Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-01
OF 0lD-T|ME HOMES
Sites Found in Woods and
Fields Years Ago.
IMPROVEMENTS WERE FEW
Section in East Washington Not Far
From the Capitol.
Low VALUATION OF REALTY
Assessments Down to Fourth of a
Cent Per Foot in Instances.
General Topography.
Low VALUATION OF REALTY

AS the woods and fields became the sites
OF homes for the people of Washington
the settlements were in spots In some
localities one square showing progress
and the adjoining ones lying bare. In
the most populous parts of the city, as
well, a square devoid of Improvement was
not rare in the infancy of the city
Immediately east of the Congressional
Library there were two such squares. and,
indeed. in that portion of the city between
I'd. 9Th. East Capitol and streets south
east there were. up to civil war days,
wide open spaces about one or two viii
lagos or isolated homes II would
appear, Notwithstanding. that pop
ulous section anticipated. for
near the corner of I'd and b streets a site
was selected for the Eastern Academy. or
public school, shortly after the corpora
ton was established. The school, how
ever. did not materialize here. and it
was located on site at I'd and ID streets.
Among the early settlers were number
of mechanics employed on the capitol
building, and some officers of the gov
eminent. among them Elias Il. Caldwell.
clerk of the United States Supreme Court.
and George WattersOn, librarian of Con-
gress.
The topography of this section was al
most level. and unbroken save by small
stream which wore gully in the neigh
borhood of Fourth and b streets. Con-
seouently there were convenient building
sites and hut little cuttinng and filling
required to coform to the established
grade. Settlement was tardy. as also the
Improvement of streets and but of small
value, cents and fractions expressing II.
In Square 76O.
In that square known as go eighteen
lots, fronting East Capitol. A, I'd
and I'd streets. were plated and on
the division between the proprietor, Dan
lei Carroll of D. and the United States
the latter took title to all. Greenieafs
contract in 1897 included them. and in
1869 f. Burd and others took title. Moses
Young the following year owned the lots
I'd street. and John Moore and
Timothy Caldwell i'm 1918 came into pos
session. IL continued to be unproductlve
and the valuation of the ground was the
basis of taxes. But cents was the rate
in 1902. and in 1920 but 1 cent more.
The square south. IOl. consisting of
eighteen lots between I'd. I'd. A and Il
streets. the southwest lots near Penn
sylvania avenue. went I'm the DIVISION
equally to Mr.. Carroll and the govern
ment, Mr.. Carroll taking the nine lots
comprising the east half. Col Caldwell:
in 1898 bought of the superintendent OF
the city lots and . in the southwest
part, for $3.50 and erected dMel IS1g
the lots adjoining were conveyed by the
trustees of the Washington Academy TO
Mr.. Carroll in exchange for lots at I'd and
d streets southeast and the public school
for East Washington was established at
the latter place. Col. Caldwell, aDout
that time. added lots to 8 and II ana
i'm 1872 James Gales owned lot which
went to w. p. Zantzinger in 1916. one
third fronting on B street for which the
. consideration was 81 800.
In 1919 Griffith Combe owned, at the
southeast cc-ner Of the square. lots i,
ard 10, and he improved the corner LOT
to the extent of $500. This property IN
about the year 1897 was bought Dy MAJ.
George w Walker OF the Marine Corps,
and il was his residence for many years
In the same year lots II to Il. fronting
A and I'd streets were included in the
governments donation OF city io's 10
Georeetown College. John Kedglie then
bought lot 10 at A and I'd streets, and
this, with lots and II adjoining, was
purchased in 1910 by Robert Beale. MT
Beale the father of the late Buchanan
Beale of the marshars Office, lived for
many years on the south front of the
square.
Largely on Leased Grounds.
In square 49, between East Capitol.
a I'd and 4th streets early settlement
kas mostly on ground leased of William
Prout. In 1896 the sixteen lots were di-
yided, the United States retaining those
forming the east half of the square. In
1901 Mr. Prout leased to John Dempsie
part of lots s and at the corner OF
la
building upon il; TO Alex. Shaw part of
lot 8 and TO William Simms part of lots
and on Sd street: TO Patrick King, %
feet front on East Capitol street.
Pratt Francis, Miller ct al. had sue
ceeded to the government lots, but left
no evidence Of development here The
ground was first valued at . cents per
foot and often at half that rate. Soon
after the leasing above noted p. Tool
and Ann Shaw succeeded to leases, and II
appears that they were made at 81 per
front foot per annum.
In 1902 p. Tool and Ann Shaw were
each listed for property valued at 500
and p King and John Demps.e at 500
-Four years later Tools assessment
increased to $50. In 1918 L. Humphrey
owned in lots and 8. 30 feet front on
East Capitol street. for which 500 was
the considerable y. Pagan in 1880
owned an interest in lot on A street,
and the next year John Taylor leased in
lot on street. In lS22 iona Porter
held in trust for Jane Mallion lease on
lot Z. In 1873 j. w. Beck owned In
lot u by assignment of lease, afterward
owning the title in fee. and the next
year J. Humphrey owned in lots and
and d. d. Landon bought street.
In 1876 James Martin leased on the A
street front part of lot and shortly
after j. Martin, William Sutherland and
Mildred Berry owned lots near the
corner of East Capitol and Sd streets
In 1890 the ground was assessed at an
average of cents per foot and the inn
provements were listed To James Mallion,
500 ard James Martin, S1tO on 4 street.
W. Beck. S1.4OO +. Martin. 500: "
Sutherland, 500; Ann Shaw. $50. on Sd
street. and ". Humphrey 500 on East
Capitol street.
Twenty Lots in Square 7SS.
Twenty lots fronting 4. Il. Sd and 4th
streets formed square 7SS. and they were
equally apportioued between Mr.. Carroll
and the government In 1905 Charles Var
den bought at tax sale ten lots and In
1919 lot 4, on Il street, was owned by
Eliza Brown. and by Samuel Carusi three
years afterward Sicipio Bean. a colored
carpenter was located near the corner OF
3d and 4 streets In the twentes. Van
Ness and Carroll held lots before The year
1883. and r.. CASTLE owned on Sd street
In 1884 George Adams bought lots 10 to
u. al the southeast corner OF Sd and 4