Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-13

building of the Bureau of Engraving and Print
ing-n ether words, the present red brick
building.
A correspondent writing me about this old
corral and the surrounding neighborhood,
covers her recollections quite entertainingly.
She says: -s..a
st was born in a house which stood at the
southwest corner of Fourteenth and d streets,
where the old Bureau of Engraving and Print
ing now stands. 1t was part of Govern
ment reservation under the jurisdiction of the
War Department, devoted to the .Quartermas-
ter'S Corps and took in the area from B to
the alley on the middle of the block and west
to the Government greenhouses. This com
missary' held all the varied activities for the
needs of the Army officers and rationing of
pensioners Of the city There was o store
house where groceries were dispensed; bakery,
supervised by q Mr. John Gately; a Wheel
wright and blacksmith shop and forge. and a
butcher shop, under the care of Jesse and
oliver and Rose Varnell, and the cabinet shop,
in charge of my father, afterward q resident
of Indian Head, Md These buildings were all
frame, and our house faced Fourteenth, and
on the north we had all the Monument Lot for
front yard. We looked out upon the work of
building the great shaft as an everyday affair,
and the monthly coming of Army men for
their ration was another familiar event. OPP
poSite us, still standing were two small bricks,
in one of which a family named McHugh
lived. Further down the street was the Handy
the Piepenbrings On the west side lived John
Altman, a drover, and across a knoll the
Young home, q beautiful Colonial house torn
down to make room for the present new Bureau.
Just down from the Allman's house to the river
ran a path, which We traversed eagerly many
a Sunday to witness the 'baptizing' of the coll
ored folk, who came in omnibuses, the men in
decorous black and the women in a sort of
lavender Calico the preacher standing waist
deep for the dimensions and those on shore
oI.elB
C street lived Mr.. Hessler, whose daughters
still occupy the home their father built This
is No. 1858. Near them lived Mr.. Glass and
Henry Stahl and across on the corner the
Corcorans and CullinanS and dear Miss Sally
Shea who kept what would now be called q
department store Until recently the house
next door was occupied by Miss Annie Culh-
nan of this same family. I remember this
house. No. 1853, quite well, for we lived in it
for number OF years after the commissary
was no more. Just beyond. in the middle Of
the block lived John j. DAILY and family, who
conducted grocery for many years.
Very many of the children of these families
arc residents in Washington, and it is like
Juggling at heartstrings to see the old places
go, but also the progress and beauty of the city
is dear to us, and we are glad to see the Won
derful improvements taking their places
ONE of the houses on Fourteenth street that
proves particularly attractive to the writer
was what Mrs. West called the Pettibone house,
because here lived at one time John Pettibone.
dealer in fertilizers, and whose daughter
Laura she said, handsome girl, married Col.
Thornburg of Tennessee in 1875. just when
this house built is not known. though it is
undoubtedly pioneer in this section.
1t is two and one-half stories high, with an
upper and lower porch on the side, which must
have afforded an unobStructed and beautiful
view of the river just to the south, for there
could not have been many houses in this
vicinity at the time this dwelling was built.
Like all the buildings in this block, its years
numbered, for the Government needs the
ground.
Where the branch OF the Department of Agri-
culture stands on the southeast corner of Four
teenth and streets once stood an old residence
Occupied many years ago by John j. Edison and
his broisssr, Joseph r Edison, who were back in
1873 patent solicitors at I'll C street northwest.
OF course, this is no other than our distin-
guished citizen and grand old man, John Joy
Edison. who is still hale and hearty and going
strong. Here lived, prior to the Edsons, the
Robertsons and the Shipmans The old build
ing was removed when the present building
was erected.
There are a number of old Southwest fam
lilies who have been for many years identified
with its development and its growth One OF
these is the Church family of which Charles B.
probably did more to build in certain sections
than did any other person.
newspaper sketch of Charles B. Church,
printed many years ago, tells us that he was
born in Jefferson, Frederick County, Nd, Sep
TENDER II, 1926, being the son Of Sheppard
Solars Church and Eliza Cherry Church. He
received his final education at Prof. Wells
Institute, at Norfolk. Va. When II years OF
age Gin 1840) Mr.. Church came to Washington,
where he entered the firm Of William A. Harris
to learn the carpenters and joiners trade. On
March T. 1847, he married Matilda S. Harris,
the daughter of his employer. After having
finished his apprenticeship, he embarked in