Evening star., 1945-07-29
BY John Clagett Proctor

Pennsylvania avenue between Twelfth
and Thirteenth streets, representing
only about one-half of what it is in
hard to believe that it was once crowded
into three rooms, one of them II by q
feet and two smaller ones IS by IA feet
These were on the second floor of a
building on the northwest corner OF
Ninth and E streets, erected by DR.. John
Crocker as a dwelling house.
The total number of employees at that
time, including the Postmaster General
and Andrew Bradley, the assistant was
nine. 1t took a week to prepare the
equipment and move the load and
another week to get things in proper
order. Since Postmaster General Haber-
sham was absent at his home in Geor-
gia, Mr.. Bradley had to look after the
moving, secure quarters and be re-
spensible for everything. And so We
find him writing on June II:
I'VE have not been able to open the
ofice and commence business until this
day. I left Philadelphia Wednesday,
May 81, and arrived on Friday evening,
the 29th The President left Philadel-
phia the 26th and arrived at George
town June /. The situation of the
city is extremely pleasant, and it will
probably become the greatest city in
America"
The First Building
The old building which then occupied
this site, but which has long since been
replaced by the present structures at
this corner, was built by Dr. John
Crocker who bought the ground in
1897. He apparently came here to en-
gage in newspaper work, and started
the Washington Advertiser March g.
1896, the second paper published in the
city, but soon gave up this venture to
devote his time to the practice of medi-
cine.
For a while after it was given up by
the Government it was occupied by
James Mccormick. Joseph Gales, jr.,
editor of the National Intelligencer,
came into possession of it about 1916,
and it became noted as a social as well
as a political center. He removed from
here to his home in lexington August
l5, 1929. At this time he was Mayor of
Washington, having been elected July
2l, 1927, by the Council, to fill the un-
was continued in Office for two years
from June 3. 1928.
Father Matthews of St, Patrick's
Church then occupied the property, and
later it was used by Mrs Burr as a
young ladies seminary, and as board
ing house, conducted by Mrs. M A.
Bannerman and others.
The late Henry E. Davis who was
born in the neighborhood of this early
Post Office Building in 1855, tells us that
it was "a spacious residence with large
yard and outbuildings, such as sta bleS,
a smokehouse and the like, the whole
approximately a square lot extending
from the present Vatoldi Cafe, formerly
the home of DR.. Garnett, to the corner
of E street"
Gannon's Row
A little later, across the street, on the
street side, was Gannons row. con-
sisting of four two-story brick houses,
which were located in the ravine on
that side of E street, though long since
demolished. Up to about the year 1910
long boats, containing some six cords
of wood each, would come up the branch
which ran through this block, during
high tide, within a few feet of this row,
where it was usually disposed of by
their owners.
The water frequently reached the
doorsills of these buildings" we are told,
land on several occasions caused the
inmates to vacate the lower rooms. AS
far up as F street north, during high
tide, herring and other fish have been
caught by gentlemen now living The
four small bricks Immediately around
the corner, on Ninth street, standing
below the pavement, have, for a num-
ber of years, likewise been dignified
with the appellation of Gannon's row."
Upon one occasion, Joseph H. Bradley,
Esq, a native of the District, speak
ing of this locality, said: When I was
resided on E street between Ninth and
Tenth, and I have often seen the tide
above E street and have caught fish
at the culvert, and once assisted in
catching herring at the same place"
However, so far as streams were con-
cerned, the southern part of the pres
ent site of the Post Office Department
in the early days was generally covered
with the overflow of Tber Creek, and
no building was done in this section
for some years after the Government
was moved to Washington, though
buildings on the Pennsylvania avenue
side-in the triangular shaped lot 1872,
now obliterated-began at an earlier
date
In the photograph at the top of this
page both the southeast and southwest
corners of Twelfth and D streets are
shown. The sign on the building at the
southwest corner plainly tells that it is
j. Baiers restaurant, and here fire.
quently came the thirsty gentry of the
city to wet their whistles.
West of Baier's saloon, on D street, is
the old Van Ness property built by
Gen John P. Van Ness and occupied by
Inn and his wife Marcia from 1904
to 1914. Here they entertained many
noted guests, including Washington Irv-
ing, in 1907 and again in 1911. Next