USA > Washington DC > Washington DC > Centennial history of the city of Washington, D. C. With full outline of the natural advantages, accounts of the Indian tribes, selection of the site, founding of the city to the present time > Part 19
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It will be apparent to anyone who considers all the circumstances surrounding these beginnings of the city of Washington, that its early inhabitants must necessarily have been only those who were attracted by the operations of the Government, and, at the outset, particularly with reference to the erection of the public buildings. It is true, there may have been a few attracted to the city by the prospect it afforded for speculation in the purchase of lots in the new city. It may have been that a number of persons who were connected with the General Government were at that early day induced to select places for their future residences in part with a view to convenience and the further view of their possible speculative value. It may be that there were persons induced by the hope that the future Capital would offer a place for investments of various kinds, and that all of these classes sought to become inhabitants of the future city. But however all this may have been, we know from the history of the times that for years the population of the city was very sparse and limited in numbers, and confined almost exclusively to the persons and their families who were in one way or another employed by the General Government.
It is matter of fact, too, that several attempts made toward the improvement of the city by the ercetion of dwelling houses in any considerable number with the view of making profit of them by renting them to the citizens of the town, ended in failure. The history of the times plainly shows that the earliest improvements of any account were made at what was known as Greenleaf's Point, and
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that as early as 1800 those who write about the city of Washington speak of the houses erected in this locality as the handsomest and most commodious in the city. This seems remarkable at this day, because these buildings have been for many years mere ruins, and the places they occupied are so remote from the present residence portions of the city that it is surprising to us that such buildings should have been erected. Not very remote from this section of the city, too, were the buildings on what was known as "Twenty Build- ing Hill," about which there is a legend that a row of houses was built which were never occupied, and soon fell into ruin. All these buildings of which we have spoken were erected in the direction at least of the Capitol building. Perhaps this was because, as in the early years of our history Congress had been by far the most impor- tant part of the Government, it was thought the Capitol would be the center of the Federal City, and for that reason the tendency of interest was in that direction. In this connection it may not be amiss to state that the President of the United States himself selected a site and erected a building in the neighborhood of the Capitol, which was afterward known for many years as the "Washington Property," and is pointed out to-day to strangers as the house built by General Washington. In this neighborhood, too, were several other old resi- dences. The Chief Justice of the District of Columbia, William Cranch, the clerk of the local courts, and several other notables resided in this locality.
On New Jersey Avenue, south of the Capitol, a number of fine old residences existed in that early day. Among them was that of Dr. Frederick May, the leading physician of the city, and a building occupied by one of the local banks. For many years after the organ- ization of the local courts of the District of Columbia they occupied buildings near the Capitol. But notwithstanding this apparent, or perhaps we ought to say real, tendency of improvement in the direction of the Capitol building, for some reason, of which mention need not be made here, the real progress of the city took another direction, and passing over the difficulties that existed in the road between the Capitol and the President's residence, the city soon began to make the most rapid progress in the location or vicinity of the presidential mansion. A row of houses known as the "Six Buildings" was among the first indications of this progress, and another row known as the "Seven Buildings" was erected. Then came O'Neil's hotel, known in later times as Gadsby's Row, and several others of minor importance erected in this neighborhood. Pennsylvania Avenue,
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the great thoroughfare between the Capitol and the President's House, seemed to offer the most advantageous location for the erection of houses of business, and before long this street, which L'Enfant had selected as the grand passageway between the legislative and executive departments, notwithstanding its line lay through what seemed to be an impenetrable morass and swamp, gave promise of being what he said it must be, a fine avenue. The effect of all this was that the business portion of the city soon began to be established on this avenue, and the city grew fast along this line which connected the two residence portions of the city, the one in the vicinity of the Capi- tol, the other in the vicinity of the presidential mansion, and the streets adjoining it, more particularly to the north. This then became the section of the city first built up by those seeking residences here, more particularly those connected with the Government.
At this early time, as may readily be conjectured, there were com- paratively few residences of special note, size, or elegance; but there were some of such beauty of design as to merit particular men- tion. One of the earliest houses built in the city of Washington was the residence of Colonel John Taylor, at the intersection of New York Avenue and Eighteenth Street. It was erected by Colonel Tayloe at the suggestion of President Washington, his personal friend, who subsequently watched the progress of the work when he visited the embryo city. This house was so erected as to face the Arlington House, on the opposite side of the river. It is in shape an octagon, and has always been known by that name. It still stands, but is now a ruin. Notwithstanding, however, its present dilapidation, it will pay anyone interested in such matters to examine the beauty and completeness of its interior arrangement.
