Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-26
.OW VALUATIONS IN 1902
property Bounded by North Capitol,
C, E and 18th Streets.
JAMES OF ORIGINAL OWNERS
lection Which for Many Years
Showed But Little Evidence
of Improvement.

Quares were made when the property
vas laid out for city purposes, 1st. "a
md Sd streets and Massachusetts avenue
separating them. The ground west or
hese squares is still in a transtory state,
ome portions having since the civil war
,een improved by dwellings on an estao-
ished grade. which was superseded by
me many feet higher than their door
ways.
BY reason of the construction of the
abroad station the change of grade was
made necessary, as it was also on the
original plan of the city, that part abut-
ing f street at Delaware avenue being
made part of the plaza.
Nor is the surface alone undergoing
change, for under LIST street the railroad
unnel was constructed by which there
unbroken line of travel between the
ver, has this area been changed some of
Re old natural grade or surface not
having been filled in to the present grade.
At the northeast corner of G and North
-apitol streets. high above the street
,rade is what remains of ''the HILL" and
rear Massachusetts avenue and I'd street
8 a portion of the Chicken Cock Hill
If old-a famous battle-ground for boys.
This area lay almost entirely in Mr..
-arroll's lines. with the eastern portion
~
proved but a trifie more rapidly than
that part north with no indications of
rreet improvements until the fifties, and
hen 1t was only by the grading of c
street.
The stream from Abraham Youngs
spring coursed across the square north
If d street between North Capitol street
Ind Delaware avenue. and the ascent
.herefrom was south and eastward, pre-
renting a few knobs as ideal home sites.
,C, fha
probation of the property from the fact
hat Greenleaf, Morris & Nicholson,
Pratt, Francis Miller and others were
Early interested. there were no buildings
erected till in the twenties, when some
solored families were located on 18th
street between D and F, streets.
Assessments in 1902.
When the corporation was established in
1902 the ground in squares 6S3 and 6S4
between North Capitol, LIST. c and D
streets was assessed at , cents foot, but
loon afterward was reduced so per cent
md down to 1880 the value was expressed
N fractions of cent.
Three cents was the first rate in the
square east, 724. between fst and I'd
streets, but 1t, quickly dropped to / cent
and less and for thirty years was I'M
changed. On all other squares fractions
expressed value. except on some lots in
square $50. where 1 cent was the rate for
several years. doubtless owing to the
ease of a lot on Sd street between d and
streets to Barney Parsons, builder
and contractor in the infancy of the city.
This lease was made by William Prout
and embraced two lots of twenty-five feet
frontage each at SOP per year for ninety
zine years. A few years later the lease
vas assigned to B. Mahony for $500. The
division between the government and pro-
prietors in 1880 left to Mr.. Carroll nearly
pne-half the lots, and Mr.. Prout eight. By
The agreement with Mr.. Greenleaf. two
Tears before, the titles to many were
rested in him
Neither in these nor the governments
portion was there activity for half cen
fury, though in 1920 Mr. Carroll conveyed
rabbs.. Weightman & Wallach as trustees
20 sell. Prior to this year however. there
lad been some transfers from the original
holders, mostly in bulk, lots in other
squares being included. In the square
between Delaware avenue. c, D and
North Capitol streets. No. 6S3 the eleven
lots were assigned Mr.. Carroll and from
his trustees, Tabbs ct al. Col. William
Hickey of the Office of secretary of the
Senate purchased lots / and 2, the south
front Of the square. and B. ]. Bishop lot
,. the northeast portion. in 1893. Three
years afterward Richard Barry owned lot
and John P. Inge lots 3 and 4, the lat
Ter in 1913 going to Maj. w. j. Mcdonald
and two years later to Mrs. Ann Skirving.
John Skirving an architect. lived at the
corner of North Capitol and D streets
several years afterward. In 1S47 James
Crutchett bought several lots in this
square and also in many others, including
some north of this section.
In the square east, 6Sf, between Della
ware avenue, LIST. c and D streets, the
zen lots were equally divided between the
government and Carroll. and Greenleaf
5emmes. Lewis and W. G. Cranch owned
property here for years.
Divided in 1872.
In square T24. between list ID, and
D streets. the tWenty-four lots were d.
vided in 1892. Nicholas Queen in 1906
owned a LOT on I'd street. and in 1929, Mr.
Carroll conveyed his lot. to be sold. In
1897 the government lots We're included in
he donation to Georgetown College under
the act o. 1893. Luther Martin owned a
lot near LIST and G streets in 1914 and
ater William Fisher, Jonathan Elliott and
Cheseldne, F. C. Richenbach and others
owned single lots. In the fifties George
town College sold nearly ali it's lots.
Square 156. south of Massachusetts ave-
aue and ID street, between I'd, I'd and G
streets. eleven lots following the division
we're owned by Pratt Francis Miller and
others and in 1929 Tabbs ct al. had the
Carroll lots in the market, after which
tween Massachusetts avenue, I'd, 4th and
o street. west OF Stanton square, five
tots were carved in square IS2 and vested
IN the United States. In 1929 f. Burd
mad two of them. which were bought by
Margaret Cox and In 1898 one passed to
l.. Saunders, and to W. G. Cranch the
following year.
In square ISL, the triangle formed by
Massachusetts avenue. 4th and d streets.
consisting of two lots. passed to Villa m
Prout and the government and for wears
the lots were owned by William O'Neale.
Square 6S1, between North Capital. D
20 sixteen lots in the area divided was
shared with Mr.. Carroll, and that of the
governments portion was in Greeniea {
and Godefroy for many years. Carroll
lots were conveyed in 1929 to Tabs and
atherS to - sold.
In 1895 Andrew Rothwell bought three
cts in the northeast part for Sl9S, and in
isl4 r. r. Semmes took title to four lots
selling the two at the corner of North
Capitol and ID streets to Nicholas Acker,
4 stonecutter and contractor. Formed by
Delaware avenue, ID, f and LIST streets
two CT the five lots in square tiS2 went
20 the United States. and the history of
these applies until 1894. when Griffith
-oombe became an owner. Massachusetts
avenue, LIST and ID streets Enclosed square
123. embracing eleven lots. In which
GrcenIeaf and Morris x Nicholson We're
interested. In the division OF property.
however. they were divided between the
government and Mr.. Carroll
Moses Young Buys Five Lots.
Moses Young in 1872 bought the govern
hents five lots in the east portion of