Evening star., 1941-01-05
Hotels Great
Part of Its
Development
Cilley Duel Recalled
AS Tragic Incident
In Life of Capital
By John ClaeeH Proctor.

y
There are few localities in Wash
ington that have more attractive
or interesting historic background
than the area taken over for the
Municipal Center and its nearby
squares. However, there is hardly
section in any part OF older
Washington, or downtown Wash
ington as it is generally referred to,
where some very interesting build
ings or sites do not exist. Obviously
this should be so, since this being
the Capital of the Nation history
here is always in the making.
Street after street has historic
houses. Avenues and places almost
breathe of the past and carry one
back to some celebrated and great
event or occasion. While it is true
that many structures of historic
nature are gradually giving way 10
progress, yet others are daily taking
their places. and though the razed
structures of the past may not exist
longer, vet in memory they live on
and the same sentiment still at
taches even to the site upon which
some old building or some old land
mark once stood.
Generally, where an epoch is made
In our national affairs, it is here Il
has its setting 1t is here the hrst
milestone of the Capital is set and
inscribed, that future generations
NAV read of the successes and the
elories and the mistakes and the
failures, as the case may be, OF
those who have preceded US.
Third street NV, in the heart
of the city, which forms the eastern
boundary of the Municipal Center,
has some landmarks and historic
sites that mean much to those who
are interested in early Washington.
Indians Were Guests.
Manv will recall the Vendome
Hotel at Third street and PennSyl-
vania avenue. 1t was early known
as Gadsby's Hotel but later became
the Washington House, with Mrs.
A. F. Beveridge as proprietor, and
here Vice President Hannibal Ham
lin-Who was elected with Lincoln
the first time-and Henry Wilson,
running mate with Gen. Grant the
second time, at one time resided.
Vice President Wilson died in the
Capitol Building November 27, 1879,
during his term of office. The hotel
was also notable for the number OF
Indian delegations which stopped
there when in Washington on busl-
ness with the Government, Later
it became the Hotel Vendome and
was being conducted under this
name up to the time it was re-
moved.
Just across the street, on the
southwest corner of Third street,
stood for many years, and until
q few years ago, Mades' Hotel, re-
called particularly because mere
lived and died Gen. John A. SUIT
ter, on whose property in Califor-
MIA gold was discovered. When the
late Crosby S. Noyes came to this
city in 1847 he stopped at McDer-
motifs boarding house, then on this
corner.
At different times, many promi-
nent legislators frequented Mades'
Hotel, especially during the days
of President Harrison and Presi-
dent Cleveland, when the visitors
often included Voorhees, and Tur-
pie of Indiana, Cushman K. Davis
of Minnesota and Isham G.. Har-
ris of Tennessee. Speaker Tom Reed
of Maine and Col Dick" Bright
of Indiana were habitues here in
the early days of the Mckinley ad-
ministration.
Had Several Names.
On the northeast corner of Third
and Pennsylvania avenue stood the
st. Charles Hotel until about 1926.
1t also had several names in its
time, including the Capital Ho-
Tel. The building was erected by
Mr.. Jones, the site previously hav-
ing been occupied by one-story
houses. 1t was known for many
years as the st. Charles. Only a
few conspicuous men resided here,
but strange to say, Lincoln's second
Vice President, Andrew Johnson,
who became President at Lincoln's
death, also resided here, in 1860,
while serving as Senator from Ten
nessee.
Its proprietor in 1860 was S.
Lamb; in 1865, Bell and Allabach.
Subsequently it became the Belye-
dere,
Just north of the site of the st.
CHARLES, at No. 219 Third street,
Nved, many years ago, Jonathan
CllIey, member of the House OF
representatives. who, on February
"a, 1888, was killed in a duel by
fellow member of Congress named
William j. Graves, who was unin-