Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-12
The Department OF Justice
Building.
Harris & E,Ding Photo.
Landmarks
Retained Old
Traditions
Ford Opera House
Associated With
Noted Actors
By John Clagen Proctor.

>-~y
ton rich in attractive history, the
site Of the Department of Justice
Building is certainly one of the
most interesting, both to the old
timer who has personal recollections
OF this area, and to the newcomer
who knows only Washington as it is
today.
Before the Justice Building was
erected, the ground upon which it
stands was divided into three
squares, numbered $50, 3S1 and 1872
Square $50 faced Pennsylvania ave-
nue. on the north and c street on the
south. To the south of this was
square 38l, bounded on the north by
c street and on the south by Louis
lana avenue. The square to the
south of this was 1872, facing Louis
lana avenue on the north and B
street, now Constitution avenue, on
the south.
In placing the Justice Building in
this part of the Federal Triangle, C.
street and Louisiana avenue were
necessarily obliterated. And as this
shortened the already limited length
Df Louisiana avenue, which extended
only from the Court House, at John
Marshall place, to Tenth street, the
name OF the remaining portion was
changed to Indiana avenue,
Used in Civil War,
For a long while old Louisiana
avenue, between Ninth and Tenth
streets, was one of the busiest thor
oughfares In Washington and here.
on the south side, about midway of
tne olock, was the city's principal
police station, known as the Central
Guard House, first occupied in 1860
and OF particular service during the
PERIOD OF the Civil War. Adjoining
the guard house on the east. in 1865
ana later. was Abner S. Brady's GYM
naslum, located in building at the
Top OF which was the sign: Institute
1or PHYSICAL Culture" To the west of
the guard house were an express
ONCE, bazaar, the New York Excel
slor Steam Cracker Co., and the ma.
chlne shop of John McClelland at
the southeast corner of Tenth street
d1lu LOUISIANA avenue
AT the northeast corner of Tenth
street and the same avenue. the
american Organ was published from
1884 to about 1857, in the interest
OF the native American or Know
mourning party. The paper was
eoited by Vespasion Ellis, its can
dldate for the presidency in 1855
being Millard Fillmore, who eoualed
Mr.. Landon's more recent vote bv
receiving Maryland's eight electoral
votes. James Buchanan was the
successful candidate. with 174 cleo
toral votes, and John c. Fremont
was good runnerup with ia votes
Ihere was much racial feeling
about the time this paper made
It's appearance and this continued
up to and during the campaign.
Know-Nothing Activities.
In 1854. John T. Towers led the
know-nothings to power in Wash
ington, with himself as mayor, but
the party lost the mayoralty in
1886 to fusion party headed by
DR.. William B. Magruder. who was
elected mayor by a margin of 10
votes, though the City Council went
TO the opposite party.
During this period, in 1854, &C.
Cured a dastardly act that everv
law-abiding resident of Washing
on regretted at the time and which
has ever since been looked upon
with disdain and contempt. It was
the stealing and destruction of the
stone sent from Rome to be placed
IN the Washington Monument. An
account of this act of vandalism.
contained IN history Of the WASH
tngton National Monument Society
compiled by its secretary, the late
Frederick L. Harvey, in 1908, was
taken from the National Inteln-
gencer OF March 8, 1854, and is
given as follows:
"A deed of barbarism was en-
acted on Monday morning last, be.
tween l and 2 O'Clock, by several
persons number not known, but
supposed to be from 1 to 1O, which
will be considered as belonging
rather to some Of the centuries
considerably in our rear than to
the better half of the boosted 18th
century. We refer to the forcible
seizure from its place Of deposit, in
q shed at the Washington Monu-
ment, Of a block of marble sent
hither from Rome, tribute to the
memory Of Washington by the Pom
tiff. and intended to become a part
of the edifice now erecting to sigma
lie his name and glory.
1T originally stood in the Temple
of Concord at Rome, was of beau
tiful texture, and had for its dimen-
sions length of feet. height Of
10 inches, and thickness Of 10
inches.
1.-THE account we hear of the mat
ter Is this: That at about the time
above mentioned several men sud-