Evening star., 1949-04-17
The Light Infantry Armory
D, John Claoetf Proctor

Back in the issos the buildings
In the triangular block between Z
street and Pennsylvania avenue
and Fourteenth and Fifteenth
streets were removed for the paT
pose, IL vas said. 10 turn the area
into q park. 50 that there would
be no obstruction 10 the view from
the north Of the Department. OF
Commerce Building. And. o!
course. IN d short while such well
known landmarks as the Wash
ington Light Infantry Armory
Building. which for years housed
Albsugh's Grand Opera House
and Polls Theater. and the Corn
well Building on the avenue SIDE
where members Of the Grand Army
Of the Republic met. and other
buildings In the block were re-
moved.
Few of us will ever FORGET the
Grand Army Reunion Of 1881
when. on the 10th Of September.
30 900 sturdy veterans marched up
Pennsylvania avenue and were re-
viewed by President BENJAMIN
Harrison. himself An oticer In the
War between the States. That
was more than 56 years ago. but
the writer remembers II well. for
1t was the longest parade he ever
saw in Washington.
His seat on this occasion was q
camp stool. which he placed next
to the ropes on the north side OF
Pennsylvania avenue between
Twelfth and Thirteenth streets,
Here he remained nearly all day.
from 8 am. until late In the after
noon. seeing nothing but veterans
and more, veterans. and when he
left at pm. they were sull
marching by.
Today the soldiers OF the Blue
and the Gray are nearly all gone.
Moved to Cornwell Building
As in 1888. and for several years
afterward, the headquarters OF the
Department of the Potomac. GAR.
was in the Lincoln Music Hall
Building at Ninth and . streets
NV. However. 1t could not have
been long after 1886 when a num-
Der Of the posts moved into the
Cornwell Building at l4l2-l4
Pennsylvania avenue.
The Cornwells were not what
we would call early owners in this
avenue block. the first transfer Of
realty to o member Of this family
was not made until about 1878.
when Thomas c. Mclaughlin and
Thomas c. Wilson transferred to
Douglas Cornwell the eastern half
OF lot S. fronting n feet 8 inches
on E street. to . depth Of s5 feet
to an alley. Then. In 1875. Doug
las Cornwell and John c. Wilson
transferred title to George @.
Cornwell. Apparently the re-
mainder OF lot 5-the west half
became the property Of Gilbert
Cornwell soon afterward. being
transferred to him by Thomas A.
Mclaughlin and Thomas c. VIII
son. al
Ground was broken on April 10.
1884. for the Light Infantry Build
ing. the cornerstone being laid IL
days later, and its theater was
opened November 10. 1884. with
Emma Abbott in "Semiramide. "
before an unusually large and dis
Itinguished audience. Naturally. the
idea Of the infantry was to pro-
vide itself with, suitable quarters
for It's meetings and its drills. and.
Of course. the theater was added
to help bear the heavy expense
which the members knew they
would be under. .. s.
Public. Supported Fairs
The best people in the city were
members Of the Light Infantry.
and their uniform and drilling and
their soldierly bearing Just nat
urally captivated all Of Washing
ton. Their enterprise In erecting
this expensive structive was ap-
plauded. and when they later re-
sorted to giving fairs to help pay
their indebtedness. the citizens re-
sponded freely as the Washington
public Is known to 90 on every
worthy occasion.
At the time the building Was
completed. one Of the original
members Of the Infantry. In giving
his "reminiscences OF the old corps.
said:
The Infantry was not Just
home guard made up Of gentlemen
soldiers, as some might suppose.
but quite o number Of the Older
members had smelled powder dur
ing the Civil War In many OF the
big engagements and were ready
to turn out again II the occasion
had arisen.
Capt. w. w. Moore. the father
Of the present popular commander