Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-18
IN OLD WASHINGTON
By James Croggon.

| Northwest of the Capitol grounds. with
the exception of building sites on the
west side OF North CAPITOL street, COM
mon waste would describe the conditions
| between the picket Enclosure Of the Capt.
toll and the Tiber creek during the first
| half Of the nineteenth century. As pre-
viously noted, while and 1st Streets
were the bounds Of the Capitol reserva-
| ton, a semi-circular wooden picket
| fence and, afterward, An iron railing in
closed less than half of the grounds west
OF the building. consequently the neg
lected conditions of square e33. whose
lines on New Jersey avenue. B. and
LIST streets could only be approxima ted.
which prevailed.
The ascent of Capitol Hill on the north
| side was more pronounced and compare
lively little travelled when the people
were more given to walking Than now.
There was. however, weh won path
about on the line of New Jersey avenue,
a continuation of what was known as the
| ridge route" This route was from the
west end OF the city, by F street. to the
City Hall and then, fank.ng the stream
down Indiana avenue, east of Sd street
and at 1st street, a crossing vas naie
on stepping stones. afterward on WOODEN
bridge. which was superseded about 1850
| Dy q culvert.
| The grade of New Jersey avenue at
that time was fully fifteen feet below
| the present grade. and, therefore. ii Was
an uphill pull from street to the Capt.
/ toll. That portion Immediately north OF
the Capitol was elevated ground, abO 1T
| on the level with the capitol plaza. The
soil was Of q tenacious led clay. The
descent was very gradual to as Iar north
| as D street. ard westward the fall was
somewhat abrupt.
Site Bought by Washington.
1t was a very desirable building site on
North Capitol street that was purchased
by Washington in 1904, that known as
lot Is. square 63f On this site, at the
instance of DR.. William Thornton. Wash
ington was in 179S induced to improve.
Two three-story brick buildings of fifty
four feet front were erected, the original
intention being to afford accommodations
to the members OF Congress. but in 1893
they were finished as one house.
Washington planted quite g. number OF
| trees about this house and also in the
Capitol grounds. one Of which, an elm.
Is pointed out today as a survivor. His
tortc as the property OF the father OF his
country, 1t became more SO from the Brit
ish burning 1t during the invasion Au
gust *. 1914. Washington never occupied
1t himself, as he died just about the time
OF its completion. John L. Frost. clerk
of the House Of Representatives. lived
there uuTlUk inc WAT, anu Wien II Was
known that the British were en- route to
the Capitol he and fellow clerk. p.
Burch, succeeded in saving q number of
papers and documents. which were sent
to the country. The current papers. how
ever he brought to this house, and they
were destroyed with the building. The
bare walls left standing and the ground
extending through to New Jersey avenue
were sold by G. c. Washington, trustee
in the suit to settle Washington's estate,
in 1917.
The following year two. houses were
constructed by Peter Morte, and John G.
Mcdonald. who had come to. the neigh
bOrhOOd a few years before. clerk In the
office of the secretary Of the Senate. had
his residence there, before building at
the northwest corner Of Delaware avenue
and streets. In the thirties the prop
erty passed to Nicholas Callan. and few
wears later to the then Lieut.. Charles
Wilkes. U. S. N. who made his home
here till about 1860. in the meantime ad-
ding to his holdings.
In Command of Expedition.
Admiral Wilkes entered the navy as a
midshipman in 1918. and previous to this
time had charge Of the naval charts and
instruments. He later was given COM
mand of an exploring expedition of five
vessels to the South Pacific and Antarctic
oceans. This was the most important and
extensive expedition which had been sent
out by the United States up to that time.
and it resulted in the requirement of
much scientific knowledge and large
collection of botanical and other speci-
mems. For several years after the re-
turn of the expedition this house was
used for office purposes and the prepara- |
ton of the volumnous reports Of the eX-
petition and the arrangement of the
specimens.
Adjoining on the south lot IL was
bought by William Elliot about 1918 and
used as the family home for sixty years
or more Mr.. Elliot, native of England,
was a man Of high scientific attachments
and a friend of DR.. Thornton, the super
intendent of patents. and for years the
only clerk in that Office. small family
residence he had here at first, later erect
ing a three-story brick building. which Is
yet standing as the upper portion of the
five-story building now on the site. I'M
medlately IN the rear Of his house he
had an observatory where there were
wont to gather those interested In the
sciences. especially astronomy. and these
included i.r. Thornton. the professors Of
Georgetown College and the Washington
Seminary. He was pubic-spirited citi-
zen de;oted to the interests Of the ma
tional and local government, and to him
is credited the design Of the Treasury
building. with It's colonnade, and the
patent ONCE, which were for years re-