Another house erected in those early days was the mansion of General Van Ness, on what was known as Mansion Square, near the river at the foot of Seventeenth Street. This house was, when it was first erected, pronounced the most elegant private mansion in the country. It was designed by Latrobe, and cost its owner a very large sum.
Mr. Benjamin O. Tayloe, son of Colonel John Taylor, writing about the city of Washington in 1800, makes use of the following language, which may appropriately be introduced in this connection :
"I came to Washington in 1801, and remember it literally as rus in urbe, containing but a few thousand inhabitants scattered about in single houses apart from each other or in occasional groups, chiefly in the vicinity of the public buildings, from Georgetown to the Navy
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Yard. There was scarcely any pavement, except in front of detached houses. The distinguished John Cotton Smith told me that when he was a Senator from Connecticut he attended President Adams's levee in Washington, in 1801, and that members of Congress living, like himself, on Capitol Hill, found it necessary to send to Baltimore for hackney coaches to convey them to the President's House; and to avoid the swamps of Pennsylvania Avenue, they had to travel along F Street and the high grounds adjoining. During Mr. Monroe's administration I have seen carriages mired in Pennsylvania Avenue, even then almost impassable, the city at that time not having less than ten thousand inhabitants. During my childhood, the Navy, War, and Post Office departments and the city post office were in one building on the site of the present War Department. That was sunk to the eves in a hollow prepared for it to make it on a level, as now, with the State and Treasury departments. Between the latter and the Capitol, its two wings only erected, there was but one building on Pennsylvania Avenue, then used as an apothecary shop, at the corner of Ninth Street, a small frame building built for public convenience by Dr. Bullus, of the navy, who was stationed at the Navy Yard."
In sketching the improvements of the early days of Washington it seems to be every way proper to make mention of those historical mansions within a short distance of the presidential residence which still give evidence of the taste displayed by our ancestors in the erection and arrangement of their homes. In describing these houses we shall be pardoned if we confine ourselves to the houses built around what is known as Lafayette Square, directly in front of and forming a part of the grounds of the President's Mansion.
The first private house erected on this square was known as the Decatur Ilouse. It was erected by Commodore Decatur. It is an elegant house to-day, and has been the residence, at different times, of some of the most distinguished men of the country. After the mel- ancholy death of Commodore Decatur, it was occupied by the British minister, Mr. Stratford Canning, afterward Lord Stratford de Redeliffe. It was afterward occupied by the Russian minister, by Mr. Van Buren when he was Secretary of State, and by Sir Charles Vaughn, the British minister. After this, it became the property of Mr. John Gadsby, and after being his residence for some time, it was occupied by the brothers King, sons of Rufus King, and then by Vice-President George M. Dallas. It was subsequently occupied by HIon. Judah P. Benjamin, since then well known as one of the chiefs of the Southern Confederacy.
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Almost directly opposite the Decatur House is the house which was for so long a time the residence of Mr. W. W. Corcoran, and where he ended his days. It was erected by Thomas Swann, formerly of Alexandria, one of whose sons was at one time governor of Maryland, and the other a distinguished physician at Philadelphia. It was for some time the residence of Baron Krudener, the Russian minister, and it was afterward the residence of Hon. Aaron Vail, Charge d' Affaires at London, England, during the negotiations which resulted in the securing of the Smithson bequest. Mr. Webster, when Secretary of State under General Harrison, occupied this house, and when he vacated it, it became the property of Mr. Corcoran. While in his possession, during his absence in Europe, it was occupied by the Marquis de Montholon, Minister of France to the United States.
Situated on this square and fronting its northeast corner is what has always been known as the Madison House, now owned and occu- pied by the Cosmos Club. It was the residence of Mrs. Madison, the relict of President Madison. It was built by the Hon. Richard Cutts, formerly member of Congress from the district of Maine. This house was the property for many years of Admiral Wilkes, who commanded the great exploring expedition sent out by our Government in 1838. Ile died in this house.
