Evening star., 1948-06-20
BY John cioqett Proctor

harbor, the great fishing industry
along the Potomac, the fur trade
and later the shipping Of farm
products, especially tobacco, brought
to the wharves Of this old town
craft from all over the world, which
not only came here laden with for
eign cargoes, but returned with ar
ticles for which there was a demand
in foreign countries. A foreign flag
on our water front is now q novel
ty; a hundred years and more ago
the harbor at Georgetown. like the
one at Alexandria, was not complete
unless = dozen or more fa9s OF
Europe were flying to the breeze
and as the town increased In I'm
portance and population, 50 did the
vessels moored to the wharves find
a ready market for their cargoes.
Mount Alto Grounds
The history Of the hospital
grounds, according to Mrs. Benja-
min Hunt, once belonged to her
father-in- law, also named Benja-
min Hunt. Here there were several
veins OF good sand, one vein almost
white, which was sold to builders
and others by Mr.. Hunt. Mrs.
Hunt, ST., was a Miss Britt. and her
grandfather, ]. Britt, was a large
property and land owner hereabout
and his name appears on the
Boschke map Of 1856-1859, as en-
graved in 1861.
The original building Of Mount
Alto Hospital, after being used for
residential purposes, was subse-
quently used as a school for do
mestic science. and . hotel, known
as Mount Alto Inn, was later con-
Quoted here. In 1919 the Govern
ment leased the property and es-
-tablished there an emergency hos
pital for veterans. Later. in June
1920, the Government purchased
the building apd II acres for $3.50
600, and the name was changed tc
Veterans Hospital No. %. Its
present location Is designated u
1850 Wisconsin avenue.
The first wharf erected in George
town-or anywhere in the District Of
Columbia, so far Is known-was
provided for by the town corpora
ton in 1852, which met on August
3, with Messrs. Clagett, Magruder
Lynn and Robert Peter being pres
ent. They resolved that the
money on hand or what part
there Of Is Necessary to build Q
wharf be applied for that purpose,
and do order that their clerk ad-
vertise In the Maryland Gazette
that they will meet at the house OF
Joseph Belt, in said town, on the
first Tuesday in October next. to
treat with any person or persons
that will contract for the building
q wharf"
On October 5. Tuesday, two months
later, "the Commissioners agreed
with Simon Nichols to build at the
end of Water street (now High
street,, and carried thence 60 feet
wide into the river, so as to have 10
feet of water at the front. in low
tide. The work was to be done to the
satisfaction of the workmen inde-
pendently chosen II any dispute
should happen when the whole work
is finished by the first day Of Sep
tember, which shall be in the year
1853"
A good and sumcient crane was to
ne erected at the front Of the wharf
and Mr.. Nichols was given until
the first day Of November to furnish
it. BY 1766, the wharf had evil
IDENTIFY suffered some damage from
ice foes and freshets, for it wa
thought necessary to make some re-
pairs to it and also that changes be
made to make 1t more convenient
for securing the craft while they are
loading and unloading"
The specifications for this wharf
in mart state.