Evening star., 1944-08-27
An Old Woodcut.

Saturday evening. November 8, 1900,
having caught from the adjoining house
occupied by Jonathan Jackson, who it
seems had died that very day, but whose
body was removed to a place of safety.
The loss, which included many valuable
papers, relics and evidences Of the Revo-
lutionary War, was practically COM
plete one, only a few Of the public
records being saved, and the blackened
walls were visible for many years there
after, and frequently formed a point Of
direction, being referred to as "the
Burned War Office"
Following the burning of this build
ing the War Department took up quar-
ters in the building known at the time as
the War and Navy Building, which
stood on the east side of Seventeenth
street between and G streets, it
being sufficiently completed at that
time for the purpose, and here it re-
mained until this structure was Destroy
ed by the British. Following this, the
War Departments first real home, was
begun in 1918 and was occupied two
years later. 1t was located at the south
east corner of Seventeenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue, where it remained
until it was demolished in 1879 to make
way for the present State, War and
Navy Building.
During the Mexican War this building
was naturally very busy place, and
during the Civil War it was 24-hour-
a-day establishment. Here President
Lincoln was frequent visitor upon
tense occasions, when he would go
there to be close to the telegraph Office
or to confer with Simon Cameron, his
Secretary of War. and later, Edwin M.
Stanton, who succeeded to this office
Upon a number of the Presidents
visits to the War Department he was
accompanied by his son Thomas, or
Tad" as he was affectionately called,
1t was in the old War Department
Building that Gen. Robert E. Lee paid
his last visit to Gen. Winfield Scott,
just previous to taking up the cause
of the Confederate States, and it was
here that the last interview took place
between him and Gen. Scott before he
rendered his resignation.
The Navy Department
Benjamin Stoddert, who was the first
Secretary of the Navy, and who filled
that Office from 1898 to 1901, was
resident Of the District of Columbia,
though accredited to Maryland, and
he had under him 16 employees when
he arrived here in June, 1900. At first
the Navy Department took quarters
in the popular "Six Buildings" the site
being more definitely, 2113 Pennsylvania
avenue.
In the spring Of 1901, this depart
ment shared quarters with the War
Department in its new building, and
there it remained until 1914, when this
building among others was burned by
the enemy. It then took up temporary
quarters in Mr.. Mechlin's house near
the West Market, then located on the
corner of Twentieth and I streets, and
upon the reconstruction Of the War
Office, returned there in 1916.
In 1920 the Navy Department moved
into its own building on Seventeenth
street, a rather formidable structure in
its day. And here it remained at least
until 1878, when 1t removed to clear
the site for the south end of the State,
War and Navy Building.
Indeed. marvellous changes have taken
place in the public buildings of the
Nations Capital in the last century and
halt, ands no one can foretell what
the future will be.