Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-23

OF course, Is Old enough TO do so. To begin
with, however, the writer believes that much
of what one sees of this noted thoroughfare
today he could also have seen so years ago.
though, naturally, many changes have taken
place since then, not only along Pennsylvania
avenue, but as well throughout the entire world
However, even so far back as the time this
broad Avenue was asphalted, It was lined with
trees on either side, it had few, If any, vacant
building lots and the street cars ran along its
center just as they do today. The familiar
aamp posts were to be seen at regular distances
and at least half the buildings now to be seen
were there in 1880, some even at a much earlier
date. So that, as we grow older, we do not
mote the great changes one might have ex-
Rected along Pennsylvania avenue.
Elsewhere throughout the city-especially in
khe newer sections and the suburban parts Of
khe DistTict-nOt only have astonishing changes
taken place, but even substantially new cities
have been planned and erected; in subdivisions
where only q few people then lived many
thousands now reside, and the old-timer de-
lights in pointing out congeSted sections today
that were farmland when he was q youngster.
Pennsylvania avenue was then lighted with
gas, whereas now-thanks to Mr.. Edison and
Others-the more improved method of electric
lighting Is used, and much more beautiful lamp
posts have been installed, closer together and
with power Of lighting almost beyond COM
parisOn, which, however, only adds to its at
Effectiveness at night, leaving the sun, as in
daytime.
Mainly throughout the course its sidewalks
were then Of brick laid in the typical herring
bone fashion, and the street car tracks were
substantially we see them today, though the
cars were then drawn by horses, as they con-
tinued to be for number Of years afterward.
Perhaps here and there at long distances, was
public hydrant where one could quench his
thirst on Summers day or when the spirit
moved him to do so. But the skyline and the
buildings are, at least In some of its blocks
from the Capitol to the Treasury almost iden-
tically as we knew them years ago. and in
other blocks the improvements made are but
slight, so that throughout its course at least
so per cent of the buildings standing today it
would seem, are the same old structures which
met our youthful eyes when we all went down
70 the Avenue to see some big parade In which
the Washington Light Infantry and the Ma
tional Rifles always played prominent part.
TAKE, for instance, the more modern build
~ ings which have replaced the older ones
In this thorOughfare, and We find there are
not so many as we might think. At Third
street we see the new building of the Standard
Oil Company Of New Jersey, which occupies
the site Of the old Capital Hotel then the
Ford Building, at John Marshall place where
formerly stood Fritz Reuters. These, together
with a few new buildings on the south side OF
the Avenue, make up the large part of the
improvements of recent years from the Capitol
to Seventh street.
Market space, between Seventh and Eighth
streets has all been either remodeled or rebuilt
The Saks building occupies the site Of the
w. B. Moses building before that firm moved
UP on + street The next block TO the west
has undergone but slight change while to the
south the Center Market Is architecturaIly
the same old Center Market since 1872.
On the north side Of the Avenue between
0iwak1a
ings. At Ninth street, the Gunton building
though erected some years ago, not there
in 1880, and, as we recall it. the bank building
at Tenth street has had another story added.
Otherwise, with o little remodeling, this side
Of the block Is about the same, while the
south side, with perhaps the exception Of the
storage building, shows substantially no change.
On the southwest corner ct Tenth street Is
q new building while the rest Of the block Is
old; and the north side Of street Is old except
the building at the northeast corner, opposite
The Star ONCE. OF course the Post once
Building was not there so years ago. nor The
Star Once, nor the Raleigh Hotel. The James
F. Davis building, ut the northwest corner Of
Twelfth street, Is modern, as Is the Van Wickle
building, farther up toward Thirteenth street,
and the south side has q new building at each
end Of the bIock-at Twelfth and at Thirteenth
Streets-and from there to Fourteenth street
the space is occupied by the Southern Railway
Building and the District Building not old
structures at all. Much Of the north side Of Il
street between Thirteenth and Fourteenth is
occupied by new buildings, while all the old
structures, or nearly ALL In the block to the
west where the willard Hotel stands, have
given way to new buildings, while the only
modern ones ON the south side Of the Avenue
at this point are the old Grand Army Hall
and the entrance to Polls Theater. There
are undoubtedly other new buildings not in
Guided in this list, but those mentioned are
SUFFICIENT to convey the idea Of the number Of
new business houses erected along the Avenue
IN the last so years.