Evening star., 1936-04-26
Bv John CIaeett Proctor.

with, it is really hard for the olo
Washirgtonian to adapt himself to
some of the new designations being
given to places which have for many
years been called by much older ana
equally as pleasant names
This well-known city block, num-
bered 249, and which consists OF about
four acres of ground, was not orig
inally intended for park and was not
seriously considered in this light Tor
nearly half century after the Capital
City was laid out or until a copous
supply of water was found there
water which the Government desired
to use in piping to the White House
for domestic purposes. The cool. re-
freshing water from the now hidden
springs In this square was still much
preferred to the Potomac water by the
OCCUPANTS of the Executive Mansion. at
least up until the early 80's, and it Is
also said to have been piped to the
State. Treasury and War Buildings in
the days when these Federal branches
and the Navy Department occupied
separate buildings, erected many years
ago.
Franklin Park is in part Of tract
Of land known as Port Royal, which
extended approximately from New
York avenue on the south almost to
Rhode Island avenue on the north
and from east of Connecticut avenue
on the west to First street northwest
on the east. Samuel Davidson and
Gen. John Davidson of Annapolis were
early owners of this tract of land. as
were Dominic Lynch and Comfort
Sands and Dickens, Morris and Mich
olson. Samuel Davidson was the owner
Of Evermay in Georgetown, hand
some old mansion, which originally
was surrounded by more than 10
acres. for which Mr.. Davidson paid
$3.50 IN 1874.
THAT particular part of Port Royal
in which is located Franklin Park
was early owned by Gen. John David
son and extended from about Ninth
street to Fifteenth street. Toward the
middle of the tract, between Twelfth
and Thirteenth streets and K and L
streets, was Gen. Davidson's farm
house, his cabins, barn, stable and
the family graveyard The house was
of frame, 20 by 80 feet, and contained
but four rooms, two in the large attic.
The cabins we're IL by 20 feet, were
built Of logs and were for the help
and the kitchen
In the southeast corner of the square,
z CTS he
stable, 20 feet square, also built OF
logs; the barn, "a by 40 feet, was on
Massachusetts avenue nearly opposite
the Church of the Ascension. There
was a fine spring of water near the
house. the water passing down Thir-
teenth street. The graveyard was near
the northwest corner OF Twelfth and
K streets, though it is probable none
of the Davidsons were buried there,
since the general spent much of his
time in Annapolis, and died there
about 1900.
A little to the south and west of the
center of the block. or little to the
northeast of the northeast corner of
K and Thirteenth streets was the
spring that helped to furnish the early
Washington inhabitants with drinking
water
About 1880. or Just prior to the
erection of the dwellings on the north
side of K street between Twelfth and
Thirteenth, known as Franklin Row,
there was large orchard on this part
of the square, and a Mr.. Fry resided
in the house earlier owned by Gen.
Davidson. and following Mr.. Fry, Mr..
jenkins made his home there until
Mr.. Guista moved in.
According to q statement made
many years ago. Gen. Davidson's heirs.
at an early date, transferred the title
to Franklin Park to Benjamin Stod-
dert, first Secretary of the Navy, who
has slept for 10. these many years at
Addison Chapel burying ground, To-
Gated in Maryland, just outside the
eastern boundary of the District of
Columbia. Wheeler and Cooper be-
came the owners in 1901.
In all, there were originally 80 lots
in Franklin Park. and some years fol-
lowing Wheeler and Cooper we find
Alexander w. Campbell holding title
to II lots, Victor B. Randolph owning
four, Richard Smith, five; David A.
Hall and Sylvanus Hartshorn, each
two; Louis H. Machen, George Cover,
Robert Robertson. w. w. Billing and
Charles L. Coltman, one each, and
George Newton, Thomas Williamson
and Alexander Jordan, jointly, one lot.
IN THE early days of Washington
the residents relied for their drink
ing water upon the many springs
throughout the city. But as the popu-
1ation grew more and more congested
1t became necessary, from a health
standpoint, to protect the water sup
ply, and for this reason, and largely
for fire-protection purposes. water was
piped from the largest springs in the
city, and from several in the suburbs,
to outlets or hydrants in the down.
town section.
In this connection, according to
Eessford's annals, water was piped
from the Davidson spring. northeast
of Franklin Park, at an early date. at
first by private property holders. who
employed for the purpose wooden
pipes. But it was soon realized that
this supply must be augmented. and
1t was due to this conclusion and
necessity that the park block was
purchased by the Government. Some
say that water IN this Way was car
ried to the White House as early as
ia2o hit Sessford records the date
as 1888. The block was then called
Fountain Square and though it was
not then owned by the Government.
yet it was generally treated as pub
lie property.
In 1924 the corporation Of Wash
ington directed that the source Of the
fountain be found. The result was
that several streams were found out
side the lines of the square-a fine
one under what is now the sidewalk
q hundred feet or so south of X street,
ry3r-l.