Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-09-25

stories in height in the center and extending
1t back to street.
Three years later Jonathan Elliot in his
Historical Sketches has this to say of the
hotel:
This extensive establishment is owned by
Jesse Brown, esq. 1t fronts on the business
part of Pennsylvania avenue upward of 40
feet with a new large building in the rear,
on c street About 100 persons can be &C.
commodated in a very superior and comfortable
manner. There is also a private door leading
popular as a tavern keeper and much esteemed
by his fellow citizens and neghbors The
patronage he receives is liberal and lucrative
The kitchen wash house and dairy have each
fountain Of purest water supplied from .
never failing spring.
"As an appurtenance to the Indian Queen,
Mr.. Brown has a garden cultivated with
much judgment and industry that he Is not
only able to supply his own table with the
richest and freshest vegeta bes but vends in
the city market of his supplies enough to de-
fray the expenses Of that establishment"
Indeed. the never failing supply Of water re-
ferred to came from the spring on lot 4, square
400, north side Of street between John
Marshall place and Sixth street. and was piped
to the hotel in 1902 This is said to be the
first Of such piping in the city. So copious
was the supply Of water from this spring that
Frederick Shuck, in 1913, established in build
ing a few doors away what were known rs
public baths
IN 1852 the building further enlarged
! and its stucco front replaced with white
marble, left over, 1t Is said. from work then
going on at the Capitol. The old Marble Sa-
LOOM which formerly stood west of the corner
Of Ninth street and Pennsylvania avenue Is
also said to have been built of marble from
the same source
Lambert Tree. who came to this city from
Philadelphia in 1920 has this to say about Mr..
Browns vegetable garden, referred to by Mr..
Elliot
mo perceptible change occurred until Mr.
Jesse Brown. proprietor of the Queens Hotel,
employed Mr. Cammack practical gardener,
to cultivate piece of ground belonging to him
near his hotel. Mr. Cammack, who may be
considered the pioneer gardener of this section.
produced wonderful change in the quality
and quantity Of market vegetables 1t is said
that Mr.. Brown not only supplied his own
table but realized $500 PEI annum from the sale
Of superf1uous products"
Upon the death of Jesse Brown-which prob
ably occurred at what was known as the Mar
shall Brown residence which stood until about
20 years ago on the east side Of Georgia
avenue, opposite the estate of John Saul-the
sons succeeded him in business. The National
Intellgencer Of April Z. 1847, in recording his
death, tells us he was in the seventy-ninth
year Of his age
The story is told that at Richard Wallach's
wedding at the Metropolitan Hotel-the name
by which it was then known-a pledge was
kept which no doubt originated in jest.
Walach, it seems, some 10 or more years
before had attended the wedding of his friend
Marshall Brown, when the latter to twit the
former said: Dick why don't you select
bride from among those fine ladies?" To
which Mr. Wallach Is said to have replied:
mo, 1 will wait until you have a daughter,
and when she grows up will marry her"
And so it happened that Richard wallach
did marry in April. 1856, Rosa, the daughter
of Marshall Brown. The bride was II, the
bridegroom was 40. few years later-from
1861 to 1867-we flnd him filling the ONCE OF
mayor of Washington at q period when execu.
tive ability. diplomacy and tact were vesy
essential qualities.
During this time the Brown brothers seem 10
have given up the management Of the Metro
politan Hotel, for the city directory for 1855
gives the name Of the proprietor IS A. r. Potts.
Two years later Potts & Shelby were its man.
ayers, and in 1873 r. p. Coleman & Co. hA0
succeeded to the business Selden Il Robbins
were the proprietors In 1883 and later. and