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


historic buildings had to be
taken down law required that it be rebuilt in
as near its original style as possible.
How nice it would be If such law pre-
vailed here where every now and then we read
in the paper that one of our most precious
landmarks perhaps even associated with the
very founding of the city-is to be removed.
We all like read of famous old buildings.
of the great events which have occurred within
their walls, and the notable guests who have
visited them, but no concerted action ever
seems to be taken to preserve our own his
toric structures for other generations, they
do elsewhere. Today we live in the present;
tomorrow We shall live in the future, when
time and money cannot restore to what we
are destroying now.
Indeed, hardly had the writer returned to
this city when he learned by reading over the
back papers that another Of our old landmarks
the old Metropolitan Hotel-was slated to be
removed and the ground given over to other
purposes and now the only consolation he can
find is that the spot, at least in days to
come can be shown to those interested in the
development and early history Of the Federal
Capital one of the city's earliest hotel sites.
where many prominent people made their home
during and subsequent to the time the Avenue
was veritable mud hole and when even Con-
gressmen occasionally were stuck in the mud,
unable to reach the Capitol on time, before
the gavel was sounded.
Originally there were six lots in this square
(46O). Lot was at the northwest corner of
Pennsylvania avenue and Sixth street, and.
besides having a large avenue frontage, ex-
tended halfway through the block along Sixth
street, where it Joined by lot s. Lot
included the entire Seventh street end of
the fatiron- shaped block lots 2. and being
inside lots and extending all the way through
the square from the Avenue to street.
When the lots in this square were divided
between the original proprietor-David Burnes
and the Government, the former took lots
/, and 6, and the remaining lots were later
sold by the Government.
THE earliest hotel to occupy the site of the
] Metropolitan was the Center Tavern. evil
IDENTIFY first conducted by William woodward,
who in 1901 leased the west part of lot l, ex-
tending for 60 feet along the Avenue front, the
rental being $50 year.
Mr.. Woodward according to an early chron-
icIer, was a carpenter and came here about
1893. when the city in its infancy, and
lived here for part of the time when Gen.
Washington was won't to visit his step-grand-
daughters and their husba nds, Thomas Peter,
who lived in Foggy Bottom and Thomas Law
who resided near New Jersey avenue and c
street southeast and later at Sixth and N
streets southwest.
Woodward it is said, after residing here for
10 or ~ years, engTaCeO westward, lOcaClHg
on a square mile of land where the town of
Marietta, Ohio now stands. Here he engaged
in the lumber business for some years, until,
upon one occasion, he started with a boat
load of lumber for New Orleans, and he was
never afterward seen or heard from, the sup
position being that he was either made
captive by the Indians, drowned or murdered
His descendants were of earliest Washing
tmians, and, prior to 1906, had resided for 10
years at No. SIS street northwest
Mr. woodward did not remain in the hotel
business here very long, for he sold out
to Solomon Meyer, who took the adjoining
house for few years and conducted both the
Pennsylvania House and Center Tavern. In
1906 Robert Underwood probably a brother
to John Underwood, VINO at that time owned
the famous c street spring, became the owner
of the woodward property.
Though there seems to be no positive proof
for the statement, yet It Is no doubt true that