Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-07
OLD BURNT BRIDGE Z"
Where Ships Once Sailed Up
Eastern Branch.
FIRED WHEN BRITISH CAME
Helped Early Settlement in Southeast
Section of City.
SOOTHING IDDLER's CONVERSION
Brickyard and Hill That Vanished to
Fill Up the Hollows of
the Navy Yard.

| OF l. street, east of the navy yard, there
| was some settlement in the early part OF
the last century
| Before the establishment of the navy yard,
| in 1900, there was bridge over the East
| ern branch. a quarter of a mile above 18th
| street, forming in part the thorough1are
to the branch and Prince George county,
the route therefrom being zigzag wagon
| track to the vicinity of the yard. This
! bridge was constructed by the Eastern
| Branch Bridge Company, which was In
corporated by the legislature of Maryland
| in 1895. Daniel Carroll, Motley Young
| George Walker of the original promoters
| were interested in the bridge, and before
| 1900 1t was in service 1t was draw
| bridge, for the branch then had such a
| depth of water that vessels for Europe
| and the West Indies had cleared at the
| port of Bladensburg, and that L'Enfant
| evidently looked for commercial activity IN
| that portion of the branch is seen by the
| wharf sites projected.
| The branch had not then commenced to
| fill up, and as late as 1S43 brig took on
| O cargo of tobacco at Bladensburg and
| sailed seward. At least one native OF
| Washington can recall a democratic bar
| becue at Bladensburg in 1910, when the
| unterrifed democracy of the District to
| the number of several hundred attended,
| going and returning in a steamboat from
| the wharf at the foot of Sd street south
| east.
Bridge Burned Before British.
| This bridge was in service until August
| 1914. when 1t was partially burned on the
approach of the British The damage was
| repaired the following year, Congress ap-
| propriating $50, 500 therefor, and it contin-
eud in use till August. 1876 when the draw
| took fire from the sparks from a passing
| steamer. which were eXcursionists to
! Pyles' campmeeting, few miles up the
| branch 1t burned completely and
| never rebuilt.
With this bridge till 1920 when the Navy
| Yard bridge constructed. the outlet and
| inlet for travel and trade for lower Mary
land, some little settlement was attracted
| to this section. When, however, the Navy
| Yard Bridge Company, Incorporated in 1919
! by William Prout, S. n. Smallwood, Tim
| othy Winn and Adam Lindsay of that sec
| ton and William Marbury, who lived OPP
posite, constructed the lower bridge, near
| 18th street, the Maryland trade was d.
| vided. The old bridge took the name of the
Burnt bridge" after 1914, and when the
| 18th street bridge was constructed it was
| called the Upper Navy Yard bridge. These
were each toll bridges, the former during
its entire existence, with William Mag.n
| toll gatherer. In 1S4S the latter being pur-
| chased by the government, became a free
| bridge, and under the commissioner of
| public buildings for a few years James D.
Buckley who lived near. was the keeper.
The topography of the land adjacent in
| early times widely different from the
| present, for there was hill at about 18th
| and n streets. much of which in after years,
yard through the east gate and helped to
| improve the grounsd the area of the
| yard was filed in. At 18th street there was
| a gully in which small stream flowed
from a spring of excellent water.
southeast's Early Brickyard.
| That the location of these bridges, with
| that of Navy Yard, had an effect on the
settlement of that section is evident. The
open space at the intersection of Georgia
and Virginia avenues separated the bridge
| neighborhood from what little improve
| ments were made northward, and so few
We're the buildings eastward that a village
like appearance was maintained for about
half century.
The square known as 976 between L. NJ,
10th and 18th streets, was early of impor-
lance, for, possessing as it did a bed of
fine brick clay, 1t was utilized, and for
twenty years or more here were kilns that
gave employment to a number of laborers.
There were four lots laid off on the plan,
Nos. and 3, the west half of the square
going to Mr.. Prout but in 1897 the entire
square was owned by Dunlap & Carlton,
| in 1903 by DR.. VIM. Thornton. and two years
| later it went to Mrs. Ann Brodeau. Samuel
| Baker who in 1902 lived Sth street con-
veyed the brick yard in the square to Ana
! riah Cation. In 1923 w. r. Maddox, we'll
known manufacturer of brick, bought lot
| 2, with brick and frame buildings on the
southwest corner of the square, and in lS41
| it went to ]. l.. Maddox In 1922 George
Collard was in 'ot 3 north and about this
| time Elizabeth and Cordela Helmsworth
hat. two houSeUin lot 2.
Land a Cent a Foot.
| Square 800, bounded by NJ and 18th
| streets and Virginia avenue, was cut into
| four lots, and the original proprietor, Mr.
| Prout, was assigned -ros. 8 and 4, on 18th
street. The others, in 1891 went to Dunlap
! e Carlton. from Morris & Greenleaf and
! A. B. Woodward bought lot T. and in 1893
| Joseph Slater bought lot 3. In 1907 the
ground was valued at 3 cents and a house
| valued at $50 assessed to Patrick Stanton
| who in 1909 had a deed on lot 2, and two
! years afterwari on lot Z. The next transfer
was of lot ! to Chas, Glover, in 1925, in
| which year George Adams bought lot and
! Mr. Otterback lot 3, and the next year
! John Smith had lot 9
| In this decade several houses were built
! The assessed value of the ground was but
| / cent per foot, and the Improvements were
! listed: p. Otterback $3.50; j. Railey, 5000;
! John Smith. $500 and $3.50; j. NJ. Farrar, s.
\. Smallwood and p. Otterback each $3.50;
| G. Miller $3.50, and S. Adams s11S In 1885
! P. Stanton's heirs are assessed on a $500
| building.
Between NJ. n, 10th and 18th streets was
| square 9IT laid off in twenty building lots
and in 1891 apportioned between the gov
| eminent and the proprietorS, Daniel Car
| roll William Prout and William King
/ some OF these lots, before 1900 had passed
TO Dunlap & Carlton and Morris & Nichol-
] son.
| Commodore Tingeys Investment.
Commodore Tingey of the navy yard in
! vested in several lots 30 to o. on 18th
, street and the following year a lease was
taken on lot %, on 18th street, by j. Moy-
ers. and he erected a small house thereon.
| valued in 1902 at $40 In 1904 William
Smith. school teacher. and James Nowland
| long model maker in the yard. and city
! councilman, had leases on lots "a and D.
| and these were each improved by 5000
| dwellings. The next year Robert Armstead
| George Lake. j. Carlton and Thomas Hun
| ter ha6 leases on lot "a on 18th street near
| the corner of street.
I In 1906 Jesse MacKay and Thomas Hun
ter had leases lot ~, and Bernard Par
| sons owned the corner of 18th and NJ
! streets. The following year. 1907, George
Grant and +. Bland We're on lot 81, while
w. Bushby was on lot is, on NJ street. The
house of Mr.. Lake valued at 81 200;
! those of Messrs. Bushby. Bland and Grant
$500 each; ]. Hunter, 500, and Mr.. Prout
had three houses of like value on lots p
and ~ on nth near NJ