Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-21
SITE Of NAVY YARD
Selection Made in Early Days
of Past Century.
IMPROVEMENT OF SECTION
Development Follows Choice of Home
for the Marines.
SOME OLD-TIME CELEBRITIES
President Jefferson Interested in the
Two Government Institutions. :.
Valuations Upon Land.

The location Of the navy yard in the
southeast section of the city in the early
days OF the last century had much to do
with the settlement and development of the
adjacent building squares; and 1t will be
seen that Immediately following the selec-
ton of the site for the United States ma
| rine barracks on the square known as No.
927, between G, l. Sth and 9th streets, the
property west was improved dwellings and
stores springing UP.
Upon the opening Of the yard in 1900 ship
carpenters, blacksmiths and others of the
bone and sinew element had their homes
near their work. The marines, numbering
scarcely hundred, under the command Of
Maj. w. w. Burrows, were quartered in
the yard for a few years until permanent
headquarters and barracks were provided.
Provision for this was made by act of Con-
| gress for the erection of barracks before
| the selection of a site made, $1,000
| being appropriated therefor March 3, 1901.
one of the first official acts Of President
| Jefferson was to appoint an agent to repre-
| sent the government in the selection and
purchase of site in the person of Samuel
Smith; but from the interest that the Presi-
| dent manifested in the erection Of the bar
| racks it is likely that he had much to do
| with the location June 8. square 92T, hav-
| ing been selected, Mr.. Smith made an
| agreement for its purchase for the govern
| ment at 4 cents per foot In the division
| of the squares and lots between Mr.. Prout,
| the proprietor, and the government, the
| title vested in the Commissioners, and
| on June 20 following the deed was passed
! to the United States, the consideration be-
| ing S,2471S, there being 1885, 179.5 feet OF
| ground. The work was soon after entered
| upon and an additional appropriation be-
| ing made it waas carried to completion, the
complete cost being $'3. 1880.
| President Jefferson left evidence Of his
| interest in the work in a note, dated 1903,
| calling attention to the fact that some Of
| the work was out of plumb, and directing
| that wall be taken down and rebuilt. 1t
was in 1904 that the barracks were ready
| for occupancy. and the corps moved from
| the navy yard. About this time the COM
mandant. Col Burrows. retired to private
| life and Lieut.. Col. Franklin Wharton
succeeded him. taking up his residence here.
In the war of 1912 the post was most Of
| the time depleted by drafts the corps
| for sea service and also for service with
| the land forces.
British Invasion.
During the British invasion, in August,
| 1914, the garrison was visited by the Brit
| ish forces under Gen. Ross and the place
was devastated and fired. the commandant's
house and the barracks being partially
burned. Nothing was saved Of the valu-
| able books and papers save one volume and
| the files of enlistment papers.
Matthew Wright. member Of the commit
tee of safety. bearing an improvised flag
of truce-said to have been made Of a
shirt-entered the barracks to ask protec-
ton of property. The British commander
before Mr.. Wright had taken many steps
in the Enclosure. ordered that he be blind
folded and detained The flag OF truce was
used for blindfolding him.
At this time the marines Of the garrison
were under Maj Samuel Miller with the
army in the field. Lieut.. Col. Franklin
Wharton was succeeded by Lieut.. Col. Gale
In 1919. and the following year Col Archi-
bald Henderson became the commandant
and was such till his death at an advanced
age.
The residence of the commanding officer
on the north side of the parade ground; the
center house. In which are the commits
stoned officers quarters. fronting 9Th street,
the barrack buildings. on the west side
| other buildings. on the SOUTH are init
| mately associated with lives Of men and
events which illumine the pages of the
past. Majs. Samuel Miller. William Gam
bic, Parke G. Howle and the elder and
younger Observation-Disclosures and A. A
on duty here in the early days, had pri-
vate residences outside, and were each as
we'll known for their public spirit as for
their official rank.
Possibly the best known from his long
residence here and his association with the
citizens was George Henderson, whose
service was forty years. over twenty-five as
commandant.
Recruits Prepared for Service.
Here the recruits were prepared for serv-
ice. and as in the early part of the century
during and after the Tripolitan war there
were many recruits from the Mediterranean
countries, and from Ireland and Germany.
There were native-born men in the service,
| of course. but there was a truly cosmo-
politan assemblage here. Then too the
boy drummers and fifers were prepared for
their duties on shipboard. and they were
given common school education. which. in
very many instances, led to good positions
In the business world, we'll as in the
naval service.
From early date the members Of the
band. though enlisted. have been given the
privilege of living outside and commuta-
ton allowed them. These. with the civilian
employees and some few marines. helped to
make up the outside population which was
adjacent the barracks.
Directly opposite square 9O4 between 7th,
Sth. G and l streets. open to settle
ment, but not until after the barracks were
In 1875 the west half of the square was
vested in Mr.. Prout. the United States TAX
ing the remaining fifteen lots. In 1899 the
Skaters had the southwest corner of the
square: the next year Commodore Tingey
the northeast corner, and Capt. James
Barry four lots on Sth street. % to 25. and
w. S. Chandler lots 20 to %. on 9Th street,
extending nearly to l street.
In 1897 the ground was assessed at
cents per foot, and improvements on lot /,
corner of 1 street, have the name Of Carl
ton and Dunlop attached and afterward
the names of r. Browns heirs. who trans
ferred to Matthew Wright at valuation
Of 81, 900.
On lot % A. Cochran, jr.. is charged on
81, 900, and John Mcleod $1,000. In 1905
Lawson Pearson, a bricklayer, was lot
80, adjoining Wrights property. and was
located there thirty years or more. q. Far
rell was on lot 28 Butler Cooke purchased
lots IS to q. G and Sth streets. and Joseph
Wheat lots 90 to 25 on Sth street.
p Pravett was then on lot y, and in 1903
A. Cochran, jr.. had deeds for lots o. %,
% and 49, Robert Alexander, lot 80; James
Thompson. % and "a; Butler Cooke, lot %;
Hugh Smith, lot %; John Mcleod, lot 90:
c. McCauley lot &C. and James Duddell,
brick house and lot, all fronting Sth street.
The following year Mr.. Wright was on lot
9; J. s. Stephenson on lot 90 which he sold
to Col Wharton two years later. In 1910
Richard J. and Lyde Elliott had lot %. and
James McKim lots "a and Is In 1911 A
Sinclair was on lot 80 and r. Dye on lots
% and 90. d. Bates on lot 3. on 1
street, in 1872: George McCauly on Of ad-
joining his first purchase; w. Cassidy on 80:
w. II. p Tuckf1eld bought in 26 and sold
it to Shadrach Davis in 1913. In 1915 Adam
Lindsay on lot T. on G street; in 1918
Iavf l~--1