Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-05
BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR.

MOTHER interesting spot in the
n heart of Washington, especially
"A to those whose memory will take
4 i them back for at least so years
is the southeast corner Of Four
tenth and G streets northwest, jus.
one block north Of the Press Club
Building, and now occupied by bank
building
This corner is regarded as historic
because here was erected in 1900 the
White House stable, building which
was later turned over by the Federal
Government to the local authorities for
use as q public school, and as school
buildings were few and far between in
the pioneer days of Washington's edu-
cational system, and as this particular
building was right in the most thickly
settled part of the city. it was always,
naturally, well attended, especially 50
after the people got over the idea tfat
free school was intended only for
paupers.
site before the present structure, namely.
the Stable School Building and the
Small Building, erected by J. H. Small
& Sons, florists, about 1888 The date
Of the erection Of the Stable Building
was fortunately jotted down in her
diary by Mrs. Ann Maria Thornton,
wife Of DR.. William Thornton. who
made the original designs for the United
States Capitol Building. Under date Of
June -. 1900; Mrs: Thornton says:
Friday, 18th, hot, with a breeze {;
high wind in the afternoon, with a
little rain. Daniel came from the farm
sick Dr. T. went to the Office. Immc-
diately after dinner set out with Mr..
Hoban to go to Mr.. G. G. Jones.
went to Mr.. Whann's to have the
Wedgewood ware brought back TO put
into store near us, thinking 1t would
be more likely to sell here at present.
Walked to look at the Presidents Sta
BILE which Is just begun, near us. 1t is
ttol serve till the public can build such
as will be suitable to the House on the
Square. The President went away this
morning"
Christian Hines, in his Early Recol-
lections Of Washington City" in speak
ing of the houses standing in certain
sections Of the city in 1900, corrobo-
rates Mrs. Thornton's statement when
he tells us that:
ION square bounded by F and G and
Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets. five
houses and the Presidents stable (now
q schoolhouse); one a three-story brick,
owned and occupied by DR.. William
Thornton; one small frame, occupied
since by DR.. Cutting! a two-story brick
back of the oak tree. owned and occu-
pied by Mrs. johnson. and the two
story frame occupied by a Frenchman
named Julian"
Hines also tells us that In the year
1900 there were but six houses in the
square in which the Press Club is To-
Gated as follows: lone two-story brick,
occupied by r. Forrest, Esq; one two
story frame, with a carpenters shop at
tached, occupied by Capt. Clotworthy
Stephenson: one small brick and two
small frames: also two-story frame oc-
cupied by Mr.. Bolts as tavern"
The Clotworthy Stephenson here re-
ferred to performed the duties of grand
marushals at the laying Of the corner
stone of the Capitol. He is referred to
as "a man of fluent speech, good pres
ence and quick resource" and con-
spicuous on all public occasions" He
died In 1919.
A THOUGH the old White House
"a stable building, which stood so long
on this corner, was erected during the
last year of the administration of Presi-
dent John Adams and was used by that
President and his successors up to the
latter part of the first term of James
Monroe, yet for some unknown reason
it is generally referred to as the Jeffer-
son Stable School. The only reason for
giving 1t this name. so far as the writer
knows. was the erroneous impression
that it was erected during President
Jefferson's first administration. Sub
sequent events made it also well known
as the Lancasterian or Western Lam
casterian School. the Ould School and
the Strong John Thomson School.
So far as known, no effort was made
to obtain this old stable building for
school purposes until the latter part of
1915, when the committee appointed
that year for the purpose of interview
ing President Madison on the subject
reported back on December 2 that This
reason was that said stable would be
otherwise occupied during the remainder
Of his term
President James Monroe came intC
once on March 4, 1917, and the follow
ing December /, q similar committee