Evening star., 1942-08-23
Post Office Building Is Historic Landmark
BY John Clagett Proctor.

BY John Clagett Proctor.
Sometime ago 1t was rumored that the
former Post once Department Building,
on Pennsylvania avenue between Elev-
enth and Twelfth streets, would be re-
moved In order to complete the new
Post once Building just to the west.
But, as we all know, the old structure
still stands, anl it is uncertain now Just
when 1t will be removed, II ever.
However. when we refer to 1t as an old
structure perhaps we do 1t an injustice
Just as we do sometimes when we refer
to some people, who have not even
started 70 become elderly when they
have rounded out but a mere half CEN
tury, which Is about all this building has
done. The ground was acquired in 1890,
and the building was not completed until
nine year later.
But regardless Of how old this building
Is. the neighborhood is certainly consid-
erably older, as was demonstrated when
some strange things came to light as the
foundation was being dug. The discovery
of an unchartered we'll, for instance,
might have resulted fatally had 1t not
been for the skillfulness of the driver of
q span Of horses, who was plowing up
the earth and who saved the horses, and
perhaps the driver, from falling in the
deep hole, and probably drowning.
The Tiber Greek which once flowed to
the south Of the Post Once site, ap-
proximately along what is now Consti-
tuition avenue, and which originally
emptied into the Potomac River in tho
neighborhood of Twenty street,
and the Washington City Canal, which
later took the place Of the creek in the
downtown part Of the city, brought many
small boats loaded with various articles
into this vicinity and thus made it
Washington's first important business
center.
But as to Tiber Greek. few people have
the slightest conception as to the real
magnitude Of this old waterway, long
since abandoned-partly filled in, and a
portion converted into large sewer. In
1887, after it had become canal, it was
walled with stone from the Eastern
Branch Ito the east of Greenleaf Point)
to Seventeenth street northwest. Its
width somewhat varied, but from Seven
teenth street to the Center Market at
Seventh street, 1t was $50 feet, and In
other sections from As to 30 feet. At de-
sirable places substantial bridges were
orANfad ~ No
high to permit the passing of steamboats,
beneath them.
The Old Canal
While the canal was under early con-
struction. in 1915, we are told, it was
sufficiently completed to permit two
barges to pass from Twelfth street NV.
to the Eastern Branch, distance of
little more than miles, which was made
IN 80 minutes. One of the barges con-
veyed the directors of the company,
members Of the City Council and prom
inent citizens, while the other vessel car
ried the Marine Band.
In addition to its being walled
throughout, 1t is stated that, at later
period, wharves were built and cesspools
and culverts constructed to receive the
sediment from the streets, thus prevent
ing the canal from filling up. Basins
also were built at different points, one
Of these being between Tenth and
Twelfth streets, and as the writer looked
at the exposed brickwork about 10 years
ago, 1t occurred to him that this prob
ably was the eastern end of the basin
wall at this point.
On the evening following the discov-
cry Of this wall descendant of the
Ingle family called the writer on the
phone and suggested that the wall may
have been part of a powder magazine
since she had heard her mother speak
Of one being in that vicinity during the
War of 1872. But the writer assured
her that this spot was covered with wa
ter at that time, and would not have
been desirable place at all in which to
place such a building.
AS near as can be approximated, this
wall was close to the site of John Nc
Clelland's iron foundry, to which he
moved during the Civil War period from
Tenth and E streets NV, where he had
kept his machine and blacksmith shop
at least from 1850. 1t is probable that
McClelland's shops adjoined this wall on
the north and that the fact Of its being
close to the canal was an inducement
for his moving here.
What the writer has said regarding
the old canal at this point is substan-
TALLY what James Croggon, an eyewit-
ness, wrote many years ago, saying:
I'm the early part of the last century
the Tiber Creek, which was under the
name of the Washington Canal. was be-
ing walled, but the work had not then
reached the line of Eleventh street. At
this point little stream flowed into it
from the north, forming a small basin
The north shore was marshy and the
tides and rains made its lines indefinite
sometimes throwing them above c street
In 1896, when the work was nearly com
pleted to Twelfth street, it was opened
from that point to the Eastern Branch
In that year the canal company was au.
thorized to construct basin between
Tenth and Twelfth streets, the site Of
which now is occupied by the wholesale
market, and here was located on the
west side Of the basin what was familiar
ly known as the Twelfth street wharf. 4
lumber yard was established on the ives
of the basin, extending to Twelfth street
by Messrs. King and Langley, which il
after years was conducted by Ulysse
Ward for long time. With the con
sumption Of wood for fuel nearby, tim