Evening star., 1909-08-21

In the upbuilding of the Capital city,
particularly i'm its business sections, the
demand for choice locations is becoming
so insistent that prices are steadily on
the boom, and especially desirable COR
ners and other we'll situated plats are
snapped up as rapidly as they are placed
on the market. One very appreciabe
feature of. this movement lies in the rapid
disappearance of various old-time struc-
lures from the streets, and many build
ings which long were landmarks dear to
the recolections of the rank and file of
the veteran citizens of the District are
giving way to modern store and office
buildings. Many of the old buildings have
thus been wiped out of existence, and
many more are scheduled to go as the
values of downtown realty increase to
the point where the owners of desirable
plats can no longer afford to let their
holdings practically lie idle.
Two building operations i'll G street
northwest. one recently completed and
the other even now under way, marked
the passing of two neighborhood land
marks. The first to go was the tiny resi-
dence and store at the corner of 18th and
streets. where the new and handsome
establishment of o. j. DeMoll & Co. is
now located. The. other included the
group of frame structures at the corner
of 18th and G streets. where workmen
at the present time are engaged in con-
structing a large store for the =. r.
Droop g. Sons Co. music house.
Bricks a Hundred Years Old.
Laborers who demolished the old build
ing at 10Th and C streets declared the
bricks which they found must have been
fully 100 years old, as all of them were
handmade, and in spite of their years
of usage they were still perfectly pre-
served. As well as several members of
the Oldest Inha bttants' Association were
able to recall the original structure at
18th and G streets was occupied as
grocery store during it's entire period of
existence. In the times before the war
part of the building was used as a bar
ber shop, hut the main portion of the
ground floor was even then grocery,
and grocery store it remained up to its
final transfer a few. months ago. For
upward. of forty years it was owned by
Matthew Goddard, and at his death 1T
passed by fnheritances to Mrs. Mary l..
Duffy, a relative She in turn held the
property for. fully a decade, refusing
many. tempting offers for the valuable
property. until a purchaser appeared who
tive price Then the structure was razed
to make room for the DeMoll Companys
establishment.
The buildings which We're torn down to
permit the building OF the Droop store
were of much more recent origin, all OF
them being Of frame construction. The
Oriental Rug Company was the last
tenant of the store on the corner of 18th
and G streets. During a score of years
at the end of the last century the build
ing was the home of Van Sickers drug
store. The new Droop store will be four
stories in height. covering the full area
of the lot purchased, or nearly 2,5O1
square feet. The main salesroom VIII
be on the ground floor, on which there
will also be space for two smaller stores.
The Droop Company Will occupy the
entire three upper floors
Gait Mansion Raced.
Another landmark which recently sue
cumbed to the march of progress was the
Gait mansion at 9th street and Grant
place northwest Grant place was little
more than an alley in the early forties
when Thomas Burch occupied part or
the property at the corner Of 9th street
as a wood and coal yard. A small dwell
ing on another portion of the lot was
leased by Richard Hill, and after
he removed to another portion of the
city the house was occupied by Mr..
Holloway. who came to Washington from
Alexandria and opened a school. A sign
which he displayed and which read,
obedience is the first law of Cod is
| still remembered by many of the older
| citizens of the District.
William Calf son of James Gait, the
| founder of the Gait jeweiry firm at 11O7
Pennsylvania avenue, purchased the prop
erty about fifty years ago. and he re-
modelled it and made it his residence.
Mr. Gait maintained luxurious bache-
| lor's establishment there during his life
time. The dwelling passed to his estate
at his death, and the house was never
| again occupied. 1t was demolished a