Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17
SLOW IN DEVELOPING
Vicinity of Convention Hall
Once a Marsh.
HELD AT LOW VALUATION
Half Cent Per Foot in Early Part
of Nineteenth Century.
COLORED MAN FIRST SETTLER
North of New York Avenue
Between 9Th and 9TH
Streets.
COLORED MAN FIRST SETTLER

Streets.
Within that portion of Washington ly-
ing between 9TH and 7th streets on l.
street, north of Massachusetts, avenue,
the first actual settlement appears to
have been made about 1881. at the south
east corner of 9th and Is streets. by
Andrew Sommerville, colored man. Al
that period there was little to induce
development, for the underlined squares
had only the small cornerstones. num-
bered. marking the southeast corners
of the building lines, as evidence of their
transition from primeval conditions. Much
of the surroundings was not even suitable
for farming purposes, and the square
west of the present Is street market, or
Convention Hall, between 9Th. 9TH and *
streets and New York avenue, was well
covered with marsh. This square was
utilized nevertheless and became the
leech farm of Samuel Devaughn, long
cupper and leecher and the source or the
leech supply when blood-letting was
much practiced by the medical profess
sion. With some of the ground cut by
gulleys, quite a ravine crossing 18th street
direction down Massachusetts avenue
into 9th street. which in heavy rains
was flooded. the fact that Ith street only
had received the attention of the cor
poration in the matter of improvements
is somewhat accounted for Much OF
the land had in 1894 passed to Greenleaf
and associates prominent in the early
real estate operations, but no develop
ment resulted; and it may be said that
it was not till the forties was there the
III rT e.. Z ~ n hot
time it laid in the open. few lots being
inclosed: while some of the fencing en-
croached upon the streets. and In the
latter the wagon tracks were not well
worn.
In the early part of the last century
half a cent per foot was the average
appraisement of the ground. with some
as low as an eighth of cent. In $50.
from l to > cents was the prevailing
rate, but in the thirties. from to D
cents was the range in the squares
west of 9th street.
'Blue Goose" Saloon.
In the forties and tifties a saloon gained
popularity as Dutch Georges" and, In
the civil war, as the Blue Goose" which
was famous for beer-drinlins bouts. The
fact forms no criterion from which to judge
the neighborhood's character. The pat
ronage came almost entirely from else
where, the market and engine house at
tracing crowds. In fact, until the time
of the war the section was so sparsely
settled that it could not have supported
a saloon if all the residents were drink
ers. and they were not.
Originally lin 1866 in the Lynch and
Sards portion of Port Royal mainly the
lots were shared with the United States,
but two years before squares 4SS. con-
s!sting of seven lots; 4s4, of eight lots;
west 4Si. of five lots: 400. of twelve lots
and 4o1. of five lots, were included in the
Greenleaf contract for 800 lots. and in d
few years Godfrey and others held title
to them. In square 4Si, between Massa-
chusetts avenue. X. 9Th and 9Th streets,
in 1917 Benjamin Odin and Joseph Co
varchichi each had one lot. Thomas At
kinSon and the United States two and
George Lewis three. The original assess
ment was l cent foot. which was re-
duced to half cent in 1906 But few
transfers of title followed till the thirtes.
and those were to James Taylor. L. Cot
t:ell j. Martin, NJ. Ward. Joseph East
burn, S. Miller and A. Somerville. The
latter came in 1881. He was the lone
settler there until 1889, when, on the
Massachusetts, avenue front. William G.
Deale a carpenter and builder. COM
menced TO improve and erected the two
story frame residence now No o1I- This
dwelling. with the ground part of lot -
was bought by William Woodward who
old National Intelligehcer and he re-
sided there from 1899 to his death. The
late Mark Woodward, long a printer, oc-
cnpying a responsible position at the gov
eminent printing office. was the son of
William Woodward. and. with DR. w. c.
Woodward, the health officer: Thomas p.
j. Morris. Frederick A. and Mark d.
Woodward. grandsons are well known III
the, business community.
Shortly after Mr.. Deale erected two
frame houses on the west ano lived there
for time In 1872 George H. Plant and
Thomas Jarboe owned lot .. and Jarboe.
carpenter, erected some two-story
frame houses and took up his residence
in the house at the northwest corner of
9th street and Massachusetts avenue.
F. a. Hail then owned lot =. OH 9th street.
and NJ. F. Callan. lot $, on 9Th street.
Mrs. Ellen Burch in 1913 owned and lived
on lot l. east of the Woodward house.
Edward Clements. carpenter. was also
on this lot. William Mann owned prop
erty facing 9Th street and James Lauren
son on 9Th street. Anthony Stewart a
stone cutter lived in what is now No.
sos Massachusetts avenue. In 1915 VIII
liam Gallant. twenty Years before a car
penter and builder. who was located near
Sth and G streets bought lot 1, corner
of | street and Massachusetts avenue.
and built there a frame dwelling for his
home He also erected the frame school
house, in which his daughter Miss Rosa
Gallant, started many children on the
road 10 knowledge. Mr. Peter Gallant
succeeded his father in business. continu-
ing in it until very recent years. and the
family is represented in the Association
of the Oldest Inhabitants by him. at the
age of eighty-two.
Has Similar History.
Square w 4S4. between 9th and nth
streets, Massachusetts avenue and X
street. has a similar ancient history. In
1919 lot l. on the southeast corner of the
square. was purchased by II. a. Edwards,
and a few years after Alexander Suter
and James Greer owned lot >. In, 1880
Ulysses Ward owned lot l: w. w. Cor
coran, in 1894 had the west lot of the
square: Percy Packard lot >. in 1887. and
in 1910 John West. colored plasterer.
owned lot : on the northeast corner of the
square. The latter. who was the father
of Bernard and Marcellus West. promi-
nent in the early days of negro suffrage.
erected some brick tenements fronting on
both X and 9th streets. and lived in one
of them. James Bowen long a brick
layer. came on the square about 1910.
buying a part of lot l. corner of Massa-
chusetts avenue and 9th street and erect
ing thereon brick residence. in which,
lie lived to Il very old age. Mr.. James
G. Bowen. now in the hardware trade. and
the late popular Dr. Charles II. Bowen
were reared there In 1871 John Little
had a lease of part of this lot on 9th
street, and afterward a deed to lot ). Da-
vid Little who was engaged in the collec-
tion business, lived on 18th street. Henry
Ellis a stonecutter, in 1912 bought lot >.
on Massachusetts avenue, and erected
two frame houses. later opening a grocery