Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-15
Capital Sidelights
sBY WILL p. KENNEDY.

9yTnHA
Building annex, authorized in Iesisls-
ton fathered by Representative Fred
ertck w. DallinEer OF Massachusetts is
progressing, and this progress Ia fore.
Ing many veteran members Of Con.
gress who have for years had anart-
ments IN Congress Hall Hotel on this
site, to seek new abodes. There are
TWO hotels on the land on which the
new House ONCE Building is to be
erected, and the razing of these struc-
lures REEVES the long contemplated plan
the square directly south of the nres-
ent House Once Building. This under
taxing mas been postponed from time to
time because of the fact that the penn.
sylvanla RAILROAD Tunnel, which carries
trains into the Union Station r,,rs
under corner Of this lot.
congress has authorized the purchase
OF Two lots. east and west Of South
CapltoI street, and lying between Della
ware ano New Jersey avenues and B
ano y streets, as the site for the House
erected on the easterly of these two Iots
Just across New Jersey avenue from
the present House Once Building the
otner iot, on the west side of South
Capltoi street, to be held in reserve for
future expansion. These lots are direct.
~ south OF the Capitol grounds.
:. All OF the land on the lot on which
~ proposed to build has been DUP
chased oy the architect of the Capitol.
U "a lynn. with the exception Of the
ou Eo1msc Hotel at New Jersey ave-
recourse must be had to condemns tio,,
proceedings. ~slAlAA~sa on
Inc Fotomac was originally a range
OF three dwellings, built by Thomas T.aw
son OF the Lord Bishop Of CARLISLE who
was Drother OF Baron Ellenboro,,gh
Mr.. Law was a talented but eccentric
man ana ruler of q populous district
IN East India. He married Elizabeth
r LIKE GUSTS, granddaughter of Martha
,W'asnhSeon' ana invested his fortune in
washington lots and Improvement
Inc corner dwelling was Conrad =,
McMunns tavern when the Government
moveo 10 Washington In 1900. There
.momas Jenerson, Vice President. and
AioerC Gaiiatin. famous Secretary NJ
ne treasury, were guests. II bacsr
one OF the five Stelleis Hotels about the
Capitol Square. "' 'iie
Inc exodus from the Conrress Hal,
n9Cel, which has for years been the
ppncipal rendezvous for Senators and
pesentsuVes. throws attention to the
quaint colonial hotel iust across =
street-the George washington Inn
Wnicn was constructed largely from ma.
terlaIs purchased by George Washinc.
ION In 1898 to build his own tow,
mousse OF brick and stone for the enter-
talnment OF members of Congress- AVA
otner notableS during the Winter So
cIal season. Washington died before
mat mouse was completed and it sur
viVeo MIN for more than a century
~. was H located on the north side of
me Capitoi on North Capitol street be.
tween b and c streets. It is thus de-.
scribed in Washington's will. dated .niv
iffS: Original lots numbered 10 and II
In square 634," which were purchssed
by him for 1858 with the condition that
ne should build two brick houses
three stories high EACH" on them. one
OF tnese houses he intended for his
winter residence. These houses were
subsequently reconstructed as q hotel
ana known first as the Hillman House
Later the name was changed to WASH
lngton 1nn," which was demolished in
lsl3 wnen the square on which 1t
$1,000. with others In the vicinity were
acquired by the Government for devel-
opment of plaza parkway between the
Capltol and Union Station On this
land during and since the World War
stood what were known as 1.-The Gov.
eminent Hotels" in which hundreds of
war workers from all parts of the
country found comfortable homes and
which are now being torn down to
make way for the parkway Develop
ment.
In the reconstructed George WASH
in9ton Inn are two marble mantel-
pieces which were a gift to Washing.
ton from Lafayette, and the beautifully
chiseled marble desk which did duty in
Inc original Washington Inn, and for
which prominent metropolitan hotels
have offered fabulous prices.
On the corner of B street and New
Jersey avenue, which is to be the main
entrance to the new House ONCE Build
ing annex, stands another historic
structure, four stories in height, built
OF gray granite which was erected as
a home by Gen. Benjamin F. Butler.
President Arthur lived there during the
early months of his administration. It
has been occupied during recent years
by the Public Health Service and the
office of the Surgeon General.
South Of the Butler Building and
fronting on New Jersey avenue, Is one
of the most curiously constructed
buildings in the Capital City, with
more than so different floor levels and
an intricate maze OF passages. This
Geodetic Survey. charged with the sur
vey of all coasts under jurisdiction of
the United States. The Coast and
Geodetic Survey has an important IL
brary, founded about 1882, with q nu-
cleus of technical books purchased in
1916 by Hassler, the first superintendent
of the survey. This library has $4,000
volumes, $4,000 maps and charts, 50, 900
field records. $4,000 negatives and
prints.
Another interesting landmark in this
section is one block farther south. the
site of the historic Carroll Tobacco
House, for 80 years the meeting house
Of Christ's Church, one of the three
oldest churches in the District of Co
lumbia, its organization dating from
ITS. Presidents Jefferson and Madi-
son attended services there.