Near this mansion is the house of Colonel Benjamin Ogle Tayloe, now the residence of Senator Cameron, of Pennsylvania, and which has been for the greater part of half a century the scene of magnificent hospitality.
Next to this is the house built by Commodore Rogers, which was the residence of Roger B. Taney while he was Secretary of the Treasury, and of Mr. Paulding when Secretary of the Navy. During the War it was occupied by Secretary Seward, and it was in this house that the attack was made upon the Secretary and his son, Frederick W. Seward, at the time of the assassination of President Lincoln. It is at the present time owned and occupied as a residence by IIon. James G. Blaine, Secretary of State.
On the north side of the square stands the mansion built by Matthew St. Clair Clarke, at one time clerk of the House of Repre- sentatives, and which to-day is one of the handsomest residences in the city. This house was occupied at one time by Lord Ashburton, Special Ambassador from Great Britain, and at another time by Sir Henry Bulwer, the British minister. It was also the residence of Mr. George Riggs, and later of Mr. Meredith, when Secretary of the Treasury.
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Not far from this mansion, on the same side of the square, is the house in which Thomas Ritchie, the great editor, had his home. Mr. John Slidell, Senator from Louisiana, afterward distinguished in Confederate annals, occupied this house, and Mr. Welles, while he was Secretary of the Navy, made it his residence.
Withont dwelling further on the particular improvements of Washington in the early day, it may be sufficient to give here such statistics as are accessible concerning the improvements made for a period of years reaching up to about the year 1850.
According to John Sessford, a citizen of Washington who made the collection of such statistics a specialty, the number of houses and other buildings erected in the years from 1819, when he counted them himself, to 1853, both years inclusive, was as follows:
In 1819, there were 2,028 houses, and 129 other shops and other buildings; in 1820, there were erected 113 houses and 9 shops; in 1821, 90 houses; in 1822, 113 houses, 7 shops, and 6 additions; in 1823, 69 houses, 7 shops, and 9 additions; in 1824, 49 houses, 6 shops, and 8 additions; in 1825, 68 houses, 15 shops, and 10 additions; in 1826, 102 houses, 23 shops, and 15 additions; in 1827, 123 houses, 25 shops, and 23 additions; in 1828, 158 houses, 23 shops, and 24 additions; in 1820, 148 houses, 15 shops, and 17 additions. The total number of houses, etc., erected in Washington during the decade ending in 1829 was 1,033 houses, 130 shops, and 112 additions.
In 1830, the number of houses erected was 178, shops 24, and additions 14; in 1831, 148 houses and 38 shops; in 1832, 62 houses and 12 shops; in 1833, 72 houses, 12 shops, and 12 additions; in 1834, 63 houses, 11 shops, and 7 additions; in 1835, 42 houses, 10 shops, and 18 additions; in 1836, 41 houses, 15 shops, and 15 additions; in 1837, 63 houses, 18 shops, and 9 additions; in 1838, 85 houses, 21 shops, and 9 additions; in 1839, 141 houses, 12 shops, and 14 additions. Total number of houses, etc., erected in Washington during the ten years ending in 1839, was, houses, 895; shops, 173, and additions, 98.
In 1840, there were erected 178 houses, 13 shops, and 14 additions; in 1841, 216 houses, 23 shops, and 13 additions; in 1842, 295 houses, 14 shops, and 21 additions; in 1843, 322 houses, 10 shops, and 23 addi- tions; in 1844, 357 houses, 18 shops, and 24 additions; in 1845, 338 houses, 28 shops, and 24 additions; in 1846, 208 houses, 16 shops, and 17 additions; in 1847, 128 houses, 6 shops, and 9 additions; in 1848, 141 houses, 11 shops, and 29 additions; in 1849, 184 houses, 9 shops, and 17 additions. Total number of houses, etc., erected during the ten years, 2,367 houses, 148 shops, and 191 additions.
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In 1850, there were erected 292 houses, 25 shops, and 24 additions; in 1851, 453 houses, 28 shops, and 44 additions; in 1852, 632 houses, 19 shops, and 3 additions; in 1853, 556 houses, 22 shops, and 51 additions.
In 1850, according to Mr. Sessford, there was erected the first four-story building in Washington, and during the year there were erected 10 of these buildings. In 1851, there was erected 1 four-story building; in 1852, 25; and in 1853, 28.
