Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-30
City Post Office Site in 1912.

City Post Office Site In 1917.
In 1872 the city post office. with the
Offices of the superintendent and survey
| or. were vacated, all moving to the hotel
building on + street between 9TH and Sth
streets. which had been purchased by the
government. Like other government
property, it was burned by the British in
1914. The walls of the burned building.
being found but little injured. the work
of reconstruction soon commenced and
the two departments again shared rooms
in it. An increase in the work. the num-
Der of clerks and the need of more room,
however. warranted the continued use
of private houses for clerks.
Two New Executive Buildings
in 1918.
In 1918. by the appropriation for two
additional executive buildings, new
home for the War Department was
provided. About 1919 the two de-
partments separated. the old build
ing being retained by the Navy
Department. At that period the force of
navy clerks was amply provided with
facilities for the work, as were those of
the fourth auditor. whose duties were
that of accounts Of the navy; the third
auditor and the second controller. who
were also in close relation to the War
Department. The fourth auditor until
recent years has been in the War Depart
ment, and the others were till the forties.
when the Treasury building furnished
them quarters. The navy office building
for the first time was then used exclusive
ly for naval business. AS such it re-
manned till the seventies, when the erec-
ton of the building for the State, War
and Navy departments caused its demoli-
ton.
The War Office.
The term northwest executive build
ing was not known to the general pub
lie as the War Department till war
times the name war Office" being the
popular one On the occupation of it
when completed in 1919 the Secretary.
Mr.. Calhoun, occupied rooms on the sec
Ond floor, as did also the officer of engi-
neers, Gen. A. Macomb: Ordnance Col
George Bomford: Typographical Engi-
neer Col Isaac Roberdeau. and the At
torney General William Writ On the
T. 8. Jesup. Paymaster General n. Tow
son. Commissary General George Gibson.
Surgeon General Joseph Lowell and the
Office of second auditor in part.
Origin of Great Bureaus.
At that time the pension. bounty. land
and Indian business was included in the
duties of the department. one or two
clerks in each performing the work.
Later in 1888. from this small beginning
important bureaus grew. The pension
bureau was afterward located in a
rented building. as were the bounty.
land and Indian Offices. and later, in
1849, formed part Of the Interior Depart
ment. moving downtown.
That the war building in 1S45 had be-
come too small for the business is ap-
parent from the fact that the bureau of
typographical engineers. Col. ]. J. Albert;
paymaster general, Gen. Towson; commits
sary general. Col. George Gibson; ord
nance. Col. George Talcott. and pensions.
J. L. Edwards, commissioner were in
the leased buildings on the west side OF
18th street between E and F streets. The
typographical engineers were on 18th
street north of Pennsylvania avenue. and
the surgeon general. DR.. Thomas Lawson.
The secretary's office and those of the
commanding general. Gen. Winfield Scott;
adjutant general. Gen. Roger Jones;
quartermaster general, Gen. Thomas s.