Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-10
TOBACCO WAREHOUSE
When Washington City Was in
the Business.
THE 0LD-TIME INSPECTOR
First Venturesome Merchants of the
Early Southeast.
WATER FRONT ALL BLAGDEN'S
Growth of Section About Navy Yard
and Gradual Increase of Real
Estate Values.
WATER FRONT ALL BLAGDEN's

South OF NJ street between ID and 4th
streets southeast. are few building
squares two of which are on the Anacostia
river or Eastern branch. and at one time
they wery the center of commercial activity.
In the infancy of the city this section
had st. Thomas bay on the east side. but
when the navy yard was extended to 4th
street the last vestiGe of the bay disap
peared on the west a small stream
which had It's rise near the south line Of
Garfield Park With the surface water II
bToadened. and before it reached the Ana
costa some portions of the building lots
fronting on Canal. or I'd street. were under
water. When the canal. authorized by the
Get Of the Maryland legislature in 1913. was
projected. this stream came within the
lines. and was by 1t absorbed.
The canal has had it's day. and on its site
ere grass plots and the pumping plant OF
the District. complete metamorphosis
has been worked. The mouth of this
stream became the capaCous basin of the
canal. and with the water front affordng
fine wharfage. owned by Carroll originally.
and Law, Barry and other early promoters
becoming interested. this section was one
of the leading neighborhoods a hundred
years ago
OldTime Excursions.
The wharves known Blagden's. Barry $
for sailing vessels. were much used after
ward by steamers. and there are numbers
who recall how the East Washington people
took steamer there for excursions down the
river before the days of river resorts and
for the camp meetings at Bunny Oak. near
Glymont, or Scagg's of Pyle's woods. up
The branch.
In the presidential campaign of 1910 the
JaCksonian democracy, several hundred in
number. took steamer here for a barbecue
at Bladensburg. and without mishap re
turned AT night.
{ Though there some marsh about this
section much of the ground was several
feet above the present grade Some of the
original terra frma. especially that of the
streets. was long since converted into bricks
and used elsewhere 1t may be said that
from Georgia avenue northward there was
gentle ascent to the street, when the
ground slOped and some marsh was en-
couutercd This may be designated the
southeast corner OF the Carroll tract, and
1T became. in the plan OF Washington
squares 30. III. sol and So with south
OF Georgia avenue, No. s03, designated
water lot.
Division of the Lots.
In the division between the proprietors,
Mr. Carroll and the United States. the
whole of square 10 went to the latter in
1T96: number I'll. Of seven lots. in 1891. was
apportiOned 10 James Barry; lot l. the south
part of the square. to the United States
lots .. and q, the northwest part, to Mr.
Carroll: lots ;. and I, the northeast por-
tion and number sol. of twenty lots. went
TO Mr.. Carroll. and of the nine lots IN square
-6O2 Mr.. Carroll had numbers l. .. 3. s. 9. the
east portion, and the United States the
Square go between the canal and I'd
street and NJ and streets. was in the
hands OF Morris, Greenleaf and Law be-
fore 1871. when Mr. Carroll owned the lots
fronting NJ street. Nos. l and =. In 1893
K. Grisley owned lots > and on Canal
street. cOvenanting with Law to build a
two-st0ry brick house before the year 1900
No Improvement is noted here In the first
quarter OF the century.
Two Early Leases.
In 1901 John Keaglar had a lease in lot
A. facing Canal street. and in 1904 he as
signed lease of house and lot TO II. Tietgen
for 500. In 1906 this went to Alex. Cochran
James Middleton had a lease in lot /. IS
feet front, at SIS per year, which he re-
deemed
In 1926 the corporation valued the
ground at cents per foot. and the improve
rI"nts were assessed follows lot 3. ].
Keaglar. $50. changed to A. Cochran. 500:
lot !. Wilson Bryan, 500. reduced to 500:
lot I. Ephram Mills. $500; lot o. VIM.
Howard. 500. All these were the
canal Lot /. northwest corner of Sd and
nj streets James Middleton, $50.
In 1SOI Nathaniel Brady leased in lot ii,
and the following year Thomas Allen was
I'm IL and II. on Sd street. and Joseph
Warden bought in lot l. corner Sd and n
streets. In 1909 Mr. Tietgen bought In lot
10. corner Of Sd ard NJ streets and T
Howard bought In the southeast corner Of
the square. J. W. Lowe had a lease In lot
II In 1909. and IN 1911 ID. keay and Albn
1Iowe had leases nearby on Sd street and
u. Cooke had a deed in lot on the canal
In 1914 Joseph Johnson was In part OF lot
16 and W. n. Maddox. the following year,
came on lots IL and IL In 1916 Ariminta
Beaen lot Is. and in 1871 s. n.
SmallwOod owned at the southeast corner
OF the square.
Land Four Cents a Foot
About 1873 the CORPORATION valued the
ground at cents per foot. and improve
ments were charged to Thos. Howard.
$500. ). y. Smallwood. 500: Warden
heirs. 81. $40; d Cook, 800: Joseph Johnson
slTJ. G. Bean. $50; w. r. Maddox 5000;
w, Barnes. $500 H Tietgen, 81 ,0Oo and E.
Booth. $3.50
In ten years there was slight increase
OF the value OF the ground. six cents being
the minimum.
The square opposite. between Sd. 4th, NJ
and streets, of thIrty-two lots was slow
in growth. and for years was unproductive.
save that the taxes ground valued at
three and four cents per foot went into the
Golfers Of the corporation. The first con-
Heyance in the square was that of Mr.
Carroll To the corporation of Washington
on April %. 1897, of lots IL and a. fronting
on 80 street. on condition that a warehouse
.bs erected upon IL. The councils by act of
November 10. 1896 authorized the mayor
To receive TINS, and appropriated 5000 for
the construction of warehouse with a
capacity OF 60 hogsheads of tobacco, and
IN May following provided for the appoint
Juent OF an inspector.
Tobacco Warehouse.
In November of that year the corpora
.tlon went into the tobacco inspection busi-
ness and for many years Samuel p Lowe
was the inspector. his compensation being
81 for each hogshead inspected and S1oI
FOR the care OF the premises.
In 1911 Griffith Coombe bought lots to
n on street. nearly half the south front.
hut no improvement appears here except
one Of less than haundred dollars In
1Sl9 Mr.. Coombe made a subdivision OF
these lots into a, b. G. etc, and in 1895
tsuld subdivisions and b to w. r. Mad
dox who taxed 50 so improve
rmHnts that year and on $500 later; while
.the ground was valued at TO cents. In
i9Si2 Thomas Howard had lot IL. on Sd
street, Mr.. Coombe's lots adjoining. Is 70
y. on NJ street. and * TO 30 on 4th street
t1n 1876 George y. Smith had Is and II on
Bd and NJ streets. and Mr. Maddox. / TO
ION NJ street. eight Sd street. "a to II
Ri and - Ith street and In 1870 d q