
improvements Noted
By 1924 there was a 81 900 house on lot
&c. southwest corner of 9th street and
Pennsylvania avenue belonging to John
Ingle; a $1,000 Improvement on 49, belong
ing to C. S Bullhnch, and 1920 improve
ment on %. in the name of w. A. Brady,
on the avenue: a 500 building, belonging
to Thomas Burch. on Missouri avenue,
and an S1,S0 house assessed to Thomas
Hughes on 9th street.
The new street created by this improve
ment was then called Missouri street.
In the early deeds both avenue and
street are mentioned. In a few years the
improvements made by the purchasers
formed an incentive to corporation work.
and the first gravel walks gave way to
brick sidewalks. South of Missouri street
the trees hourished and the pleasing out
look was appreciated by residents and So
JOurners
In 1870 the Missouri avenue lots were val
Ued at - to % cents per foot while those on
Pennsylvania avenue were rated at 60 and
~ cents. John Carothers then lived at the
St James Hotel corner and east on the ave-
nue. were Moses and w. p. Poor. auction
GERS; II. V. Hill, cabinetmaker; Thos. Rob
inson. dry goods dealer; James Latournas,
restaurant; Mrs. Ruth McIntire's boarding
house. and f. Lindley's dwelling. VIM.
Archer. a carpenter and builder who in
vested about 1925. at this time had s13. 800
on lot Is on the avenue: Yates & McIntire
$1,000 on lots 20 and p. Other improve
mentS on the avenue were two houses val
ued at S2OOo each and one of $500 charged
10 Ingle g. Lindsey 81 800 on 10 to G. S.
Bulfinch; $500 on 20 to w. NJ. Sawyer;
$500 on q to Anthony Preston; 81. 800 on
% and s.. 500 on 23 to W. \. bradley; 1000
on - to George Phillips. On AZ street 81 900
lot 81. r. Semmes; $500 lot &c. and 81. 800.
81, C. Watterson. Ulysses Ward. who
bought lot l. 40 feet on Az street and 63Ih
feet on Missouri avenue had a row of build
ings valued at $4,000
About the same time Mr.. watterson had
LOT on Missouri avenue and house of
$1,000 value; Mr.. Ingle a 5000 building on
lot 4 adjoining; Fleet Smith a $1,000 i'm
provement on lot ;; Thomas Burch one of
$1,000 on lot and II. T. Wrightman 81. 900
on 10. $500 on IL and $500 on u. corner
Missouri avenue and 9th street and Thomas
Hughes s. 600 on lot 10 on 9th street
Hotels Accumulate.
In the fortes the hotels and boarding
houses seemed to be out of proportion, but
the latter were not in the way Of business.
/ There were two hotels--Hepburns and
Congress Hall. OF the former, Peter j.
Hepburn was the landlord. and the latter
was run first by King & levitt. hen by
/ King & Hall. and later by Maj. Pat King
Hepburn's was somewhat on the old style
and had the patronage of the older element.
while the latter was the resort of younger
people. Being popular with the local mill
tary men, Maj. King drew the citizen SOL
diers about him. In the fifties the tele-
graph office occupied rooms at Congress
Hall Two or three restaurants, Latournas
and C. Boulanger's were near by.
The boarding houses of Mrs. Hamilton,
Mrs. +. G.. Harrison. Mrs. Jackson, Mrs.
Little. Mrs. Preuss. Mrs. Whitehall. Mrs
Williams. Mrs. Buck. Mrs. Chisholm and
Mrs. Kennedy were to some extent favored
| by congressional patronage. and among
the representatives with them Were Messrs.