Evening star., 1939-12-10
First Home
Of Interior
In Building
Agriculture Origin
Among Official
Acts There
By John CIagen Proctor.

The old Patent ONCE Building at,
Ninth and F streets NV, will long
be known by this name, for although
the business of the Office has been
moved elsewhere, the older residents
OF Washington will cling to the early
name of this building as long as
they live, and will likely pass 1t on
to generations to come. And, al
though the Office is now under the
direction of the Department Of Com
merce, having been transferred from
the Department of the Interior,
about 1924, its origin dates back to
. much earlier period than either
Of these departments.
The first legislation in Congress
on the subject Of inventions was the
act of 179O, to promote the progress
Of useful arts, which authorized any
person to petition the heads Of any
Of the executive departments for a
patent for any new invention. The
patents were then recorded in the
Office of the Secretary Of State.
The rapid increase in the number
Of inventions early led Congress to
make special provisions for the ac-
commodation Of the Patent Office
and the keeper of the patents. and
for the arrangements of the models,
and this included the authorization
to erect or purchase suitable build
ing for the use of the Patent Office
and the Post Office Department.
Pursuant to this act of Congress,
the incompleted so-called Blodgett
Hotel was purchased in 1910, and as
soon as it could be made ready for
use, it was occupied by the Post
Office Department, the City Post
Office, the Patent Office and the
Library of Congress.
Cornerstone Laying.
This building had quite history.
It was designed by James Hoban,
architect of the White House, and
stood on the north side of E street,
between Seventh and Eighth streets
NV. The cornerstone evidently
was laid under Masonic auspices
July 4, 1893, by Lodge No. 8 of
Georgetown, now Potomac, No. S,
for IN the Gazette of the United
States, dated September IA, 1893, the
following statement is made regard
Ing this event: "One thousand five
hundred people were present and
walked from thence in procession,
preceded by a lodge Of Free Masons,
to a dinner, the principal dish of
which consisted of an OK roasted
whole. Toasts were drunk on the
occasion, and the day was con-
cluded with much harmony"
The building was erected by Sam
uel Blodgett, jr., as a lottery prize,
the lucky ticket going to Robert s..
Buckley Of Philadelphia. The value
OF the building was placed at $50, 600,
and because 1t was never completed,
Mr.. Buckley, when given the build
ing by Judgment Of the Supreme
Court Of Pennsylvania, also was
awarded $21 500 to make up the dif-
ference between the building as 1t
stood and what 1t was advertised to
be.
When Blodgett's lots were sold to
satisfy this judgment, Buckley had to
bid them in, as he seems to have had
no competitor. After the Govern
ment bought the hotel property,
Mrs. Blodgett put in a claim for
dover rights, and, in 1928, she was
finally awarded by Congress $333.33
q year for her natural life.
Blodgett, it is said, was a keen
sportsman, and frequently took his
dogs and gun to the marshes, then
in the area between Eleventh and
Fourteenth and H and K streets,
where birds were plentiful.
An early description Of the build
ing tells use that 1t was constructed
of brick, had frontage of 120 feet,
was so feet wide, and was two stories
high, with basement and attic
story.
Theater Opened.
In 1900, Wignell & Reinagle, who
conducted the New Theater In Phil
adelphia, fitted up a room in the
Blodgett Building and opened there,
on August %, what was called the
United States Theater, the initial
performance being Venice Pre-
served, or the Spoiled Child" 1t was
the first regular theatrical perform
ance in the city, and one the per-
formers probably never forgot, as a
short while before the theater
opened heavy storm broke over the
. city. overf1owing the creeks and
drowning much stock and almost