Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20

A, and in this decade Buckner Thurston
| judge of the circuit court, had part of lot
40, Mr.. Foy lots 81. IS and 80 and Mr.
Withers lots AZ and 43.
In 1880 the improvements were valued as
follows John Withers, 81. 700; Robert Eckel
$500; g. B. Hamilton. 5000: w. s. Drum
| mond $50, carpenter shop; Letourna $500;
P: s. Howle. 8, 900 John Withers .. 500;
Jsffries; $500; NJ Mccarthy. $50; G. Ven
$500; d. Pierce, 500; Jonathan Elliott,
$500; 9. Miller, $3,7OO. and H. NJ Moffett.
$780, These cover the avenue property
atoms were: John Withers. $500; J. E.
Frost, s. 800; H Thompson, $1,000, and -
Galloway on the lot at Az and streets
On G street Joseph Bradley w. 5. Drum
Drummond, $500; H T. Weightman, $500.
and John Simon, $500.
In 1892 c. H. Wiltberger was assessed
on 81, SOO A. Holmead $1,000 and Carey
Selden $4,000, the latter on Improvements
at Sd and c streets.
Before 1910 John w. Maury, afterward
mayor of Washington, then an exchange
broker, bought near the corner of Sd and
c streets where the family yet reside. and
James Mccormick on the west and DR..
William Jones, long city postmaster on the
east. where he lived number of years, ad-
joining the house of Charles Rich. Mrs.
Ann MacDaniel bought a house on Az
street and established a boarding house.
which was a favorite stopping place, espe-
cially of the Virginia members of Congress.
j. C. Bayer had a lease on a brick house
north on Az street. Geege Parker of q. I.
Parker & Co, wholesale grocers, on the
avenue for twenty years or more. bought
at the southwest corner of AZ and streets
and made his residence there for many
years. William II. Upperman bought ave-
nue. property and engaged in the grocery
business there for a long series of years
until short time before the civil war
The Old Metropolis Hotel.
Tn nrti A II and
Browning, merchant tailors, bought on the
avenue, as did A R. Jenkins, who opened
the Metropolis Hotel and Joseph Fol-
lansbee, what became afterward the
United States Hotel property. F. P Blair
bought lots IA and 15, on which was erected
Jackson Hall and the printing office of
Blair & Rives, who published the Congress
sonal Globe. James Fitzgerald kept tav-
ern and fruit store nearby, and William
Greason a fruit store, the former owning
his ground and the latter having lease on
two frame houses. In 1851 this property
was destroyed by fire.
On street Rev. William MacLa1n, long
secretary of the American Colonization So
ciety owned a home near the corner Of
Az street and near by Thomas H. Benton,
who served thirty years as senator from
Missouri, known also as odd Bullion,
owned a roomy old-fashioned brick house
as his Washington home. The senator
and family added much to the society Of
the neighborhood at that time and the
house the scene of many brilliant en-
tertainments. In which the daughter. Miss
Jessie, afterWard Mrs. John Z. Fremont,
was a bright star. A delegation of Pot
tawatomie Indians on a visit to the great
father president Polk paid a call here,
appearing in the full dress of the wids,
and were as delighted with the reception
as were Col. Benton and family. 1t is
needless to say that they attracted much
notice from the neighbors. In February.
1865, this house was destroyed by fire, and
it was one of the most exciting fires WASH
ington ever experienced. 1t occurred
about o'clock in the afternoon during
freezing weather, and when the family,
with little of the furniture, reached the
street, the interior was raging furnace.
The firemen found entrance impossible and
the hose of the Northern Liberties fire
company was carried to a tree, from which
the stream of water was directed into the
upper windows. When the fire had been
extnguished 1t was found that the pipe
man was frozen to the tree and 1t was
necessary to cut away the Ice, as also TO
thaw him out when he reached the ground,
for the water in his boots was frozen. he
Is living today and member Of the Vet
eran Volunteer Firemen's Association.
The Francis Scott Key Home.
Francis Scott Key owned home on c
street near Sd street in this decade, and
p B. Key lived here the latter part Of his
life George B. MacKnight, surgeon Of
the United States navy, owned and lived
on lot 81 on Sd street south Of street.
and later Admiral l.. NJ. Powell, then a
commander of the United States navy,
built a home southwark, in which he spent
many years.
About the center of the Sd street front Of
the square was the Temperance Hotel, the
host Of which bore not the significant name
of Beers for total abstinence house A hotel
minus bar room was not an oddly to the
public of Washington, but nevertheless a
goodly number of patrons enjoyed life
under the roof of Isaac Beers.
In the forties many houses had been
erected and hotels, boarding houses, stores,
halls, etc, were in evidence. On the ave-
nue. front was the United States Hotel, I'M
der the management of capt. Jas ii. Blrch,
at which were guests then Senators J. Z.
Calhoun and w 7. Colquitt of South Caro-
lima, Representatives Burt of South Caroe
lima, j. B. Chapman of Michigan, e. II.
Ewing of Tennessee H. A. HARRISON, lslah
Parrish of Ohio and G. Sykes of Wisconsin
The Verandah Hotel of Cotter IL Thomp-
son. the Metropolis House of "A. K. jenkins,
the taverns of James Cuthbert and James
FITZGERALD (also a fruit store) stood on the
avenue. The boarding houses of Mrs. Glenn
ents, with whom j. A. Seldom of Virginia
roomed; Miss Shonnard, with whom Sen
ators j. 7. Simmons of Rhode Island. w.
Upham of Vermont and w. Woodbridge and
Gen J. c. Chapman of Maryland made
their homes; Mrs. Clitz, with whom ]. H.
Ewing of Pennsylvania and s. Foot of Yer
mont lodged and Mrs. w. Archer, with
whom j. C. Phelps and ]. II. Relf of Mis-
souri, lodged, also stood here.
The Jackson Hall Building.
About 1915 the Jackson Hall building was
erected by Blair & RiveS and there the
Congressional Globe was printed for years.
This at the time was regarded as a great
improvement and the building is yet fine
structure The lower story was arranged
for two store rooms of one hundred feet
depth and the hall in the second story took
in the whole length and width of the build
ing. 1t was intended for balls meetings.
etc and in the old days was the scene Of
MANY a fine assemblage. The old Jackson
Democratic Association had its headQuar-
tiers here and the 9Th of January was al
WAYS remembered here in some manner by
a military ball usually, while on January II
the Typographical Society and a volunteer
fire company, either by a ball. supper on
entertainment would l,onor Franklin, and It
need not be said that on the night of Feb
ruary % the hall was never idle.
OF the stores on the avenue there were
those of VIM. Greason and Isaac Newton,
dealers in fruits; ]. c. Kneller and p. L.
Leman. tobacconists; Duvall & Bros, y. w.