Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-30
The Rambler Writes Of Old Taverns of Was


LID hotels often hold pleasant
m " place in memory. The hotel Of
II ~ nee was the meeting place Of
~ larger proportion of the people
of Q city than it is now. Organized clubs
with club quarters were not so numerous.
and neither were public halls, where meet
ifgs and balls might be held. The old
hotel filed the need Of It's period. Its
dining room was apt to be the largest
room in the town. 1t was the principal
place to eat in. The bar was considered
a necessary adjunct to the hotel. and that
feature contributed toward making the
hotel a center of sociability and convivial-
ity. Even in small cities today. notwtth-
standing daily newspapers telephones and
telegraph, the townspeople drop into the
post office and the Farmers Hotel on Mar
ket street or the City Hotel on Main street
'.to hear what's going on" 1t was that
way in Washington years ago.
The Rambler has already written two
narratives devoted to the hotels OF early
Washington. He has presented such facts
as have come down to him concerning the
fist Fountain Inn, or Suffers Tavern. on
the east side of Wisconsin avenue between
NJ street and the river, Georgetown. where
the owner of the land comprised within the
original limits of the city of washington
1871. and at which tavern the newly Gre
ated commissioners OF the ten-mile
square met on September 8. 1871, and
reached the agreement that the new Capt.
tai city should be called the city OF WASH
ington.
The Rambler has heretofore present.
ed many facts relating to John Travers'
Hotel, on the Eastern branch. in 1893;
Mark Wards Tavern. on Greenleafs
point, in 1895: Tunnecliff's Tavern. on
east Pennsylvania avenue In 1885,
Samuel Blodgett's Hotel-"The Great
HoteI''-on the north side of E street
between Sth and 9th; Pontius D. Stelle's
Hotel and Longs Hotel. which stood
on the southeast corner or East Capltol
and 1st str cts in which the first maui
guration ball in Washington was held
He has also presented some facts re-
lating to the Little Hotel, which was
standing on the north side of f street
betv cen 14th and 10Th IN 1196; Wllliam
Loeelrs Hotel which was standing on
the north side of Pennsylvania avenue
between 14th and 18th streets in $500.
and Lewis Morin's Tavern. which was
small frame building erected in 1900 at
the southw west corner of Pennsylvania
avenue and 18th street. In 1900 there
We're at least two other hotels in
Washington. One of these was called
the Cantor HUI IaNern. kept ny LIZA
beth Leslie, and the other was Joseph
Wheats Tavern, near Barry wharf. at
the foot of New Jersey avenue.
At Sd street and the Avenue stand
two of the old hotels of the city. Al
the northeast corner is the old build
ing which now bears the name. New
Capitol Hotel" Above the roof on the
Avenue side rise two dormer windows
and along the Sd street side are seven
Of these windows. From the roof rise
four heavy old-style chimneys. This
hotel has had number of names. For
years 1t was known as the St Charles
and for long period it was the Elk
change Under the sidewalk on Sd
street is a row of brick vaults with
iron-bound doors opening into the cell
lar of the old building. These were
shelves for slaves. One story is that
a public slave market was here, and
the other Is that slave traders We're
among the important patrons of this
hotel because the cells furnished a