Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-14


| Young. Thomas Foyles and Patrick Far
rell. In 1908 Thomas Summers was
lessee. the next year James MacKim. in
| 1872 Elizabeth Brown. and in 1919 Peter
Little. Mary A. Brown bought a lot in
the square in 1922 and James Nokes and
| Lavinia human bought of James Scanlon
in 1881. The latter was master plumber OF
the navy yard.
Ground Valuations.
In 1888 the ground valuation was to 10
| cents. and the improvements were assessed
to: Elizabeth Bowen. $3.50: James Seaman.
$3.50; Foyles & Young. 500; P Little. $500.
| and James Danford. $780,
| Between 7th. Sth I and X streets. or
| Virginia avenue. square No. 9O5 was laid
on. and, being vested by the Commission
| ers in Mr.. Prout in 1877 for improvements.
| 1t Is supposed that 1t was not then bare OF
| buildings. In this year Augustine Wood
| ward had the southeast corner OF the
| square. which, In 1904. was bought by An
| drew Forrest. This piece fronted seventy
one feet on Sth street and sixty-seven feet
| on Virginia avenue. The consideration was
| $5O4.53. Buildings, including on Vir-
| g1nia avenue. We're erected shortly after
ward and nearly all of them are in service
| today. In 1903 William Bunyie leased the
| southeast corner Of 7th and I streets and
| three years afterward took deed. James
| Walker leased a brick house on Sth street.
| and John MacCutcheon had a lease on 9Th
street in 1904. Thomas Holiday acquired
| the southwest corner OF Sth and streets.
| and James Johnson at this time resided
! on Sth street. In 1909 L. Talbert had a
| frame house in the square; James Wickam
| purchased the ground with unfinished
| house on Virginia avenue. and Salvatore
Catalano two houses on 1th and l streets.
| Two years afterward Catalano sold to MI
| chael Sardo. Mrs. Elizabeth Rankin owned
| houses in this square about the same time,
| and in 1872 George Grant bought Vir-
ginia avenue. In 1913 Mr.. Walker bought
| the house he had leased and in 1914
| Charles Venable bought at the southwest
of Virginia avenue and 18th street. In 1870
| Thomas Gillick had lease Sth street
| property. m 1922 William Jones resided
at 9TH and l streets, and C. Byrne on
| street.
There was little transfer of property in
| the twenties. when the ground had a value
| of D to cents. In that decade the Inn
provements were assessed: To Andrew
| Forrest, 81. 100: James Wickham. 500: G.
| Grant 5000; Charles Venable $1,000 on
south front of the square: S. Catalano 5000,
and r. Holiday. $50. 18th street: Will
liam Jones. 81 500. eth and 1 streets: James
Walker. 81. 600. on Sth street.
In 1898 the Forrest property passed to
| Mrs. Eiinor c. Bailey, but not out of the
| family; James Tucker. master blacksmith
bought on Virginia avenue in 1871 and
| Thomas Bayne established on Sth street a
| Trimble bought on 18th street. and in 1889
Robert NJ. Coombs had lease on Virginia
avenue.
Subdivision of Square 92S.
| The square south Of the marine bar
| racks between Sth. 9Th, I and streets
| known as No. 9zS in 1892 was divided into
| twelve lots. all Of which were assigned to
Mr.. Prout. Four Of these fronted on each
| street, and in 1897 those on K street were
| conveyed to A. Woodward. who afterward
| sold them back to Mr. Prout. In 1899
| David slater had lot 5. and Joseph Slater
lots and 7, nearly all the west front No
improvements were listed in 1S03-O7 but
| the ground was valued at cents Tradi-
| ton is that the Skaters had homes here for
some years. and as several leases were
made In the first decade of the century
some improvements followed Hezekiah
| Smithson had a lease on lot 4. Sth and X
streets. as also had George ST Clair and
EliZabeth Ireland and j. Stances Lots
and II went the year following to John
| Cummins. In 1908 John Vi1t leased in
| lot .. and the next year transferred it to
| T. c. Wright In 1910 Andrew Forrest
bought lot !. at 9th and streets. and
| William Cooking took the deed to the prop
| erty leased to Vint. In 1914 the deed for
| lots 3. and 5. in the southwest quarter
| of the square. went to s. w. Young Will
| liam Hebb then had lease lots 2 and
3. assigning soon afterward to H. Somer-
vile. In 1916 Benjamin G. Orr bought
lot on Sth street. and ]. B. Forrest the
| two houses at the northeast corner Of Sth
| and X streets. He afterward owned lots
to 5.
Mrs. Esther Murphy obtained a lease in
| 1922 on lot 10. at the southwest corner
of 9Th and 1 streets. A year later Marie
! Clarke and Edward Simms were tenants in
the square and in 1924 James Edgecombe
| owned lot on sth street. and John Hodg-
son had a lease and James Marshall a deed
to K street property.
! Four to eight cents was the assessed
value Of the ground in 1925. and the i'm
provements were assessed as follows: T.
Hodgson and ]. Sanford. s1e5 each: ]. B.
Forrest; $500: + VIM. 5000; Mr.. Palmer.
| $3.50; J. Edgecombe. $500: E. Simms
$1,000; J. Prout. $3.50: A Lindsay and
| Hester Murphy. $3.50 each; A. Richardson
| 5000: ]. Horner, $4,000, and Prouts heirs
| $50 and 500.
| Vacant Space in 1880.
| The space at the southwest corner of
9Th and X streets on which a section Of
| the District fire department Is now quar-
| tered. also has an interesting history
| Prior to 1889 it was an open common. over
which meandered the roads made by the
| country teams from Virginia and Mary
land. and 1t afforded fine place for open
air meetings, militia musters and drill
grounds In the presidential campaigns
or yore there was room for both parties
and it was no uncommon sight to see the
banners or the rival candidates flying
from hickory and pine poles only few hun.
dred yards apart. and here also were stands
Tor the public meetings and room for the
DonnreS the youngsters were wont to
kindie on gala Occas ions. 1t was fp-the
summer Of 1889 that the Anacostia or
navy Yard fire company was authorized
10 erect an engine house on the corner for
housing the apparatus which had been
Kept near 9th and streets. The COM
pany was not long in erecting a house for |
Its purpose. and in a few months engines
and hose reels occupied the lower floor, and |
moderate-sized meeting room was pro- |
vlded above. The POLLS were opened in |
THIS nall In the municipal elections.
A small cannon was kept in the same
mouse and 1t was used for firing salutes. |
This same gun figured in the Know Moth |
ing riot near the corner of 18th and K |
streets In June 1857. 1t was forcibIy |
taken to the scene of the rioting the polls
OF the third and fourth wards and an at
tempt was made to fire 1t on the marines.
who had been called out, when the latter
nred into the mob and captured the gun
Forrest Family.
The FORESTS were allied to BENJAMIN
More. who published the WASHINGTON Ga
zette of 1896. Andrew Forrest married a
daughter of Mr.. More, and established a
grocery at Sth and K streets. first and
later at 9th and X streets. and almost
without intermiss!on the first location has
been a grocery stand. For some years An