Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-05
IN OLD WASHINGTON
Section Now Built Over, But
Long a Wilderness.
EARLY PROPERTY OWNERS
Shad Run Long Made Improvements
Difficult.
FINALLY WAS ARCHED OVER
Many Government Buildings Erect
ed Among First Structures-Col-
ored Families Interested.
FINALLY WAS ARCHED OVER

old corporation lines. as well as much III
the district lines and beyond. is built over
| to single out sections which were IN old
| times of tardy growth.
! There are some localities where water
| course. marsh and configuratlon OF the
ground operated adversely to improve
ment Within a short distance of Penn
Sylvania avenue on which were f1rSt-clasS
improvementS-uSed a hundred years ago
as public Offices business houses and resi-
dences-was section in which stream
and the unevenness of the ground some
what retarded improvement for over half
a century Indeed, when the board OF
public works. nearly forty years ago,
took control much of the primeval con-
ditions were in the lines of 10th. nd, *
and NJ streets.
Through this space ran. in serpentlne
course Slash or Shad run. cutting
through four of the seven squares ana
into l. street. Though this stream, having
its rise above the head of 18th street.
drained much territory it was of but six
or eight feet wide and three or four deep.
Some years before the civil war 1t was
arched over at Goth street, long used as
the thoroughfare to Holmeads grave
yard and wooden bridge was at 2lst
street
Many boys in that part of the city
found amusement about the stream, hsh-
ing and bathing in it. a few butchers
had their slaughter houses and pens con-
venient to it, and these were but three
squares from the West market.
John Pfeaster was probably the first
His slaughter house was near I'D street,
hog pens adjoining. At 21st street John
Berry slaughtered cattle. William Linkins
for many years had his slaughter house
on 10Th street.
This section laid mostly in Gen Lingan's
tract. Though Greenleaf. Uriah Forrest.
Stoddert Peter and other prominent
few improvements followed. Possibly the
first was the small house on L street, east
of 2lst street. assessed to lsreal Cope
for $780, who bought there in 1909.
Unimproved for Years.
Much of the other ground was unim-
proved till about 1880 for building pur
poses but some at that period and many
years after was worked in crops. In
deed, till the fifties ground on ed street
between l. and NJ streets was inclosed
by primitive rail fence.
In the thirties Albert Paris settled on
X street near ed. establishing hack sta
bleS. Here was eX-Fire Chief Joe PARIS
born and reared. The fathers stable
being twice burned when he was a small
| child: he had an object lesson in fire
fighting. The Pfeaster family came on
| the scene about the same time.
In square Il. formed by the lines of
New Hampshire avenue. and 22d
streets, three lots were plotted. of which
| the original proprietor. Robert Peter,
was in 1896 vested with lot /; the United
States with the others. Morris and Mich
olson owned lots and 3. which were
mortgaged to Uriah Forrest in 1902.
Charles Waymon was the owner, and
George Murdoch bought them the follow
ing year.
The lot at New Hampshire avenue and
NJ street in 1879 went to J.. Boyle and
after to w. w. Billing. Two cents was
the assessment in 1902 on the ground,
and II decreased to l cent, II cent and to
3 mills by 1880.
|. Square - of eighteen lots fronting on
New Hampshire avenue south of NJ and
21st streets. in the division of 1896, went to
Mr.. Peter and the government equally.
There were included in the Greenleaf con-
tract nine lots. In 1872 the others were
portioned by the heirs of Robert Peter
and the square laid idle for years after.
Clement Cox in 1884 had lot II; in 1889
]. Dibbey owned Is and James Thompson
II on 21st street. The same early valua-
tons as above were here, but in 1850
y. l and 11a cents per foot were assessed.
Between H. l.. Dist and 22d streets was
square -. plated for twenty-four lots.
which in 1899 were allotted triah Forrest
and Benjamin Stoddert being vested with
that at the corner of 21st and X streets.
| W
ing and Mr.. Peter with the others.
| Greenleaf was interested here early.
The Peter property was partitioned be-
tween the heirs m 1912. William 0 nellie
owned lot l, corner 2lst and h streets in
1915. The first valuation of J cents
per foot in 1902. soon after reduced to
| | cent. was regained by 1870 Soon after
| there was a demand for lots.
Mary Dick was listed for a $3.50 house
! at the corner of l. and 22d streets. James
Mason for one at $50. corner of 21st and
| l. streets and on other parts of the square
were two buildings owned by Thomas and
George Peter rated at $50 and 500 re,
| spectively In 1880 r. p Dunlop owned
| these lots Is street, William Jewell
| lot Is. l. street, and Thomas Conner II
on 22d street.
| The next year James Thompson had
part lot ~ and in 1892 Mr. Campbell and
! ". S Nichols owned on l. street and on
the Thompson and Nichols lots are fra me
| houses noted William Jewell then had
! lots II to 30 on the north and part of the
west front of the square. Albert Paris
| in 1889 bought lot and part Z on *
street Ann c. Smith, part II on 22d
street S. Burch 90 on * and r. Sewall II
| on l. street.
Conditions in 1884.
| In 1884 c. Cox had lot S on * street.
j B. H. Smith Il on ed street. W. w.
| Corcoran four lots on X street. Thomas
Corcoran lot i. and +. S. Evans 3 on *
| street. Joseph Mason IS on l. street In
/ 1897 Fanny Shorter owned ! on * street
| and c. Cox 10 on ed street Pompey
| Tenncy owned on * street lot ). and
| James Thompson lot Q, corner of X and
| 22d streets. and 90 on 2lst street. AL
! fred Jones owned lot 8 on IS street in
| 1910.
| Square IS. east of the preceding
| square, between Goth. list, Is and l.
| streets of thirty lots, was in 1871 APP
| portioned as the property of Stoddert
Forrest and Lingan. Mr.. Peter, being a
i Joint owner in 1895, there redi
/ vision. Stoddert and Forests portion
| had, however, through Greenleaf passed
| to Morris and Nicholson. They, with
Forrest and Lingan. agreed to the reap
portionment by which Gen. Lingan and
! teen lots each.
! lots allotted to the United States, the
east half of the square. Isreal Cope
| owned the others in 1909 and Jasper
! Cope In 1918. In 1919 Col. w. r. Ran
dolph became owner of four lots
! on 21st and l. streets on The partition of
Gen. Lingan's estate. and sold to John
! Siousa. William ONeale bought at the
same time lots 10 on X street.
/ In 1881 Margaret PfeiSter owned lot
| l6 and part l., including the corner of
| l. and 2lst streets. and John Gadsby
bought the governments portion of the