Evening star., 1942-03-01

There is not q section of the Nations
Capital that does not contain any num-
Der of interesting buildings or sites, or
both, where some incident Of note has
not taken place, or where some out,
standing person has not resided. Indeed,
the city OF Washington unfolds to the
world the history Of this Nation for the
past century and half. 1t is, as Long
fellow once said, the "City Of Lost Foot
steps," and since the time the famous
poet visited here the footsteps Of the
worlds great personages have increased
many fold.
When authority over the Federal Capt.
tai was vested In the United States in
i7s1 one Of the tracts included In the
city was known as Port Royal and ex-
tended approximately from Eighteenth
street and New York avenue NV, north
to Rhode Island avenue: thence east
ward along this avenue to Third street
NV: thence south to K street, and
thence westward, on an angle, to the
place of beginning.
OF the early proprietors who owned
this tract Of land, Samuel Davidson held
title to the eastern portion and lived IN
a small log building 20 by II feet. about
at Seventeenth street between L and M
streets. John Davidson, who owned the
middle or main part of the tract, had his
dwelling in about the center of the
northwest quarter Of the square bounded
by X, L, Twelfth and Thirteenth streets.
This house was Of frame, 20 by 80 feet,
and contained but four rooms, two OF
which were in the attic. On each side
of the main building was log cabin,
IL by 20 feet, probably for the use of
servants and for the kitchen.
James Croggon, writing of this neigh
borhood In 1900, says:
In the southeast corner of the square.
near Twelfth and K streets, was log
stable, 20 feet square, and directly south,
about the center of K street, log cabin.
The barn, "A by 40 feet In dimensions,
was on Massachusetts, avenue, nearly
opposite the Church Of. the Ascension.
There was a fine spring of water near
the house. the water passing down Thir-
teenth street. A graveyard was on K
street, west of Thirteenth street, pre-
sumably not for the general and fam
lily, for their home was in Annapolis
when he died. about 1906. Prior to the
improvement of the square by the erec-
ton of the Franklin row, some 80 years
ago, there was a large orchard there,
and the house was occupied by Mr..
Fry and afterward by a Mr.. Jenkins,
the nlare hearing the name of Jenkins
until 1t went into the hands of Mr..
Guista, who conducted q vineyard and
garden on the home place for nearly
half a century The Church of Our
Father and a number of fine buildings,
including the Livingston, now occupy the
ground, and some of Mr.. Guistas fam
lily yet live there"
An early writer tells us there was a
yellow frame house Immediately in the
rear Of Franklin row (north side of K
street between Twtlfth and Thirteenth
streets, and that there was a grove Of
trees little to the northeast Of this row,
which was favorite resort for the boys,
and through which the streets were run.
ut was a beautiful sight. indeed" he
says, Ito see these trees towering up on
each side Of one as he passed through
these woody streets"
The section of Port Royal to the east,
owned by Lynch and Sands, was occu-
pied by log house in square 49, be-
tween Sixth and Seventh, L and NJ
streets.
One of the more beautiful spots today