Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-22
BY Ohm CLAGETT PROCTOR,

n WONDER how many people In Wash.
MRton know anything about An
drew Jackson Downing. what h
i did to heautify Washington ant
how he CAME to his tragic death
venture the assertion that there arr
very few indeed. and yet. in the course
ef year, thousands lass and repass 6
modest memorial :, him In the Smith
sonian grounds. hundred yards or 81
of the southeast corner OF the new
Museum Building.
Andrew Jackson Downing was dis.
tinSuiShed lsndscaps gardener and an
interesting pioneer writer on both hor-
ticulturai and genealogical subjects
when 1t was determined by the Gov
eminent To beautify the Mall. Down
ine's services were drafted for this pur-
pose. and the skill with which he did
his work is apparent even today. The
graceful roads and walks and many OF
the beautiful trees in the Mall are due
TO his art and Judgment and his keen
discrimination
If any improvement had been made
in the Msn prior to lSss. 1t was hardly
observable. At that date. however. q
few trees we're planted after the section
lying between Seventh street and the
Potomac River had been graded, Until
then it had stood for years a neglected
area. s veritable eyesore TO th> people
of Washington and to those who found
it desirable or necessary to visit the Ma
tons Capital.
the Mall In 1891, the Tiber flowed along
Its northern boundary for practically
It's entire length. The portion east OF
Twelfth street and nearest the Capitol
appears to have been more or less heaV-
ily wooded while from Twelfth street
westward to the river was largely marsh
and farm land titled where tillable, by
the obstinate" David Burnes,
Souatter sovereignty seems 10 have
prevailed for in 1902 or 1904 Christian
Hines says a coiored man called Old
Jack had his house on the south side of
the Tiber. not more than two or three
hundred feet from where he and his
brother were catching drif:wood. which
was In the vicinity OF Seventh street.
He also SAYS that Old Jack was buried
on the south side OF the Tiber. between
Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets. now
part Of the Department Of Agriculture
grounds.
About this same period. Hines says.
what is now the Smithsonian grounds
was the scene Of fair for the amuse-
naent Of the country folks and to draw
custom To the city.
The same author also states that.
prior 10 the War OF 1912. there was q
ter Market. carried on by Ringgold and
Heath.
A s soon as the early inhabitants be-
A gan To arrive to take up their
residence In the new Capital. 8 mania
seems TO have seized them to cut Gown
ali the trees In sight. and the Mall, in
this respect. suffered with the other
parts Of the embryo city. So thoroughly
was this destruction carried on that. by
1850 scarcely any timber at all was left
standing there as will BE- seen by the
following article published in the early
7es
Old inhabitants may remember the
condition of this part of the Mall prior
to 1850 as q large common. stretching
from Seventh to Twelfth streets, and
from the canal to B street, south. pre-
senting q surface of yellow or white clay.
cut into by deep gullies. and without
trees except one or two scraggy and
dying sycamores The streets named
were mud roads. along which an
omnibus scrambled once a day. TO the
steamboat wharf. and foot travel paced
its muddy or dusty way over the bleak,
unacceptable common In zig-zag mean
derings
The first real awakening In caring |
for these grounds did not come until |
after Congress had conveyed to the |
Smithsonian Institution the south half /
of so much of the Mall in the City Of /
Washington as now lies between Ninth /
and Twelfth streets. said TO contain /
about 10 acres
The corner stone of the Smithsonian /
Building was laid May 1. l847. and
naturally improvements to the grounds /
followed Prior To this event. however /
on March - of the same year. the /
Beard of REGENTS. In anticipation of the /
necessary setting which the building !