Evening star., 1947-08-17

~ which adjoins Arlington Gem
- etery, has been abandoned fol
~ q veterans hospital, the
grounds of the old Naval Oh.
servatory have been suggested as 9
substitute location. And this his
toric site would certainly seem .tc
have many ideal advantages for
hospital such as the Government
proposes to erect In this city OF
nearby.
This particular location is bounded
by Twenty-third, Twenty-flfth ane
e streets, and extends south to Con-
stitution avenue, though originally
the river was its southern terminus
AS the city was originally laid out
this area became reservation No
4, and 1t was this site that met with
Gen. George Washington's prefer
ence as the location for national
university, and for which he pro-
vided for literally in his will, saying
In part: II give and bequeath In
perpetuity the so shares which
I hold In the Potomac Co.
toward the endowment of univer-
sity to be established within the
limits of the District of Columbia
under the auspices of the General
Government, If that Government
should incline to extend fostering
hand towards It," etc.
The par value of each share at
the time Is said to have been $444
and Gen. Washington was under the
impression that by 1877 this stock
would amount to 1900 or /, 500 pounds
sterling, and to increase in value
rapidly. Unfortunately. however,
when Washington's will was pro-
bated the Potomac stock proved
practically, If not entirely, valueless,
and the Government has never de-
cided to have q national university
Of Its own.
Project q Failure.
And, In this connection, after
IS years of experience and the ex-
penditure OF large sums Of money,
the improvement project of the
Potomac Co. was pronounced a fail
ure, and at meeting, held IN
Semmes' Tavern in Georgetown,
D. c., May 16, 1925, a deed was ex-
ecuted conveying all property rights
and privileges of the Potomac Co.
to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Co.
However, Gen. Washington looked
with favor upon this section Of the
city, and purchased for himself all
of q square bounded by Twenty
NTH, Twenty sixth, D and E streets.
The earliest historic incident at
tached to Camp or Observatory Hill
was when some of Gen. Edward
Braddocks troops are said by some
writer's to have encamped here on
April IL, TITS, when on their way
to Fort Duquesne. Nearby Camp
Hill there was what early became
known as the key of all Keys" and
later on, as Braddock's Rock.
Mystery of the Rock.
OF course, 1t must be admitted
that the question of whether Brad
docF did or did not land upon this
rock, or encamp upon the Observa-
tory grounds, is certainly a de-
batable one. Forty-one years ago
the matter was discussed by the AS
soeiation Of the Oldest Inhabitants
and it was agreed by the best in
formed members, that a scouting
party did land upon the rock, but
thai the main body Of troops en-
tered through the mouth Of Rock
Greek. camping in the vicinity OF
the banks of that stream.
The first Marines to come to the
District of Columbia arrived In
Georgetown On Friday, July 10, 1900
and remained here q short while
when, on July 81, they came to
Washington and pitched their tents
on beautiful hill overlooking the
Potomac" 1t. Col. william Ward
Burrows, the commandant Of the
corps at that time, arrived In
Georgetown on July Is, and two
weeks later proceeded with the mer
to the temporary site selected. Here