The Washington herald., 1907-09-01

teen years ago ana more Il TOOK up lue
overflow from F street, and gradually IT'S
Old-fashioned residences were first re-
modelled for shops and Offices, and then
the old landmarks began to disappear for
new and larger buildings to accommodate
stores and offices, which every year more
and more intrenehed upon the residences.
until the latter are now gone. and the
street is given over to the requirements Of
trade, supply stores, and offices, real es-
tate, insurance. builders. and architects
predominating.
In the early days, while Pennsylvania
avenue was yet dirt road and notorious
" muddy in rainy weather. q street
was one of the fashionable residence
streets of the Capital 1t was lined with
beautiful houses. in front of which
equipages OF the social contingent and
OF official families could be seen drawn
UP every afternoon. waiting upon the
parties and receptions going on within.
in G street, in the hOary past, dwelt
some Of the richest and most influential
families of the city. In G street Senators
and Representatives lived, and many Of
the Cabinet officers and high officials Of
the government, at one time and another,
dwelt there 1t was in It's day a noble
street. lined with costly homes. and many
was the scene of gayety at the old-fash-
Toned receptions. weddings. and other so
cial functions which took place there.
Sees a Mighty Change.
But that is now only something for the
antiquarian to get enthusiastic about
The man Of this generation. and the trav-
eler from the States. now going through
G street, sees only high buildings
sheltering banks, real estate Offices, sup
ply stores. two Of the largest dry goods
and department stores in the city, and
the rapid changing of the buildings Of
the past TO new blocks and Offices, 10
suit the requirements of twentieth cen
fury business methods. Three big
churches still cling to G street. though
their parishioners long since scattered
far away In the northwest section and
other parts Of the new city.
Standing on the curb stones which sur
round the west and north sides Of the
Department of the Interior building. one
sees the traffic of street sweeping past
The electric car line. which runs through
the street from this point to Fifteenth
street. carries the cars Of a large part
of the north and northeast suburban
section of Washington, and every two
minutes the cars roll by crowded with
the population OF the distant suburbs
coming down town on shopping trips or
returning to their homes late IN the after
noon Every kind of vehicle forms part
Of the procession coming and going over
the smooth asphalt pavement. Delivery
wagons possibly are in the ascendant
though many automobiles, and carriages
of the rich roll by. stopping at the offices
and stores in G street
Traffic Goes 10 Seventh street.
Past the beholder to the right the tide
Of traffic swings about the department
building in 20 Seventh street and is SEEM
ingly lost in that busy thorOughfare.
Turning westward one passes on the
right-hand corner Of Ninth street the
new Office building which is being fitted
up by Mr.. Dodge. It is plain brick
building, but this year extensive i'm
provements have been made, and the
building now has three store rooms on
the ground floor, with many Offices along
the corridors above.
Nearly opposite is the McGil Building,
which but recently has passed from the
hands of the architect and contractors,
one Of the finest and most complete bust
ness and office structures in the city. 1t
shelters real estate firms, insurance Of
fees, and the whole long list Of agencies
representing great variety Of activities
which Washington IN its metamor-
phosis from n political center to a COM
merclal and industrial city has invited 20
establish here.
Beside the McGill Building stands the
historic Rifles Armory, which long ago
lost It's particular use as the home OF the
Rifles, and has been in recent years one
OF the chief gathering places for the
city. The entertainments, lectures. and
public meetings Of the Rifles ArmOry
Hall have been legion every season for
many years. Its central location makes
Il popular still. and its use as the meet
ing place Of the local lodge of the Mystic
Shriners gives it a character which
marks il as one OF the great landmarks
Of Washington.
On the terrace TO the right stands 6
fine row of ancient brick houses, into
which but recently strobe the iron heel of
business. This row for years withstOod
the encroachments of the mart and the
Office until at last 1t was obliged to sue
cumb. and the old houses are filing up
with various kinds of shops. and will
shortly become part and parcel Of the
new order of things.
Two Big Churches Remain.
Further on stand, on opposite cor
ners of Tenth street, st. Patrick's
Catholic Church and the First Con-
gregational Church, two Of the larges,
OF their respective denominations. Both
buildings are models of their kind, St
Patrick's recently having come into
possession OF It's new school building
and parish house, built in gray stone
20 match the architecture OF the
church, making a handsome architec-
turaI setting amid the business houses
growing up around The Congrega-
tional Church is a plain red-5rick
structure, its fine architectural lines
and high roof and its surroundings
suggesting old Trinity. which has
stood for so many years a grim protest
to the sheering Of the lambs in Wall
street. New York.
The beholder next passes the two de-
partment stores Of Woodward & Lo-
thrOp and the Palais Royal Each oc-
eupies the square on g street, and each
covers large spaces. one reaching through
TO f street and the other illing about
one-fourtE the square between G and Il
streets Woodward & Lothrop,s store
presents on the G street side the newer
portion, built two or three years ago or
the former site Of St. Vincents Orphan
Asylum. The Palais Royal. nearly OF
the same size as its competitor is one