Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-23
NAMED ENGLISH HILL
Judiciary Square Section in
the Early Days.
RESIDENTS MOSTLY IRISH
Goose Greek and Swampoodle Part of
the Bounds.
BRICKYARDS IN EVIDENCE
Some Of the Pioneer Improvements,
Public and Private-Residents
Who Held Office.
BRICKYARDS IN EVIDENCE

majority OF the RESIDENTS were OF irish
birth or descent. Yet from the fact that
| there was on Irish Hill south of the
square on Sd street between and G
| streets before 1920 an English family Of
the name Of Cook, the popular name of
section whose boundaries other than the
| lines Of the square were indefinite, was
English Hill. At one time the T1ber or
Goose creek was reckoned as the eastern
boundary dividing Swampoodle east of
the government printing Office from the
hill. The little stream from the springs
in the neighborhood of Convention Hall
and K street market which entered the
square near G and 5th streets and coursed
through it in or near Sd street and In
diana avenue to the Tiber was generally
considered its western limit. When
however. brick yards and klns were To-
Gated between I'd, Sd, E and streets
| In the twenties these works were re-
| garded as the south limit of the hill"
! There was much clay Whereabouts. Some
| of the older residents of the city may re-
call what was known in their poyhood
| days as Mt. Etna. the abode of family
between Sd, 4th. F and G streets, which
was a reputed speakeasy, at which there
| were frequent eruptions. domestic and
| otherwise This. with the hill, has long
since disappeared and a few frame
| houses with brick lower stories are evil
dence of the demand for clay wnen the
patent and general post office were in the
course of erection about 1910. About
1900 there was a farmhouse near the
corner OF Sd and streets with an Or
chard west of 1t. and it is said that for a
number of years the beds of many Of the
streets were included in its fields and
garden patches. At the northwest corner
of Sd street and Indiana avenue was a
spring and the water was Of such quality
that in the early part Of the last century
IT was walled up and steps taken to give
in stone the legend Erected by the
citizens in the mayoralty of Robert
Brent" which fixes the date between
| 1902 and 1911, as Mr.. Brent, the first
mayor. served In that period. The water
| supplied the neighborhood for many years
| from the spring and often from Bald
| wins pump, which recently was con-
demned and removed.
First Improvement.
About the first private Improvement to
be made was that of a tavern in 1893, at
the northeast corner of Sd and D streets,
by Edward Burrows. who conducted It for
ten or more years. This was not far
from the stream mentioned. but being on
| the original ridge route" of travel from
! the western part. of the city to the Cap
| itol. 1t was doubtless we'll located for
| custom. and under the name of the "City
| Tavern" it f1ourished The property, with
the adjoining lot, was bought by Moses
Young. who had served in the consular
| service at Madrid and as secretary of
legation in Holland and Paris. In the
twenties David Young was residing there
1t was about the only material improve
ment In the section in question up to 1920.
1 though the Washington Tontine Company
had for several years owned many lots
there. Among the few persons who had
settled in the section at that time was
| Philip Mohun, carpenter and builder.
who for forty odd years resided on Sd
street between F and streets. He was
the father of W. P. and Francis Mohun,
who were long associated with him in
building and in the lumber trade. Nathan
Cook. bricklayer, and William Harper, a
| stonecutter. were on the same square.
James Story was on the square south and
| Joseph Scofield between D and E streets.
| Hugh Dawson. plasterer, and John Berth
I rong. stonecutter. were on I'd street. On
E street between Sd and 4th streets was
| William Esten then a butcher and after
ward in the brickmaking business, with
| Richard Bannister. William H. Sweeney
and Bridget Connolly. On G street were
John Wilkinson. carpenter, and Mrs Cath
crime Davis. between I'd and Sd streets.
and George Henderson, grocer, between
4th and 9Th streets. In H street was
i Thomas Burch. then a wood measurer,
and later a grocer, between 4th and 9Th
| streets.
Public and Private.
By 1910 there had been many improve
ments, both Of a public and private char
acter. On the streets little grading had
j been done. The houses were mostly of
frame many of them of the salt-box pat
tern, which in after years became the
back buildings of more pretentious resi-
| dences. The brick kilns mentioned were
| still in operation. Rollins pottery had
been established on the north side of
Massachusetts avenue between 4th and
9Th streets; Baldwin's carpenter shop and
| mill were in operation on the east side OF
Sd street at>D street and Indiana avenue:
John T. Clements had a carpenter shop
on 9Th street near Washington street; w.
| G. Deale, a similar shop on the north side
| of G street; A. D. Melchor's shop was on
| 4th street. and O'Donnoghue's soap and
candle mandatory was near by. Several
rows of dwellings had been erected-Me-
chanics row Of bricks was on the north
1 side Of D street east of Sd street; Will
liams frame, on the east side Of 9Th street
south of Massachusetts, avenue. and one
of three-story frames on Massachusetts
avenue between 4th and 9th streets.
Though most Of the residents were OF
the great middle class, mostly mechanics,
more than the usual number filled i'm
portant places. some in the city councils.
Among the residents were Robert NJ.
Beall, long an avenue grocer; Chauncey
| Bestor, cashier of the Patriotic Bank;
Chas. W. Boteler, dealer in house fur
nishings on the avenue; ]. Dixon, D. Ridg.
| ley and E. johnson on D street.
Frederick A. Tschiffely, a draughtsman
in the land ofiice; J. H. Daniel and Henry
Tucker tailors; Mrs. c. Lansdale. Wash
ington Hall and w. G. Deale were on G
street, and VIM. Lord kept the grocery
at the corner of 5th street. Between I'd
and Sd streets were John and Robert
Ball and VIM. Dyer.
| In H street were J. W. Watson. a shoe
maker; Thomas Mccarthy, Waterman;
| Lewis Radcliffe, a collector; Frank Fra
zier John Fitzgerald. G. Gregory, printer;
| James Boss. John Grimes and Jackson
| Edmonston, carpenters; G. w. Dom. cab
| met maker: r. C.. Dom, justice Of the
peace; Thos Hurdle, painter; John Ennes,
butcher; T. W. Burch. grocer. at 9TH
] street, and A. H. Cook, between Sd and
4 4th streets.
i In Massachusetts avenue there were
i Charles Zachman. grocer. at 4th street;
l Charles Walker. carpenter; VIM. Rollins,
i potter; VIM. Phillips and P. English.
| printers; John Espey, bookbinder; Charles
4 Hibbs Of general land office; VIM. Phil
| lips. Charles Mcdonald, Albert Burch and
/ William E. Burch.
Residents in I Street.
In I street were Mrs. Truman, John
| Celery. painter; L. and o. Prather. Philip
Mackey, George H. Grant and James Ed
monston. bricklayers: E. French and NJ.
Gait, shoemakers, and ]. T. Clements.