Evening star., 1938-10-23
By John Clagen Proctor.

BY John LI0geff Proctor.
At one time, and for many years, C
street in the Municipal Center had as
residents some of the most important
and prominent persons then living in
this city-people not only locally we'll
known, but many who even gained
national regulations.
Being toward the top of the hill
and some distance from Tiber Creek,
this particular area was evidently not
low and Swampy ground, and the fact
that it was we'll built up with houses a
century ago would certainly indicate
that it was not boggy except where
the land closely bordered the Tiber.
This can also be said of the ground
to the north, where is now Judiciary
Square. Here, as is well known, was
once a stream that entered the res
ervation from the north, a short dis
tance east of Fifth street, and finally
found its way to Tiber Creek at about
Second street and Indiana avenue.
This small stream had its principal
source in Savage Square," where is
now the old Northern Liberty Market,
once called the Convention Hall Mar
ket and more recently referred to as
the New Center Market. Savage
Square, therefore, was between K and
L streets and Fourth and Fifth, and
from this square the stream was aug
mented on the way by the waters of
several smaller springs.
Naturally during rainy weather this
stream was enlarged by surface water,
and though it was not ordinarily for
midable flow of water, yet advantage
was taken of it by butchers and 9TH
ers who early settled along its course.
incidentally it may be of interest
to know just where the highs and lows
Of Washington are, and just where
the swampy areas were before the
days of street grading and sewers.
For instance, the lowest point in the
city proper, above tidewater, is at
Third street and Pennsylvania avenue
NV, where the measurement is 8.6
feet. The highest level, according to
the figures published some years ago
by John B. Mccarthy, is at Fourteenth
street and Florida avenue NV, where
it is 127 feet, though at Florida ave-
nue. and Sixteenth street it is only a
few feet lower The surveyors Of the
District, according to Mr.. Mccarthy,
''have officially settled this point by
measurements in connection with the
laying of the water mains and subse-
quent surveys, and in doing so they
have established the fact that the
highest point above tidewater IN
the central part of the city is in the
vicinity of Twelfth street and MaSsa-
chusetts avenue. The next highest point
is about the corner Of Eleventh and
N streets, which is 103.70 feet.
"A contention, which finally brought
about survey, that Nineteenth and
I streets was the high level was proved
incorrect. The Twelfth street and
Massachusetts, avenue location is the
peak. Following this demonstration
a strong effort was made before Con-
gress to have the statue of Gen. WASH
ington located there, instead of at the
circle at Pennsylvania avenue and
Twenty-fourth street, since known as
Washington Circle.
CLARK Mills, who was paid $4,000
to make the equestrian statue, 1t is
said, favored the location of the
statue at Twelfth street and Massa-
chusetts avenue, but Congress made
the necessary appropriation and left
the selection of the site to President
Buchanan, who finally decided in favor
of the Pennsylvania avenue circle.
THE next highest level was found
to be, strange as it may appear. at
the sill of the door Of the old Observa-
tory, now hospital. The foundation
Of the eastern base of the Capitol was
ascertained to be 89l2 feet above tide
water; the foundation of st. Johns
Church, Sixteneth and H strets, 66
feet; the location on which the present
State, War and Navy Building has
since been erected was only so feet.
The Treasury Department Building is
even lower, measuring only about Al
feet. The New Willard Hotel is only
80 feet. The Department of Com
merce Building, Nineteenth street and
1eIlIlSyltdllld dFe1luc, Is 90 1eeG ana
inch above water level
THE highest level in the entire Sec
ton of the District known as the
Southwest is Al feet, though the square
south of the Smithsonian stands only
21 feet above tidewater. At Fifteenth
street and New York avenue NV. the
measurements show height of so feet
and the White House about the same,
though If there are some inches differ
ence it is in favor of the White House.
1.-The old Post ONCE Department
Building stands up at 47.10 feet and
the door of Odd Fellows Hall, on the
next square south, feet lower. The
Thomas statue, Fourteenth street and
Massachusetts, avenue NV, is figured
at 80 and the Dupont Statue site at
IS. The measurement at P and Thir-
teenth streets NV, at the intersec-
ton of Rhode Island avenue, is fig
ured at 923 feet The west gate of
the Capitol measures up to Is feet,
the same as about where the Grant
statue is to be erected. At the corner
Of Fifth street and New York avenue