Evening star., 1937-09-05
By John Clagen Proctor.

are that greater number re-
call the town of Suitland, for, al
though the town site with a large
territory around it was named by Col
Suit for himself, yet people are soon
forgotten, while names given to To-
calities sometimes survive for CEN
turies.
Prior to his death on October l,
1888. Col Suit was well-known and
successful business man Of Washing
ton and nearby Maryland. of which
State his ancestry runs back con-
siderable distance. The colonel was
born in 1884 and was the son of Fielder
Suit, both father and son being born
In nearby Bladensburg The census
OF Maryland for 1890 gives the names
OF six heads of families living in the
State by the name of Suit John Smith
Suit was then living in Prince Georges
County, while Benjamin, Dent. James,
John and Thomas Suit were living In
st. Marys County. All were married
and had families.
Col. Suit of Suitland started work
when young as an errand boy In the
dry goods store of Darius Clagett g.
Co.. on the north side of Market Space
between Eighth and Ninth streets, ac-
cordlng to the city directory, but more
likely on the northeast corner of Penn
sylvania avenue and Ninth street.
This is, indeed, an old business cor
ner and has been steadily occupied for
store purposes for more than a CEN
tury. The present building is probably
the third to occupy this site It's first
occupant, as far as known, was Han
son GassaWay, who engaged here in
the hardware business, Nathan Jewett
probably being the owner OF the
premises. Then came Darius Clagett
& Co. in l840, Darius Clagett having
formerly been in the retail dry goods
business in Georgetown. In 1850 the
firm engaged here was known as Clag-
ett, Newton, May & Co., the partner
ship including D. Clagett, John B.
Clagett, A. L. Newton and Joseph I.
May.
bombazines, cambria. lawn calicos,
linen, as well as silks and laces, India
null shawls, striped silks, lace wells
and shavls, Irish linen and Russia
duck were in favor, and the white
merlno shawl was in vogue for young
ladies' Later the crimson shawl was
thought indispensable by single
women, as much so as the Russia duck
In millinery, the leghorn hat was
favorite. but the matrons affected the
bandeau with ostrich plumes
Washington Tophan, quoting the
National Intelligencer of June IL,
1888, says this newspaper states the
business center of the city was then
along Pennsylvania avenue between
John Marshall place and Eighth street
and that Just six months previously
this paper had noted the erection by
Darius Clagett of building IS by
rs feet at the northeast corner Of
Ninth and Pennsylvania avenue, the
largest and handsomest store on Penn
eylvania avenue"
The erection Of the present building
ing occurred in 1859, and. this early
chronicler says: The store Of Perry
& Brother, five stories high, at the
corner Of Ninth street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue, is superior building,
being fitted up in elegant style, having
vaults all around under the footways."
The firm Of Perry and Bro. included
A, E. Perry. T. j. S. Perry and Seaton
Perry, and the writer is of the opin-
ion that the distinguished lawyer, r.
Ross Perry, and the Rev. Josiah B.
Perry were brothers Of the members of
this Arm.
Apparently the Clagett firm had
moved next door to the corner, for
at this time its house number was
Market Space, No. being at the
northeast corner of Ninth street.
In more recent years. as many will
recall, this corner was occupied at
various times by Robinson, Parker e.
Co; Parker g. Bridget and Cherry G
Moran.
MARKET SPACE is one of the old
Gov uuSllleSS CS1lCeIS Ol WASH
ington. and in the early days we find
the following persons engaged in mer-
camille pursuits: Perry e. Ashby, w.
R. Riley, r. w. Carter e. Co., William
l.. Perry, E. T. Wall, r. c. Washing
ton, Hall & Bro, r. E. Estep, H.
Carter, Thomas Barnes and George w.
Adams, the last said to be the father
OF George w. Adams, one of the found
ers OF The Star, who, like the rest of
those mentioned, was in the dry goods
business. Other early business houses
In Market Space included the fancy
goods store Of j. H. Gibbs and the mil
llnery stores of Mrs Sinclair and Mrs.
M. A. France
OF interest respecting this general
nelghborhood is the reference to 1t by
James Croggon when he says:
Where now nearly the entire square
Is covered by one mammoth establish.
ment. street, or Market Space, be-
tween Seventh and Eighth streets, little
enterprise was shown in the early days
OF the century despite the fact that
by 1900 the east half of the square and
other portions were sold. There were
put ~ lots IN the original plan, and
OF these j. R. Dermott bought the
three forming the southeast quarter,
fronting Seventh street and Market
Space, Thomas Lansdale the north
east quarter, Seventh and D streets,
and lot on Eighth street, and A.
Moriarty the lot at Eighth and D
streets. The ground valuation was
&c
above stated, improvements came SLOW
1y Part Of lot had been leased to
John Harrison. who three years later
transferred it to Robert Harrison.
I'm 1902 Thomas Young purchased,
on Eighth street, lot on which he
had $1,000 building and John Bloor
had building of like value on the
same lot, while Mr.. Moriarty owned
one valued at the same price on the
southeast corner of Eirhth and n