Evening star., 1935-03-31
BY JESSIE FAINT EVANS.

This academic community, to which
come each year some seven thousand
students from all parts of our own
country and from 40 foreign lands,
lies in an area which seems somehow
isolated from the hurrying tempo Of
modern Washington.
The university's buildings. though
just four squares west of the White
House, State Department and United
States Treasury, are located within
view of George Washington's beloved
Potomac, near the point where the
Memorial Bridge links the Capital
City with his native Virginia. The
neighborhood still retains the char
acteristics of the older day-not one
century ago, but two-when this part
of the Nations Capital wasn't even
Washington, but an independent town
called Hamburg.
Tract Bought by German.
When the independence of the Eng
lish colonies in America was still but
a dream of the liberty-loving Jacob
Funk, a German emigrant, bought a
tract of approximately 100 acres in
that portion of Frederick County. Nd,
out of which Montgomery County was
later carved. These holdings were
within the limits Of the present City
of Washington. They comprised ap-
proximately the area in the northwest
section bounded by H street on the
north, Upper Water and B streets
(at that time the bank of the Po-
tomac) on the south, Twenty-third
street on the west and line midway
between Eighteenth and Nineteenth
streets on the east.
In 1853 the tract was laid out by
this coloniSt of vision into 287 build
ing lots and town incorporated
which-probably after his native city
in Germany-he called Hamburg. The
nearest neighboring towns at this
and Bladensburg, with the interven-
ing country woodland and pasture.
Within this incorporated area, at
what is now the southeast corner of
Twentieth and G streets, Mr.. Funk
reserved lot upon which German
church was built. The church oc-
cupies this site today and still con-
ducts German language services. Its
present edif1ce was erected in 1891.
The house which Mr.. Funk built
for himself is believed to have been
located between Twenty-second and
Twenty-third streets, and is said to
have been constructed of bricks i'm
ported from Holland because they
were very much smaller and of q
different texture from the bricks used
in this vicinity.
Spring Near Glass Factory.
Old records speak of a spring, where
many came for water, located about
half a mile from the old glass house
or factory which was situated. in
Hamburg between Twenty-first and
Twenty-second streets. Near a rock
in the Potomac River, just west of
the glass factory, Gen. Braddock is
said to have landed in TITS, during
the French and Indian Wars, en- route
with his army from Alexandria
preparatory to being Joined by the
youthful Washington with his REIN
l IOlCeIIlSIlt VI SOlOI1ld1 GlOOHo. by OlQ
citizens this rock for many years was
referred to as "Braddock's Rock" /"
and the place near it as "Braddock's
Landing" the story being that Brad
docks men filled their canteens here
before taking up their march on their
Inflated expedition westward against
Fort Duquesne.
Hamburg Wharf," at the foot of
Twenty-first street, was important for
many years in the early history of
Washington as place Of landing. As
late as 1906 an act Of Congress fixed
at IS cents the rate Of hack fare from
the Presidents house to Hamburg
Wharf"
On December 20, 1872, when "the
Federal city In the Territory OF Co.