Evening star., 1945-06-10
Along Early Downtown F Street

Many important events took place In
the old Willard Hall. notably the peace
conference of February !. 1861. presided
over by ex-President Tyler For many
years it was a favorite place for con-
certs, and Blind Tom frequently ap-
peared here. Later, one of the first
moving picture was shown in the build
ing. The west end of the Willard oc-
cupies the site.
In 1900, on the square to the north.
In addition to those mentioned, Charles
shoemaker lived in a two-story frame
house
Capitol Theater Block
During the same year, we are told,
there were six houses in the block in
which the Capitol Theater now stands.
One OF these, a two-story frame was
occupied by Clotworthy Stephenson;
Mr.. Bolts occupied a two-story frame
as tavern, and about this period David
Craufurd built double brick house ad-
joining the corner where now stands
the Press Club Building. Craufurds
daughter, Sarah c.. married Richard
Forrest, to whose heirs the property
descended, and it is said the garden
attached to this home extended nearly
to Pennsylvania avenue
The southwest corner OF Thirteenth
and streets was also early built up
with a three-story building and occu-
pied as tavern 1t was from an upper
window of this house that a colored
female slave jumped and injured herself
critically toward the close of the war
of l8l2-1s15.
Nearby to the west Aaron Burr Is
said to have once lived but whether he
did or did not the writer has never
been able to determine to his own sat-
isfaction.
The Old Ebbitt House
On the southeast corner of Fourteenth
and F streets stood for many years,
and until 1925, the Ebbitt House where
many prominent men made their
home, and along the east side of Four
teenth street to the avenue was the
famous newspaper row. Opposite the
Ebbitt, on the northeast corner, stood
Dr. Stones residence. until replaced by
the Westory Building
DR.. William Thornton, after remov-
ing from Georgetown, resided for a
number of years, and until his death,
at 1881 F street, and at 1885 John
Quincy Adams from about 1917 and
until he became President. On the
same side of the street between Twelfth
and Thirteenth streets, at this early
date, lived Lewis Clephane, Samuel
Mcpherson, Mr.. Bond, stonecutter,
and David Tweedy.
In the block between Eleventh and
Twelfth streets, south side, resided a
Mr.. Scott, while in the block to the
north were the homes of Robert Brown,
Mrs Wilson and Mr.. Mcdaniel.
In the block where Woodward &
Lothrop's building now stands were
homes OF a Mr.. Crawford, a constable,
and Mr.. Person, and Presbyterian
Church, with st. Patrick's Church.
near the southeast corner of Tenth
and F streets. In the block which faces
the present Catholic edifice was the
old st. Vincent's Orphan Asylum, estab-
lished by Father Matthews under the
Sisters Of Charity.
St. Patrick's Church
st. Patricks Church had very early
beginning in the new city. possibly as
far back as 1892, when Father Caffrey,
its founder, is believed to have come
here at the invitation of his friend and
fellow countryman, James Hoban, archi-
tect of the White House The ground
upon which the old church stood and
where the present structure now stands,
was purchased on April II, 1894, by
the same Father Anthony Caffrey, who
erected at first frame structure, which
about 1904 was replaced with a brick
building.
James Hoban was buried in st. Pat
rick's Cemetery, which was also in the
square between Ninth and Tenth and
F and G streets, but now rests in Mount
Olivet Cemetery on the Bladensburg
road. Father Caffrey returned to Ire
land and in all probability died there.
The; late Henry E. Davis, in writing