Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-25
Capital Sidelights

and historic landmarks-for example,
in Georgetown, the fence built from
the barrels of old muskets used in the
War of 1912 and the ruins Of the first
foundry in this part of the country,
which furnished guns, ammunition
and cannon used in the defense of
the Capitol during the British in
vasion. and which for years as rested
under tombstone on which are in
scribed the Ten Commandments.
The gun-barrel fence has just been
repainted. 1t is at the northwest
corner of Twenty eighth and p streets
and runs west in front of three houses
on + street and one house in the rear
on TWenty-eighth street. The casual
pasSer-by, even many who have
passed along these streets for years,
fails to notice the unique feature of
this fence, because the gun barrels
are disguised by topping of cast
iron nCe-heads. But the gun bar
rels can readily be detected by any
antiquarian and even by other seekers
for the unusual who look closely at
the construction of the fence. There
are small projections near the upper
end of each gun picket in the fence,
which were the sights for these guns
in their original use.
The northwest corner house at
1903 ? street Is said to have been
erected in 1S49, SO the guns must
have been old even when they We're
first worked into the fence that has
done service for nearly a century.
" "
Tradition says that after the War
of 1872 it was generally felt that
Georgetown deserved some recon-
pense for the special services rendered
when the Capital City was for the
only time in it's history in peril from
a foreign foe. But the Government,
being too poor to make any consid,
cradle expenditure, salved it's con-
science by announcing that any Citi-
zen of Georgetown was welcome to
help himself from the great scrap
heap of iron and steel lying in the
navy yard. Evidently the owner of
this Georgetown property, with fertile
inventive genius, was not at all back
ward about helping himself in whole
sale quantities from the Government
junk pile. for the pickets in the fence
made from gun barrels are too
numerous to count.
This tradition not only explains the
unique fence. but also the presence
of the United States coat of-arms on
the ironwork of many a century-old
Georgetown building.
X X X
The Summer sight-seers have traced
the gun barrels back still further, to
the foundry whence they came-and
after which the Foundry Methodist
Episcopal Church, at the southwest
corner of Sixteenth and Church streets,
was named.
Halt a mile west from the ruins
of the old Aqueduct Bridge at Thirty
sixth street which marks the site of
the old Georgetown Ferry and the
wharves from which richly laden ves-
sells used to sail to the Indies, even
before the seat of Government was
established here, and when George
town was already of considerable inn
portance both socially and financially
as a thriving port of entry, are the
ruins of the old Foxhall foundries,
with some of the foundation stones
still standing. on which was erected
Ten Commandments.
who for a time had been a partner of
Robert Morris, signer of the Declare.
ton of independence, in the Eagle
Iron Works in Philadelphia. He
moved to Georgetown and established
the only foundry then in operation
south of Philadelphia. When the War
of 1872 broke out, FoXhall got the
Government contract for guns and
ammunition, and also furnished an
important part of the cannon used
during the war.
- When news came that the British
were marching upon Washington.
this pioneer foundryman quite nat
urally feared that because of his ma
tionality his foundries would be the
special mark of British vengeance
He was q devout attendant of the
Georgetown Methodist Episcopal
foundries We're spared by the British
he would erect a church of his faith
in the Capital City.
As the British were blazing and
pillaging their way into the Capital
a violent storm struck them with
cyclonic fury which hurried their
progress into the Capital, leaving the
foundries unscathed.
FoXhall fulfilled his vow. That same
year he selected a plot of land on
the northeast corner of Fourteenth
and G streets, where the Colorado
Building now stands, and had erected
upon it substantial brick edifice
This he named THE Foundry
Church." professedly in remembrance
of the historic foundry in England
where John Wesley held services.
But throughout it's entire life this
church has awakened memories more
directly of the old Foxhall foundry
whose preservation as a source of
supply of munitions for the Govern
ment was the inspiration for building
this church as a thanks offering. This
original church was twice rebuilt and
enlarged, in 1S48 and 1864.
Even the Foundry Church, as it oc-
cupies its excellent location on Six
teenth street today. remains the gift
of Henry FoXhall, for. when the old
structure was demolished in 1902 to
make way for office building, the value
of the property had so enhanced that
the purchase price more than paid
for both land and erection of the
present church.