Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-04-16

the authors great-grsnds- n, Col. F. S. Key
Smith, has said:
Il happen to be well acquainted with the
old home Of my great-grandfather in George
town, also with the cold cellar referred to"
which was built and used for the storage OF
pickles, preserves, meats, milk, butter and
cream in the days when ice was scarce. 1t
built for a similar purpose as the old
dairy and spring house of the earlier days.
The old Key residence, together with the
law office attached, was not far from the har-
Dor and wharves in Georgetown. and the prob
abilities are that much OF his early practice
derived from the importers and shippers
at this busy port.
THE commerce Of Georgetown was of gradual
growth, and the town increased in i'm
portance and population the vessels tying
up to its wharves found a ready market for
their cargoes.
Things have developed with marvellous
rapidity in this country in the last 200 years
and especially since the American Revolution.
Until 1875 there was no bridge across the Po-
tomac, when the Georgetown Bridge Co. sue
ceeded in securing Timothy Palmer, IAN artist
eminently distinguished to erect a bridge
approximately on the site of the present Chain
Bridge Prior to this ferries provided the only
means Of crossing the river in this vicinity or
farther on toward the bay.
of which there IS record was operated as early
as 1898 from Francis Awbreys place about half
a mile below what is still known as Analostan
Island, though Congress has recently officially
changed its name. Ten years later according
to Kate Mason Rowland, this ferry was re-
moved to George Mason's place, or Mason's
1Sland-one Of the four known names this
island has had to date thu Oldest being Bar
BADGES, then Mason's and Analostan and
finally, Roosevelt Island
The first wharf erected in Georgetowr-or
anywhere in the District of Columbia SO far
as known-was provided for by the town cor
poratlon In 1852, which met on August 8:
Messrs. Claggett Magruder, Lynn, and Robert
Peter being present. They resolved that the
money on hand or what Part thereof is neces-
sary to build wharf be applied for that pur-
pose, and do order that their Clerk advertize in
the Maryland Gazett that they will meet at the
house of Joseph Belt, in said Town, on the
first Tuesday in october next, to treat with any
person or persons that will contract for the
Building Wharf"
On October S, Tuesday, two months later,
"the commissioners agreed with Simon
Nichols to build at the end of Water street
(now High street,, and carried thence 60 feet
wide into the river. as to have 10 feet water
at the front. in a low tide. The work was to
be done to the satisfaction of the workmen
independently chosen if any dispute should
happen when the whole work is finished by
the nrSt Gay OF september. which shall be In
the year 1853"
A good and sufficient crane was to be erected
at the front of the wharf, and Mr. Nichols
was given until the first day of November to
finish the wharf BY 176S, the wharf had
evidently suffered some damage from ice foes
and freshets, for it was thought necessary to
make some repairs to it and also that changes
be made to make i. more convenient for Sc
curing the craft while they are loading and
unloading"
The specifications for this wharf in part
state:
THE said wharf is to be built at the end Of
Water street and carried from thence 60 feet
wide into the river as to have 10 foot Of
water at the front in low tide; the outSides
are to be of hewed logges, IL inches thick
laped and the joints broke, b-aced and girded
with hewd logges 10 inches thick and Is foot
long and dovetailed into the outsides. The
front to be dovetailed at the outsdes and the
end of every dovetail to b, sawed of. The
distance from the front to the first brace not
to exceed 10 feet and the distance between
every brace the same for the whole length Of
the wharf, the same to be filled up with stone