Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22

by Government wagons and teams, batteries
of Artillery, etc, that In comparison with It
today it was simply miserable In muddy
weather it WIS at times 50 cut up as to be al
most impossible. Then the sidewalks were al
most exclusively of brick and in many places
in bad order The Capitol grounds were then
surrounded by an iron railing set on wan ana
having stone gateways. Some Of this raining has
since been utilized to form the north boundary
of the Smithsonian and Agricultural grounds,
and at the National Cemetery at Arlington the
gateways have been reset.
Commencing at FIRST street. west. where the
Peace Monument now stands. that portion Of
the south side Of the Avenue occupied by the
Botanical Garden was much the same as now.
The circle in which the Peace Monument Is
located had not been made, the west side OF
First street and north side Of the Avenue FORM
ing an acute angle. There was three-Story
building at the corner, where a restaurant was
located and westward several three-story bricks
mostly used as boarding houses and restaurants.
About the center Of the square were one or two
old frame buildings and some vacant lots, and
at the corner of Second street. where the waters
Of the Tiber were exposed was q three-story
brick, built originally for the public printing.
s'West of Second street to the corner of Third
the iron-front building Of the Adams Express
Co. was the principal one. and on the corner Of
Third street was the st. Charles Hotel, then
kept by Seth Lamb. At the northwest corner
of Third street and the Avenue was the WASH
ingtcn House, conducted by Mrs. A. 7. Bever-
idge, three-story building, with the main en-
trance ON the second floor, reached BY stone
steps, the lower story on the Avenue being occu-
pied by stores. The site is at present Hotel
Belvidere. On the south side was q frame
structure, occupied as restaurant and hotel.
and westward was the McDermott coach fac
tory, the wood and coal yard Of George L.
Sheriff and few boarding houses Of three
stories. On the north side of this square was
E1YlIn Hot and
the Congressional Globe ONCE and number Of
restaurants, and at the corner Of Four-and-a-
half street. north side, the building now known
as the Odeon Hall, where the late Joseph Sfil-
ington, bookseller and stattoner, was located
for many years. There were several hotels and
restaurants westward on the square between
Four and-a-half and Sixth streets and but little
change has taken place in the buildings On
either side except near Sixth.
"T'HE Center Market then was composed Of
long sheds extending from Seventh to
Ninth streets and the front was open as was
also the north side, the reservation not having
been inclosed On the north side of Market
space, at Seventh street, was the Avenue House.
four-Story brick building, occupying the site
where Saks is now located. AS now, business
places, mostly dry goods, fronted the space ex-
tending to Ninth street, where Perry g. Brother
conducted the dry goods business in plain two
story brick. The Gumton property, on the north
west corner OF Ninth street and Pennsylvania
avenue, an old-fashioned two-story brick was
occupied for the drug business. Westward were
some old-fashioned bricks of two and three
stories. nearly all of which have been torn down
or have been remodeled. The most prominent
building in the square was the iron hall build
ing erected originally as place of amusement
and now occupied. in part, by Edward Droop.
Near the corner of Tenth street the square was
ended by q row of three-story bricks, that at
the corner being used as the Lewis johnson
banking house. On the south side of the Avenue,
where the Mutual Fire Insurance Co.'S marble
building now stands. were some old-fashioned
brick houses
'EIE first Grand Army Encampment held In
Washington seems to have omitted parade.
OF this early event, The Star Of May IL, 1870,
said: "The National Encampment of the Grand
Army OF the Republic assembled at IL O'Clock
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