Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-30
PROGRESS WAS SLOW
Improvement of Squares North
of the Capitol.
SITE OF THE SENATE ANNEX
Opening Of B Street Did Not Occur
Until the Year 1916.
VALUES EXPRESSED BY MILLS
Names Of Early Residents and De-
scription Of Their Holdings
In the Thirties.
VALUES EXPRESSED BY MILLS

North Capitol and LIST streets northwest,
the progress Of improvements, public and
private, was slow during the first half Of
the last century. Indeed, it was not until
1916 that B street was opened and sem
blance Of q growing neighborhood could
be noted. Much OF 1t was in the garb Of
nature then. and the valuation of the
ground by the corporation, though ex-
pressed by cents along B street and Della
ware avenue. was on the other portions
placed at a few mills per foot. Little
change in the valuation occurred prior to
1880. It is needless to say that, other than
the streets having been cut through, little
had been done in the way of improve
ments: then the most Of the rOadways were
wagon tracks through the grass, while the
footways were represented by rev OF
brick, more of gravel and mostly footpath.
The natural grade was much more elevated
than the present, as may be seen by some
of the buildings being perched upon NIL
and others having had lower stories added
II some improvements Of brick on Della
ware avenue and B street and two small
frame houses on street, which dated from
about 1915, are excluded, the area was I'M
improved until after 1880. In close prox-
unity to the Capitol, in and about which
many were employed, and in which, be-
sides the legislative bodies and the supreme
Court of the United States, the local courts
held sessions, it seems incredible that deVel-
opment was not more rapid.
Divided by Commissioners.
The four squares in the tract of Daniel
Carroll of Duddngton were plated and the
lots divided by the commissioners between
him and the United States in 1893. In
square CSC, between Delaware avenue and
1st streets B and C streets, seventeen lots
were plated. In 1901 NJ. Brown bought lot
/, at the northeast corner of LIST and B
ND lot
through James Carrick and f. W. VIII
mans, passed to William Brent, clerk OF the
Circuit Court for many years. Mr.. Brown
resided at LIST and B streets for several
years Mr.. Brent's house was tall, sub
stantial structure, three stories, of brick,
and it was the family residence for half
century more. Mr.. Carroll had erected
north of B street. on Delaware avenue, Two
fine houses on lot 5, and two similar ones on
Delaware avenue on lot 7, they being three
story and attic buildings. In the early ap-
praisement by the corporation in 1so2 the
land was first rated at cents per foot, and
then reduced to cents and the improve
ments assessed-M Brown. lot 1, $1,000;
Mr.. Carroll, lots and T. $4,000, reduced
to $1,000, and Mr.. Brent, lot g. $4,000. re-
duced to $500 The houses stood until re-
Gently.
william Brent in 1910 became the owner
of the ground north to the corner, being
lots to 10. In 1915 the latter lot was
owned by Robert Brent and John Mulloy.
The former the first mayor Of Wash
ington and the latter printer. the father
of J. ]. Mulloy, a bookbinder, and w. A.
Mulloy, a deputy marshal. Lot 6, on Della
ware avenue, was bought in 1911 by w.
Digges. w. Brent added lot to his
possessions in 1920. Griffith Coomb about
that time acquired the Brown property, lot
/ and lot 2. on 3 street, on which he
erected a house. In 1925 Samuel Hanson,
long connected with the government de-
resided there several years. On the 1st
street front Benjamin Sprigg of the clerks
Office, Thomas Dunn sergeant-at-arms.a and
]. o. Dunn, assistant doorkeeper of the
proved lots IA and Is by erecting dwellings
and making their homes there from the
year 1925
Assessed Value of Ground.
In 1924 the assessed value of the ground
was from to cents and the improvements
were listed as follows: Griffith Coomb, lot
1, s1,7O0; D. Carroll, lot 4, $500; Sarah
Carroll and Catherine Degges, lot 6,
81 500 each; William Brent, lots Z and 8,
$500: John Mulloy, lot 10, $3.50; Benjamin
Sprigg lot IA, $500; Thomas and ]. o.
Dunn, lot 10. $1,7OO.
Judge Cranch, about 1927. took up his
residence in house PIT Delaware avenue and
resided there until 1854; Daniel Brent then
chief clerk Of the State Department; DR..
Tobias Watkins, secretary OF the FLORIDA
commission, and W. T. Carroll, clerk of the
on Delaware avenue. in addition to the
others mentioned. Rev. Thomas Barton
of the Navy Yard Baptist Church was at
Mr.. Dunn's on LIST street, and Harvey
Bestor was located on street.
Philip Otterback, in 1885, bought the
Dunn property, lot 16 and later sold to w.
]. Berry, who also bought lot Is. William
H. Ball of the fifth auditors Office, bought
the lot on which Mr.. Sprigg had resided, it
being No. II on LIST street. w. G. Cranch,
son of the Judge, bought lot 8, the south
west corner Of the square. Col Henry
Naylor, long connected with the Circuit
Court, purchased the northwest corner Of
the square, lot TO- and Georgetown College
acquired the adjoining lot 2. There had
the decade in question. The old improve
ment of 81, 100 had been reduced to $1,1OO on
lot /, and house assessed at $1,000 on lot
was in the name of Mr.. Coomb. From
50 800 to $500 was the reductions on lots
3 and 4, in the name of Mr.. Carroll; on lot
g. Mrs. Degges and Mrs. Sarah Carrolls
ratings were reduced $500. to $500 each;
Mr.. Brents $500. on lots and g, was re-
duced by $500; Mr.. Mulloy, lot 10, to $500.
and Messrs. Sprigg and Dunn, lots II and
16, to $1,000 each. ..
Remained Standing Many Years.
The house Of Mr. Brown remained stand
ing many years, and sixty years ago a Mrs.
Stone conducted young ladies' seminary
therein, at the corner of LIST and streets
Later there was grocery there. On the
street front were two small brick houses
owned by the Taits. Attached were gar
dens.
That angular square between North Cap
itol street and Delaware avenue northWest
facing the present park was plated for
nineteen lots, when, in 1905, the apportion-
ment was made between the proprietor and
the government. In 1897 Thomas Lawson
owned nine of the lots, but it does not ap-
pear that there was any movement in the
real estate or the lots served any other pur-
pose than for assessment In 1903 the rate
was 6 to IL cents, but later it was reduced
to from to cents, and about 1924 to 10
cents was the prevailing rate.
DR.. J. F. May in 1913 acquired lot 10, on
Delaware avenue, which many years later
was in the name of Joseph Follansbee. In
1916 lot II on c street was leased to Charles
Brooks and in the twenties Nancy Brooks,
a colored woman, lived here and on the lot
east was Robert Stephenson, the former as
sessed $3.50 and the latter $3.50 for improve
ments and cents per foot on the ground
West Side of Delaware Avenue.
John Mcdonald about 1916 bought prop
erty on the west side of Delaware avenue
and erected a four-story brick residence,
which, when the avenue was graded was
left high and dry on the bank. Mr.. Melon