Evening star., 1938-09-25

Modern Municipal Building Occupy Site Which Has Witnessed
Period National
That of Roger Brooke Taney, Leader Of
By John Clagett Proctor.

n waiting, since the first pur-
~ chase Of ground was made in
4 the Municipal Center, an early
start is assured in the construction of
the frst building to be erected on the
northern part of the site selected for
the Districts ofilces.
1t was on January %, 1929. when
the House Committee on the District
of Columbia reported favorably the
amended Simmons bill, which origi-
nally had for its object the purchasing
of the two squares between Third and
Sixth streets and Indiana avenue, and
what was then Louisiana avenue, on
the north, and c street on the south,
including original squares 490 and 533.
But when the bill was reported it also
embraced the two squares to the south
of those mentioned, both between
Third and Sixth streets and between
Pennsylvania avenue and C street.
The one to the west was square 49l
and the one nearest the Capitol was
known as reservation No 10, or the
old bank square, set aside as site
for the United States Mint when the
city was laid out
But on May 7. 1922, Congress au-
thorized the sale of these Avenue
squares, together with other nearby
reservations, and legitimate building
operations began soon afterWard. How
ever, it could not have been long before
this entire reservation No. 10 was built
upon, for we find in Turner's Universal
Atlas of 1885 indications that the
reservation was occupied by structures
at that time.
TO A considerable degree the land
in this neighborhood, along both
sides of the Avenue, was not ideal for
building purposes at the time the Gov
ernment disposed Of its interest. In
deed, one may still observe how the
land slopes from the City Hall area
down toward the Botanic Garden,
through which-going west-the Tiber
flowed on its way to the Potomac,
after crossing the Avenue at about
Second street. At an early date this
ground was all reclaimed under the
direction of the Low Grounds Commits
sion.
Though this site was not the best for
building purposes, yet it had its ad-
vantages in being close to the Capitol,
and especially from 1885 on, because
after that time it was near the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad sta
ton. which stood for many years at
the northwest corner of Second street
and Pennsylvania avenue. 1t was the
first railway station in Washington
and for some time the only one.
In accordance with the law Of May Z,
1922, before referred to, when the lots
in Reserva ton II were sold (and the
same conditions applied to Reservation
100, the deed carried restrictions as
to the style and character Of the build
ings to be erected, and limit Of 10
years was put upon the purchaser in
which to comply with this provision.
It is probable that the conditions were
carried out, but, unfortunately, if so,
no record seems to have been made
of it. for some 10 years ago, in order
to clear title to at least part of the
property. where compliance with this
clause could not be proven, bill in
Congress was introduced and passed.
SPEAKING of the condition Of Penn
sylvania avenue near the site where
the District Building Is soon to be
erected, Lambert Tree tells us when
he arrived in Washington in November,
1920, that:
"On the north side of Pennsylvania
avenue, from First to Sixth street,
was a gravel foot walk. Tiber Greek
was crossed by small bridge, pro-
tected by hand rail to keep pedes-
trians from falling in. The south side
OF the Avenue; from Sixth to Third
streets, now covered with hotels and
business houses, was then occupied by
the canal, which at Third street emp
tied into Tiber Greek. The sidewalks
on the north side of the Avenue, from
Sixth to Seventh streets, were paved
with brick; from Seventh to Ninth
street, on the north side, a gravel
walk, and from Ninth to Tenth street
a brick pavement; from Tenth to
Fourteenth street a gravel walk, and
from Fourteenth to Fifteenth a pave
ment; from there to Georgetown a
gravel walk"
On February 26, 1929, the Senate
concurred in the House bill as pre-
sented, and subsequently, on June IL,
Congress-according to the Bingham
s m m ons resolution - appropriated
from the Districts surplus funds in
the Treasury 100000 toward buying
the ground, and this idea of placing
the cost entirely upon the District
satisfied Representative Stafford, Re-
publican, Of Wisconsin, who raised the
question regarding the Federal Gov
ernment's share in the proposed ap-
preparation. And, of course, Mr.. Stat
ford was not alone in his attitude,
since this is notably the course gen.
orally pursued by Congress toward the
District OF Columbia in making us
carry all, or nearly all, the burden.
RY JUNE IS, when the Commis-
sioners were about to appoint the
committee to purchase the property in
accordance with the act Of Congress-,
announcement was made of the prob