Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-05
EARLY DAYS OF CITY
Land Lying Between 18th and
10th Streets North of S.
WORTH FEW MILLS A FOOT
Farm of Joshua Pierce Took Half
a Dozen Squares.
SOME OLD-TIME GRAVEYARDS
Persons Living Who Went Berry
Picking on Ground Now Gov
cred With Fine Homes.
SOME OLD-TIME GRAVEYARDS

Lying between lltn ana iotIi 9Iiee''
north of S street, within the original plan
of Washington, the squares of ground
which were cut up into building lots were
of no use as home sites for half CEN
tury or more. Indeed, what portions that
were utilized were for purposes foreign
to intention. Possibly the most profitable
was the utilization of half dozen
squares as the city farm of Joshua
Pierce, who was extensively engaged at
Linnean Hill as a nurseryman and florist.
There We're before the thirties some gar
dens and two graveyards in the tract.
From about 1904, when the National race
course was established. 18th street be
came the usually travelled road thereto,
and a nearby cockpit and tavern and the
location of Columbian College. now
George Washington University, in the
wenties, increased travel thereon. 1t
vas nothing more than a common dirt
road until the tfties. and until funeral
professions demanded Ii grading and
travelling were not done. No attempt
whatever was made to improve other
streets, though there was some travel on
boundary street. now Florida avenue.
Land Belonged to Robert Peter.
This ground lay nearly all in one OF
Robert Peters tracts when the city was
carved out, and numerous were the
squares made, New Hampshire avenue
causing a few of irregular shape to be To-
Gated 1t appears that in the square be-
tween 18th, w, 14th and Boundary streets
there was located "A build nS listed to Mr..
Peter for $40 and in the thirties Jacob
Broadbeck was charged on $500 here, and
it IS stated Mr.. Broadbeck had garden
about 1927. In square 2GG, facing 18th be-
tween S and + streets, James Moore was
assessed on $500 in 1890 and 500 house in
square 2I1 was assessed to Mr.. Broad
beck.
Square 1SS, in the lines of New Hamp-
shire avenue, 10Th L and w, or Boundary,
streets, was allotted to Mr.. Peter, in 1s-t3
going to Henry Johnson, and in 1913
David Einbread had a lease upon it. 1t
had not been valued at over cent per
foot. The squares S. 1SS. triangle, and
1s9 and n Is9 have the same history, ex-
cepting they were bought by Thomas and
W. w. Corcorau in lS45. Squares 1870, be
tween 18th and 10th, T and L streets,
and 191, south, went to Greenleaf in 1874,
Joshua Pearce buying the latter in 1S39
and Thomas Corcoran the former in 1910
The tier OF squares between 18th and 18th
streets to S street, 2O2 to 2o6. In 1876 were
divided. Mr. Peter being assigned two
squares and lots in the others, and the
in the others. Square 2U2, on the Bound
airy, in 1897 was bought by Col 3. OSle
Tayloe. and a colored family named
Brown started garden there. Near the
west end was a spring. from which the
water flowed to Slash run. In 1S44 Will
liam Murphy bought the square and long
made business of gardening. The square
south has the same early history, and i'll
1888 it went to the Farmers and Me
chanics' Bank of Georgetown. No. ,204
was of twenty lots, and those on the east
half in 1871 passed TO William Murphy,
and five years later Thomas Corcoran had
the rest.
Square 23i between 18th. 18th. w and
Boundary streets, contained one lot, and
when the transfer was made to the Com
mssioners a house owned by Robert Peter
was there. In the first assessment, 1902.
it was listed at 500 The title remained
heirs. until 1927, when Jacob Broadbeck
bought it, and in 1870 he was assessed
5000. In 1910 f. Mohler owned it.
The Old Graveyards.
The square south. No. 235. between V.
w, 18th and 1Ith streets, assigned in the
division to Mr.. Peter. was plated for
twenty building lots but for forty years il
was "a city of the dead" In January,
1890 it was conveyed by Richard Smith,
trustee, to George Crandel. Rein Orme.
Richard Thompson, George Busiby. Jacob
Hines and Ulysses Ward the trustees of
Foundry NJ. +. Church. for SCOOPS, to hold
for Wesley Chapel, then attached to the
former. Here a graveyard was estab-
lished. several hundred family lots being
laid out, separated by narrow paths. At
that day, both the Foundry and Wesley
having the oversight of some of the color
ed race. Il portion of the graveyard was
set apart for its dead Some trees and
shrubbery were planted. the walks gravel
ed and in the course of a few years some
family lots were improved.
In the forty years OF the sraVeyards
history 1t was well populated. BuriaS
were discontinued virtually in the six
ties, for every part was crowded. About
1870 the remains We're removed to ether
more modern cemeteries, those unclaimed
being taken to Glenwood.
The square south, between L, V. 18th
and 1ith streets-2;i6-in the apportion-
ment in 1T96 Went to the United States,
and the twenty lots remained intact I'M
til late i'm the past century. In 1915 John
Walker bought the square, but the next
year it went back to the United States
w. w. Corcoran bought it III 1852 and
sold 1t to Rev. J. b. Dcnelan of st. Mat
thew's Church. and it dedicated to
burial purposes For many years 1t was
SO used, but the long-established grave
yards of ST PatrickS on Boundary
street near Sd street, and ST. Peters. on
II street, had become more popular The
l4tl street burial ground was therefore
and when, about 1870, 1t was determined
to put it to other uses and the bodies
were removed nearly every lot was Occu-
pied. Many families removed their dead
to other cemeteries and the unclaimed
were reinte erred in Mount Olivet
Between 18th. 18th, r and L streets,
square 23I, of twenty-four lots, in 1896.
vested ia the United States. but the
square two years before was included