Evening star., 1933-12-10


borhood, although a number have
given way to improvements and more
modern structures The old Riggs
Bank Building and the residence Of
the cashier adjoining, which were built In 1924.
were demolished in 1904, at the time the pres
ent buildings at Executive avenue and Fif-
teenth street were erected. Corcoran and Riggs
moved to this site between 1843 and 1916,
having previously been located at the north
east corner of and Fifteenth streets in the
same building that is there today.
In this connection it might be interesting to
many to say that Madison place and Jackson
place were both so named in accordance with
a joint act of the Washington City Council
and approved by the President Of the United
States on February %, 1859. The thought Of
naming them seems to have originated
with DR.. j. B. Blake when he was commits
soner Of public buildings. James @. Berret
the city's mayor at the time and the
roadway in front of the White House was
named Executive avenue" in the same manner
and by the same authority, and so far as
known has never been changed, though still
referred to by most everybody as Pennsylvania
avenue.
To the west of the Riggs property-at the
corner Of Madison place-stood for many years
the residence of DR.. James 8. Gunnel, .
dentist, and erected by him in 1886. DR.. Gum
nell died some time between the years 1850
and 1860, for in the latter year we find that
Helen M. Gunnell, widow Of James g., was
residing on Twentieth street northwest. After
the death of DR.. Gunnell it was occupied for
e time by Postmaster General Samuel d. Hub
bard and later by Lieut.. Lafayette Maynard,
who was nviEg there February ~, 1859,
when Daniel e. Sickles shot and killed Philip
Barton Key close to his residence.
'Dr. GunneI." according to Madison Davis.
writing in 1902 "was born in Loudoun County,
Va, in the year 1913 and was educated at the
T. Academy aftarwqrd-fn 1a10-CradI1-
ating in medicine at the University of Pennsyl-
vania Before this he had been q lieutenant
of light horse In the War of 1912. After grad
uating he settled In Washington, and there
pursued the practice of his profession. He was
married and had a family of six children.
One of his sons-Dr. F. M Gunnell-is now
medical director of the United States Navy,
retired. He was a very amiable and popular
gentleman, and his removal from the office Of
postmaster purely for political reasons-was
Regretted pretty generally His residence for
many years was at the corner of Pennsylvania
avenue and Madison place, opposite Lafayette
Square and just south of the Lafayette Opera
House"
DR.. Gunnen was appointed postmaster of
Washington in 1889 and served faithfully for
two years, when his predecessor, Dr.. William
Jones, succeeded him in Office.
At the close of the Civil War q bank was
chartered here for celored people. Indeed, 1t
was intended to be strictly for them, and the
funds Of the institution, known as the Freed
mems Savings & Trust Co., were to be only
invested in United States stocks and bonds.
but this latter restriction, it is said was de-
feated when Congress made 1t possible to do
otherwise.
At first the company was located ct Penn
sylvania avenue and Nineteenth street. but
about 1859 it purchased for $4,000 the corner
once owned by DR.. Gunnell and here erected
Q five-story building for banking purposes. At
the time it was said that the property had q
frontage Of 1876 feet on Pennsylvania avenue,
Ind that the entire tract contained as ,z98 feet:
1lso that it was improved by frame building
hn the corner. Evidently property IN this
neighborhood must have been greatly On the
increase at thst time, for this Identical niece
had only brought $63,o0 six years before
The Freedmen's Trust Co. soon failed, and
it is quite likely it never occupied its
handsome building, for in few years it became