Evening star., 1944-08-27

house its branch of the Government,
which included IS employees. It was
lat feet long and 81 feet inches wide,
and was constructed mainly of brick
(probably taken from the brick kilns
then to the rear of the White House,,
with little sandstone added.
This building was two stories in
height, and. contained Is rooms on
each floor, which was more than ample,
for the personnel then on its rolls,
and for awhile space in the building
was given to the State Department
for its seven employees, and probably
for the Navys Is workers for brief
period. The plans were drawn by
George Hadfleld, and the contract for
erecting 1t was let to Leonard Har-
baugh for $39,511.
A view of the building, as depicted
IN Forces Annals, shows a two-story
structure with large central window
of the dormer type at the roof, whereas
the building that replaced it after the
burning of Washington had basement,
a first and second floor and an attic
with three dormer windows.
First Treasury Building
The first Treasury Building covered
a part of the site Of the present magnifi-
cent structure, its south front being on
line, east and west, with the south
of the White House, and the east front
facing at about F. street.
1t was not a pretentious sort of a
building, though it was greatly in de-
mand when the Government first made
its home in this city. But it was not
destined to be in existence for many
years, as it came very near being de-
stroyed by fire on January 20, 1901,
when 1t was saved by bucket brigade
made up of a number of prominent
public officials.
At this date a fire engine was kept
In the corridor of the building, for we
read that when the War Office was
destroyed by fire few months before
the engine was hurried to that build
ing Significantly, this was the first
fire engine in Washington
1t is also worthy of note that Presi-
dent John Adams is reported to have
been in the line assisting in passing
the fire buckets, until persuaded to
desiSt by his friends. Though, perhaps
by this time the fire was nearly out, as
1t is said to have been confined to rooms
occupied by the auditor, with but
small loss.
When the British came here in 1914
and started their several little bon
fires throughout the city, the original
Treasury Building was designated as
being among the public buildings best
adapted for celebrating the grand en-
trance of Gen. Ross and Admiral Cock
burn into the District of Columbia 1t
is related that after burning the
Treasury Building and the Presidents
Mansion they (the. British) repaired
to the logging home of Mrs. Suter.
where, after extinguishing the lights,
they ate their supper by the blaze of
the burning buildings"
The State Department
The coming here of the State Depart
ment found no building ready for its
eight employees, and it was at first
crowded into the building erected for
the Treasury Department. However,
by August q, 1900, it was moved into
one of the six buildings" of which
the late Allen c. Clark has said in his
Life and Letters of Dolly Madison:
Mr.. Madisons landlord was the firm
Jonah Thompson g. Richard Veitch
merchants, of Alexandria, Va. They
owned (present numbering) 2113, 2109
and 2107 Pennsylvania avenue; from
Georgetown, the third, fifth and sixth
was occupied by Benjamin Stoddert and
used as the Navy Office. The Madisons
likely lived in No. 2113."
Samuel Houston, Governor of Ten
nessee, United States Senator and first
President of Texas, in later years had
his residence where formerly was the
Navy Office, and Richard Rush, the
eminent statesmen, also resided in this
row. In 1901 John Coyle lived in the
end house, nearest Twenty-second
street
Referring to this noted group of
houses-some of which remained until
recently, substantially as they were a
century and quarter ago, of the late
James Croggon, who years ago wrote
many historical stories for The Star,
has this to say:
The most extensive, as we'll as the
first improvement in this section was
the erection of the six buildings on
square IA, north side of Pennsylvania
avenue between TWenty-first and
Twenty streets, which land, early
in the corporate existence of the city,
bore an assessment of 16 cents per foot.
This land was acquired by James Green
leaf in 1894, and two years afterward
he conveyed the land, on which were
the buildings, to Isaac Pollock, while
the rest Of the square was conveyed to
W. M. Duncan and others.
The buildings were occupied before
the end of 1897, for in deed of that
year Capt E. o. Williams house, at
the west end of the row, is spoken of.
Before 1900 the house of R. Dennison,
Jonah Thompson, Phillip Fitzhugh and
DR.. Dinsmore, as well as one occupied by
Mr.. Pollock, are mentioned, and shortly
afterward David Pollock's and James
Duers names are connected with the
property.
"An addition of one house was made
to the row about 1900, William Worth
ington erecting a building at the east
end, similar to the others, of one OF
which he was the owner. The Worth
ington family resided here for halt
copfyrv or moro Thoco bO,,coc II, 1910