Evening star., 1940-03-03
Center Once Established Avenue
Banks Were
Among Early
Institutions
Century Has
Been Reached by
Lincoln National
By John CIagen Proctor.

1t seems marvellous how business
has developed in Washington during
the last half-century-not only by
spreading out as one might expect
1t to do, but new business areas of
considerable proportions have sprung
up even in remote places from Saks'
old corner at Seventh and Market
space. once, and for many years,
the center of Washington's industry.
Indeed, so much greater was the
business of this vicinity for years,
over other parts of the city, that
the directory for 1873 shows that out
Of 81 national and private banks in
the District of Columbia were
located within radius of three
blocks from the old corner re-
ferred to.
To the old-timer there is much
attachment for downtown Washing
ton, in the vicinity of Seventh street
and Pennsylvania avenue, for this
part of the city was early built up
and here many of our old substan-
tial merchants first engaged in busi-
ness and some of the earlier firms
are still prosperously engaged on
Seventh street and nearby, and sue
cessfully meeting their competitors
in other parts of the city, while
many of the older residents of the
District could not be induced to 60
elsewhere to trade. q.
But time has surely worked its
changes in this part of the city. for
no longer do we see the old Ameri-
can House on the southeast corner
of Pennsylvania avenue and Seventh
street, nor the Center Market to
the west, though along Market space
the buildings are much the same
as they were during and shortly
after the Civil War. Particularly
is this true between Eighth and
Ninth streets, though the stores are
not occupied by any of the original
firms.
At Seventh Street.
Many years ago the w. B. Moses
Building at the northwest corner of
Market space and Seventh street
(where is now Kann's Department
Store) gave way to the present
structure erected and conducted by
Andrew and Isadore Saks, cloth
iers and mems furnishings. This
firm had previously occupied the
building at 316 Seventh street, where
William Cans was of the partner
ship. Isaac Cans, our old friend
who died recently, worked for this
house for many years and gained
much of his popularity while thus
employed.
In 1878, in the Seventh street
block between Market space and D
street, George j. Davis was selling
hats. caps and furs, and so was the
firm of Petty & Harvey. The Ma
tional Bank of the Republic occupied
the Lincoln National Bank corner.
Simon Katzenstein sold mems cloth
ing at $40; Bernard Silverberg. fancy
goods. next door. and George Watts
e. Co., house furnishings. at 314.
Hart l.. Strasburger's Shoe Store
was at 306-8 and A. Saks g. Co.,
before they moved to the corner,
were at BIG. Across the street Will
liam H. Dunn sold furniture and
Wash. B. Williams sold the same
line of goods on the southeast corner
of D and Seventh streets.
In the block between D and E we
find on the west side: Dunman e.
Green in the real estate business,
Calvin M. Parks, patent agent: D.
Appleton & Co., selling books,
periodicals, ETC., with William Bal
1antyne and w. w. Hayne as nearby
competitors Louis Heilbrun and his
two sons-flne chaps as the writer
recalls them-sold shoes at 402, site
now occupied by l0-cent store. We
all, no doubt, remember the "Old
Woman in the Shoe which stood
in the window and helped to ad-
vertise the place. The Heilbrun
store was on ground once occupied
by the Intelligencer Building.
Various Business Houses.
Francis Prott also sold shoes at
426, and Edward F. Buckley kept
cigar store a few doors above,
with William F. George adjoining.
Carl Peterson, the jeweler, was at
424. while liable Brothers, clothiers,
were on the northwest corner of
Seventh and D streets. George G.
Henning was at 41O: A. D. Skourk,
clothier, 416; Bernard Gusdorf, dry
goods, 420; Lansburgh & Bro. at 404
and 4O6; Kaspar Kneesi, leather
goods, 422; S. Fisherman g. Sons.
hats. caps and furs, 430; Charles
Baum, who sold hoopskirts and cor
sets. at 408, and Uri Behrend, who
sold "segars' and tobacco, in the
same building with A. D. Skourk.
On the "a st side of Seuenfl Street