Evening star., 1936-10-18
By John Clagen Proctor.

laid out into lots and
Wv blocks many believed that
the city would first build
up to the east of the Capitol and, so
confident were some in this belief,
that they invested heavily in this sec
ton, while some of the original pro-
prietors held at least a part of their
holdings for what was then considered
by many as exorbitant prices. OF the
latter none had more confidence in
the value of the location of his prop
erty than did Daniel Carroll of Dud-
dington, a personal friend of the First
President, who started to build a new
home for himself shortly after the
corner stone of the District was laid.
Indeed, the work had progressed so
far by December, 1871, that the cellar
walls were covered over to protect
them from the effects of the cold
Winter weather, and when the follow
ing Spring arrived work upon it was
resumed. This house, 1t may be re-
called, was in the block bounded by
E. F, Second streets and New Jersey
l.,
was running the lines of this avenue,
he discovered that it was about 7
feet in the way. and proceeded to tear
1t down. In the meantime Carroll
appealed to the President, who held
out two offers to him:
First, to arrest and pull down the
building in It's present state and
raise it to the same height next Spring
il it is your desire agreeably to the
regulations, without any expense to
you. or, secondly. to permit you to
finish 1t at your own cost, and occupy
1t six years from the present date.
at which period it must be removed
with no other allowance from the
public than a valuation for the walls
in the present state of them"
T ENFANT, with his impetuous zeal,
- did not wait to hear what any
one had to say about it, and appar-
emily did not care, but almost i'm
mediately pulled down the walls of
the house still incomplete, but in
doing so brought down the wrath OF
Gen. Washington, which finally re-
suited in the dismissal of the noted
French engineer, TO whom the Presi-
dent wrote:
Il have received with sincere con-
Germ the information from yourself
as we'll as others that you have pro-
ceeded to demolish the house Of MIR.
Carroll of Duddington against his con-
sent, and without authority from the
Commissioners or any other person.
In this you have laid yourself open
to the laws, and in country where
they will have their course. To their
animadversion will belong the present
case.
I'm future, I must strictly enjoin you
to touch no mans property without
his consent, or the previous order OF
the Commissioners. I wished you to
be employed in the arrangements OF
the Federal City. I still wish 1t, but
only on condition that you can con-
duct yourself in subordination to the
authority of the Commissioners, to
whom by law the business is entrusted,
and who stand between you and the
President of the United States-to the
laws of the land-and to the rights Of
its citizens"
AS to Daniel Carroll, no doubt his
anger was appeased by a cash payment
for his losses, for, during the following
year, he received from the commits
sioners the sum of $4,000. Some years
later, he built Carroll Row. where now
stands the Library of Congress, and
other property in Washington city. and
was one of the foremost pioneers in
the developing of land in the eastern
part of the city.
Within the boundaries of one of his
early holdings. called Germ Abby
Manor. upon the lot next west to
the northwest corner of Maryland ave-
nue. and Second street northeast, stood
the house from which was fired the
only shot against the invading British
forces. on that memorable oath day Of
August, 1914. This property was pur-
chased by Robert Sewall at the sale
OF January 20, 1899.
Some say 1t was a fusillade that
was fired from the Sewall house, but
recent item found by the writer
states the person doing the firing was
man named Dixon, a market gar
Sdener. At any rate, the horse of Gen.
Ross was killed. and the statement
made is generally agreed to. namely
that the building was then set on
fire by the English soldiers and pulled
down In order to make good Job
OF 1t.
I P TO this time the streets of
Washington-and especially those
In the eastern part-were largely on
paper, and, though the Capitol had
been made to face the East, yet this
did not seem to help materially the
cause of the property owners eastward
of the Capitol, and 1t was q long
while before any other streets, except
Maryland avenue, which followed the
lines of the old post road, and East
Capitol street, opened about 1904, were
really discernable as thoroughfares.
In the "reminiscences of Col. James
A. Tate, in which he recalls the east
ern section of Washington from about
1922 to 1882, he refers to a quarter
mile race track that occupied a part
of East Capitol street from Fifth to
Eleventh streets, and says: There
was not a house on either side of
the street between Eleventh and Third
streets. Here the Prince Georges
County horses used to run against the
Washington horses" However, he
continues: East Washington was not
an unimpor>et place. Daniel Rapine,
William A. Bradley, 1~..- c. Weight
man, Capt Carbery and Samuel
Smallwood were all residents Of Cap
itol Hill and served as Mayors OF
Washington"
He further tells us that game east
Of the Capitol was abundant, that
quail built their nests in Capitol
Square. "Yellow-shank and bull
head plover could be found anywhere
IN the commons. In the fields there