Evening star., 1946-01-20


and that connected with the tannery
was a row of low sheds covering huge
vats, with strip fence surrounding the
grounds.
Early Stores
Farther north, where stands Hahn's
shoe store at Seventh and K streets,
once stood T. c. Clark's grocery store
as early as 1860, and on the southeast
corner of this intersection was the wood
and coal yard kept by John Neal and
to which Richard w. Burr succeeded
about 1846. In 1866, Mr. Burr was trad
ing under the name of Burr & Bro.
in the shoe business at 383 Seventh
street (old number), the brother being
Benjamin B. Burr, who then lived on
Eighth street between G and H streets.
However, as shoemaker, Thomas
French was probably the pioneer in this
neighborhood. He lived on the south
east corner of Ninth and K streets,
where he owned a two-story frame
house. He was here prior to 1843.
Burr's Coal Yard
The corner, where was Burr's wood
and coal yard was early purchased by
George W. Utermehle. and here were
erected several low gabled-roofed frame
buildings where Augustus Coppes kept
the Oriental restaurant, and these build
ings later gave way to the present struc-
lures, early occupied by Jackson Bros.
Furniture Co.
South of Mr.. Utermehle's holdings,
on the east side Of Seventh street be-
tween I and K, was owned by Andrew
Rothwell, who worked as a printer at
the case early in his life, and, accord
ing to Mr.. Croggon, who probably knew
him well, "in the '3os he published
q paper and carried on job printing
Office on the Avenue near -Four and
One-Half street"
In 1889, Mr.. Rothwell was elected
collector of taxes, and continued to
I'LL the Office for IL years. At sthis time
he resided on the east side of Seventh
STREET between I and K, but by 1850
he had moved to the northeast corner
of Seventh and I streets, and in 1860
kept fancy goods store in that vicinity.
Six years later he was clerk in the
Navy Department.
His earlier activities included the pub
fishing of the Washington City Chron-
icle, with T. w. Ustick, for a brief
perioe, about 1923 to 1929. A few years
later he prepared the third digest
Of the laws of the corporation of Wash
ington. That he rendered service to
the Temperance cause is evident from
the fact that in 1880 he was vice presi-
dent Of the Franklin Temperance
Society.
Third Baptist Church
Mr.. Rothwen prospered and accumu-
lated what was fortune in his day,
and when the Third Baptist Church
was organized, in 1843, he gave the
lot upon which the church building
was erected, on the south side of E
street, between Sixth and Seventh
streets, in 1846. And it still stands
However. it has long since gone into
other hands. Though Its official name
was the Third Baptist Church, or "Dr.
Sili4SAA AO1 .EtCf. NJSUfSS
W. Samson was its first pastor and
served as such until 1859, when he
became president Of Columbian College
eaow George Washington University.
Incidentally the writer always thinks
kindly Of DR.. Samson because he per-
formed the marriage ceremony for his
parents
Andrew Rothwell was member of
the Association Of the Oldest Inhabi-
tants at the time of his death.
Port Royal Tract
When the city was first laid out the
immediate vicinity of Massachusetts
avenue and Seventh street belonged
to Dominick Lynch and Comfort Sands
and was part of large tract Of land
known as Port Royal. These men, we
are told, had log house In the square
bounded by Sixth and Seventh, L and