Evening star., 1937-12-26
By John CIageft Proctor.

~HE site selected for the Ma
tional Gallery of Art, a gift
to the Government by the late
Il Andrew w. Mellon, the exca-
vation for which is now progressing
rapidly in the Mall, between Fourth
and Seventh streets, will occupy space
well known to the early Washington
ian as being ground of more or less
historic Importance.
At the north side of the Mall, up
until recent years, was Missouri ave-
nue., extending, on the same angle as
Pennsylvania avenue, from Third to
Sixth street, and on the south side
of the Mall to the north of and
paralleling Maryland avenue was
Maine avenue, also extending from
Third to Sixth street. Both Missouri
avenue and Maine avenue were early
built upon, and the houses on the
former, including those on the PENN
sylvania avenue side of the block, were
removed in 1881, while the buildings
along Maine avenue, and those to
the south, on the north side of
Maryland avenue, were not removed
until recently. The houses on Third,
Fourth and Sixth streets, from Penn
sylvania avenue to Maryland avenue,
have also been removed within the
last few years, and some more re-
Gently.
At an early date the houses in this
vicinity were occupied by prominent
Washington families, many of whom
found it profitable to turn them into
boarding houses, and since Missouri
avenue was close to the Capitol, some
members of Congress found it con-
venient to board in this vicinity. OF
these were Representative Henry S.
Clarke of North Carolina, who board
ed with Matthias Jeffries on Missouri
avenue, between Third and Fourth
streets, Missouri avenue then being
known as Missouri street. On this
same avenue, between Fourth and
Sixth streets (Fourth street having
formerly been known as Four and
a-Half street,, Representative B. G
ThibodeauX of Louisiana lived at
Daniel Wilson's, and nearby, at No.
467, lived John Tyler, before he be-
came President. Representative R. j.
Daniel of North Carolina also resided
on this avenue.
Around the corner, on Fourth street,
between Missouri and Pennsylvania
avenues, Representative j. H. Har-
manson of Louisiana, Orlando B.
Ficklin of Illinois and ]. H. Lumkin
of Georgia boarded with William Du-
vail.
THE houses along Missouri avenue,
which were all constructed of
brick, were three stories in height,
and appeared to have been well con-
structed. The walls seemed to be
in good condition at the time of their
removal Some of these buildings
must have been 100 years old at least
when removed. as evidenced by the
residence of Mr.. Tyler. which he must
have occupied during or prior to 1886,
at which date he resigned from the
United States Senate. The early city
directories also contain the names
of other persons living in houses on
this avenue. However this area was
not suitable for building purposes
until sometime subsequent to the act
Of Congress of May Z. 1922, at which
time permission was given the city
authorities to change the course of
the Washington canal from along
Pennsylvania avenue and north B
street, between Third and Sixth streets,
to the center Of the Mall.
Strange to say, in the act men,
toned, Congress for once gave the
city more than it asked for, though,
as it later developed, to many the
gift seemed somewhat loaded. How
ever, by that act, Congress conveyed
to the city all the land lying between
Pennsylvania and Maryland avenues
and from Third to Sixth streets, with
the exception of the central portion
referred to.
THIS section of the Mall was then
low and marshy, being frequently
covered with water during the rainy
season, and the placing of the canal
In its center was expected to drain
the low area and thus relieve the
situation which was detrimental to
health as well as being unsightly.
But the work was to be done by the
city in return for Uncle Sans con-
sideration, and the city government
was also required to pay for the re-
moval of the canal and for filling in
the low ground out of the money it
received from the sale of the lots.
Soon the canal was removed, and
then four new blocks were plated,
being designated as squares A, B, C
and D, and the lots as laid off we're
soon disposed of, carrying with them
certain restrictions, the principal ones
relating to the early improvement of
the ground and the type of structure
to be erected thereon. So far as
known, these covenants were COM
Piled with, and the area was soon
built up.
Though this transaction, on the part
OI tne Government, was looked upon
at this time as rather unusual, vet.
IN 1882, Congress did even a stranger
thing than it had done 10 years before,
when it gave to the city that part
OF the Mall north of A street north
(or where that street would come in,
where there was such a street on the
map. and similarly, south of A street
south, and from Sixth to Fifteenth
street, said to aggregate about 35 acres,
to be divided into lots and sold, and
the proceeds to be used in acquiring
and improving the canal and for the
purpose of containing the reclamation
OF the swamp. However, realizing this
was a huge mistake, Congress at its
next session modified this act by SUBJ
stituting for this grant of land, an
appropriation of Sl50,000.
A T THIS period in our history, Con-
gress just seemed eager to give
away the Mall. It gave to the regents
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