Evening star., 1919-12-14


Wormlcy's Hotel, stands on the David
son tract. The site of the Shoreham
was part of Davidsons farm. ST.
Johns Church stands on that tract.
The Treasury Annex. on the site of
the Freedmens Bank building, also
rests on Davidson's land. as do the
Arlington building and all the old
homes on the east. north and west
sides of Lafayette Square
X X x
In the Washington assessment of
lS02 this square was in the name
OF Samuel Davidson of GEORGETOWN
and the value of the land was put
down as cents a square foot. There
was no house in the square and the
land had not been divided into build
ing lots. Under the assessment Of
1907 Samuel Davidson still appearS as
owner of the square, and it remains
undivided and unimproved. The square
was subdivided by Davidson April g.
1909. On the II street front lot No
] was at the northwest corner of
10th street. and counting west were
lots 2. 3. and g. the last number
being that of a small lot at the cor
her OF II street and Connecticut ave-
nue.. On the Connecticut avenue front
were part of lot S. and lots g. Z, S. 9
and 10. the last number being at the
corner of Connecticut avenue and /,
where the old Army and Navy Club
building stands. On the street front
were part of lot 10 and lots II, -,
13, IA and Is, No. Is being at the
corner of 18th and l. occupied by the
old and hand some Lucius Tuckerman
home. On the 10Th street front We're
part Of lot IS and lots 16, II and Is.
which ahuttcd on lot No. l, at the
northwest corner of 10th and II. the
site of the John Hay house The
square was subdivided by w. w.
Corcoran on August 20, 1866. The
lines of the original subdivision were
followed, in part hut ,ot No. 5. at the
corner of III street and Connecticut
avenue. was very greatly enlarged
by reducing the lots on it's east and
north sides. The Davidson lots on ]
street were wiped out and Mr. Cor
coran substituted one lot, No. {. which
Connecticut avenue and to 10th
street. with a frontage of 33943 and
an area of 22,644 feet. Mr.. Corcoran
made another subdivision of the
square on March 6, 1880, making a
survey of the lots as they are today.
Original lot No. l, which is the John
Hay parcel. at the corner of II and
10th. became lot No. 10, and counting
to the west are lots II, ~. 13 and
IA, No IA being the lot at the corner
of II and Connecticut avenue. North
on Connecticut avenue are lots Is to
81; east on I street are lots II to
2S. and south on 18th street are lots
2S to 81, which is on the alley at the
north side of the Hay property. An
idea Of the lateness of the building
up of the square may be gathered
from the following, which appeared
in The Star February %. 1883, the
day after Mr.. Corcoran's death:
Perhaps the most valuable real estate owned
by Mr. Corcorsn In Washington is the house
which he occupied and the grounds surrounding
it, Uutil within the last two or three years
he owned the entire square bounded by II, l.
10th and Connecticut avenue, with the excep-
tion Of the house Immediately adjoining his on
the east. lie has sold of the entire 10th street
front. The residences Of Mr.. John Hay aud
Mr. Henry Adams occupy the northwest corner
Of 18th and II. and the residence Of Mr..
Lucius Tuckeman on the southwest corner
of 10th and !. The ground upon which the
Hay and Adams hosses stand was purcha sed
about three years sgo. and the price paid was