Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-24
SITE OF THE LIBRARY
Ground Upon Which the Beauti-
full Building Stands,
FACING NATIONAL CAPITOL
Formerly Known as Squares 729, $50
and 731 in City Plat,
WAS ONCE A FAMOUS SECTION
Prison Where Union Forces Held Sus-
poets Was Located in the
Vicinity.
FACING NATIONAL CAPITOL
WAS ONCE A FAMOUS SECTION

For nearly century the ground upon
which stands the Congressional Library
composed city squares known as 'T29. $50
and I31. The portion between East Capitol,
A. LIST and I'd streets perfect square,
and the other blocks extending to south
street were made into angular shape by
the intersection of Pennsylvania avenue.
That there is historical lore OF national
as well as local interest attached to the
residences formerly on the ground needs
no telling, even to the younger portion of
the community. Several of the buildings
were equipped as hotels, and in their day
they offered accommodations to many noted
people. Lincoln himself, ere he was forty
years of age and while a representative in
Con yress. was a boarder in the house In
which during later years prisoners of war
were confined. For time, too, this same
dwelling sheltered contraband slaves while
barracks for them were in me course Of
erection elsewhere.
After the city had mayor and council
this section gave evidence of material prog
ress. and the Capitol Hill market. which
had been on New Jersey avenue south OF
the Capitol In 1912. was removed to East
Capitol street between LIST and I'd streets
Tradition has it that stores with tavern
attachment were also plentiful in the neigh
borhood Lafayette in his triumphal visit
in 1920 was escorted to the Capitol by way
of the market place, and every stand was
profusely decorated. An arch Spanned
East Capitol street and hundreds of school
children crowded the line of march and
strewed the way with flowers and sang an
ode of welcome to the patriot
The Hill market in its life of twenty
five years on the present library block pros
pered greatly, and early in the thlrt1es
an extension was carried over the building
Zines into the next square. About 1888 the
Improvement of East Capitol street was
projected. and the buildings were sold and
a new market house erected on the site now
occupied by st. Marks P. E. Church. south
east corner of Sd and A streets. William
Howard was the first clerk in charge or
the Hill market. and after him came Ben
son MacCormick.
Square 729 was plated in 1872 for thirty
lots which were vested equally in Daniel
Carroll, the original proprietor and the
United States In the following year 7:
Coles acquired lots on A street near I'd
street: James Wilson lot on East Capitol
street and James Cramond and James Will
son held a lot on A street These men were
holders of certificates who received deeds In
1875 In the following year A Robertson
purchased a lot at East Capitol and "a
streets. and James Hoban two lots o on
Before 1900 Morris & Nicholson. Greenleaf,
Thos. Law. Pratt, Frances and others held
interests in the square; a: Reea was .a an
a lease was given to James Johnson on an |
A street lot and George Burns on another |
fronting East Capitol street.
Figures From Assessors Books.
The assessors books of 1902 show that
there had been some improvement and
valuation of to 10 cents was put on the
ground. Cartwright Tippett. who was later
the District jailer and who received his
deed in 1906 was assessed $50 on house
on lot . on A street. James Johnson was
charged $500 on lot on A street, and James
Hoban $50 on the same block. Other as
sessments were as follows: William
Emack $500; Mary Rose, 500, and James
Dermott $500. In 1907 Mr.. Emack's valu-
atoms were $500. and Hodgson & Thomp-
son were listed 81 800 on East Capitol street
property. On the west front OF the SQUARE
Mr. Carroll was assessed for $4,000 on
row of five fine brick dwellings Mr.. John,
son for many years kept a store and lived
on street. Mr.. Emack kept grocery
and dry goods store, and j. ]. Dermott
was a tailor on East Capitol street
Mr. Emack in 1905 took lease ON lot ~
and conducted business there for many
years George Watterson, librarian OF
Congress, bought in lot q, East Capitol
and I'd street, in 1909. and in the following
year Alexander Mccormick bought In lots
% to % In 1913 Patrick Callan, j. cooper
and Bates had property on East Capt.
toll street. In 1917 Vandoran Mallion bought
with lot IS two-story dwelling house OPP
posite the market and William Carney took
a lease on adjoining lot, and the fol-
lowing year David OFT was In possession or
East Capitol street property. In 1919 David
watterson had a lease opposite the market
and opened a grocery store, and Timothy
Caldwell had lots 20 and % in possession
shortly after In 1922 Mary Burns bought
lot II and Rhoda Berry obtained lease on
house on East Capitol street, and Brooke
N. Berry, long a clerk under the House
of Representatives, resided there In 1924
James Getty obtained a lease on an East
Capitol street lot and assigned 1t to w.
Hayman. The following year John Boyle
bought lot 10 with three houses fronting
East Capitol street.
ha Hnrn0rafi0n books
the ground at from to Is cents per foot
and the improved to Scipio Jackson. $50;
c. Tippett $3.50; Daniel Romans.
carpenter $3.50 James johnson, $3.50;
]. Hoban, $780, all street: Daniel
Carroll. $4,000; Moses Young's .Leirs. $3.50;
d. Wattersons heirs, 5000: V. Mallion. 800;
J. Leckie, 500; William Emack. 5000;
James Getty, 500. and Timothy Caldwell,
81 600 BY this time Mr.. Carroll's houses
formed an important part of the city, and
beneath their shelter were a number of
senators and representatives In Congress.
Others in the Row.
In the south house of the row was DR..
James Ewell. one of the leading physicians,
who had been there several years, and in
the others were located the seminary of
Rev DR.. John Chalmers. the boarding
house of Mrs. Hamilton and Queens Hotel,
the latter Rt one time one of the leading
hostelries under the management of Nicho-
las queen one OF the most popular citi-
gems, many OF whose descendants are still
with us. In the twenties he was the host
OF Representatives r. Wright of Maryland
It. II. Hubbard. W. b. Rochester and W.
w. Van Wyck of New York. George Cas-
sdy and Samuel Swami of New Jersey NJ
Barber OF Connecticut, T. ]. Rogers of
Pennsylvania. r. c. Mallory and NJ N
lUpham OF New Hampshire and C. Hooks
of North Carolina.
Mrs Hamilton housed Senators Horatio
Seymour and w. A. Palmer, and represen-
tatives Charles Rich. 8. c. Crafts, Elias
Keys and John Mattock. all Of Vermont
There were also the grocery stores of
Patrick MACEDONIAN and James Knott on Let
street the latter at the corner OF East
Capitol street On the south side were Pat
rick Lynch's. William Emack's David
iwattersons and W. /. McCormick's grocer
ies. all convenient to the market, which
Benson Mccormick. the market master or
clerk. could overlook from his room. Jas
Scott tailor, and John Green. a shoe