By wards the number of houses erected was as follows: From 1819 to 1829, First Ward, 129; Second Ward, 251; Third Ward, 474; Fourth Ward, 68; Fifth Ward, 38; Sixth Ward, 73; total, 1,033.
From 1829 to 1839, First Ward, 141; Second Ward, 226; Third Ward, 296; Fourth Ward, 46; Fifth Ward, 175; Sixth Ward, 11; total, 895.
From 1839 to 1849, First Ward, 364; Second Ward, 472; Third Ward, 907; Fourth Ward, 217; Fifth Ward, 175; Sixth Ward, 123; Seventh Ward, 109; total, 2,367.
From 1849 to 1853, First Ward, 227; Second Ward, 342; Third Ward, 291; Fourth Ward, 390; Fifth Ward, 150; Sixth Ward, 104; Seventh, 429; total, 1,933.
In what we have said so far we have attempted to show the beginnings of this great enterprise of founding a capital city and its gradual progress through its early history to the date last mentioned. It will not be permissible to omit some notice of the fact that in the year 1814 this Capital City was invaded by the British troops and its public buildings destroyed by those ruthless invaders. The details of this attack upon the city of Washington will be related in another part of this work. Suffice it to say here, that not only were these buildings that had cost so much time and treasure in their erection destroyed so as to make them of little or no use for the purposes for which they had been constructed, but the question immediately arose as to whether they should be reconstructed at all or not. It is not material to our purpose in this history to recount here the various arguments that were used both for and against the permanency of the establishment of the Capital City. These debates were but a renewal of the controversy that existed at the time of the foundation of the eity. A long struggle ensued, but it was finally determined to reconstruct the Federal buildings, and to continue the seat of govern- ment at the spot originally selected for its permanent residence. All this, of course, had the effect to retard seriously the progress, or in other words the growth and improvement, of the city of Washington. As far as we can ascertain from the records of those times, little or
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nothing was done toward the improvement of the streets and thor- oughfares of the city, except by the Government authorities themselves in and about the public reservations and buildings. The streets were generally left in the condition of country roads or lanes, and were not at all in keeping with the dignity of the Federal City. The city, so far as its internal affairs were concerned, was in the hands of a local government consisting of a Mayor and two boards, one of aldermen and the other of councilmen, elected by the people, as has been related in another chapter of this history. Their powers and resources were altogether insufficient for purposes other than those pertaining to an inconsequential town.
In 1820, Congress granted a new charter to the city of Wash- ington, by which it repealed all acts of incorporation theretofore granted, and enacted that the commissioners of the public buildings and other persons appointed to superintend disbursements in the city of Washington should reimburse to the city a proportion of the expenses incurred in improving any of the streets or avenues bordering upon or joining any of the public squares or buildings, and cause the sidewalks to be furnished with curbs and paved footways, whenever the corporation should direct such improvements to be made by the proprietors of the lots on the opposite side of the street or avenne, and directing also that such officer should defray such expense out of moneys arising from the sale of lots in the city of Washington belonging to the United States.
It will be seen from this that the provision made for the improve- ment of the streets, avenues, and sidewalks of the city of Washington at that early day was conditioned on the fact that the street to be improved bordered upon public reservations or other publie property, and that the money used for such improvement was raised from the sale of lots reserved to the Government. The law in this respect remained in this condition for many years, and it is safe to say that there was no improvement to speak of in the city of Washington for many years after it was established.
In 1830, Congress took steps toward such an improvement of Pennsylvania Avenue as would make it a proper and convenient thoroughfare between the Capitol and the presidential mansion. A resolution to that effect was passed by the House of Representatives, and the Committee of the District of Columbia was instructed to inquire into the expediency of making provision for the repair and improvement of this avenue on the macadam or some other permanent plan. The committee to which this matter was referred made a report
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to the House of Representatives at the first session of the Twenty- first Congress, accompanied by a bill providing for the improvement of the avenue in question. It is significant in this connection that, in in this report, the committee used the following language:
"In reply to the suggestion which may perhaps be made, that the city of Washington ought to execute this work for its own accommodation, your committee beg leave to make a few remarks, in addition to the facts above stated, in relation to the importance of the work to the General Government. This city is already suffering under a burden of local taxation, more severe perhaps than any other portion of the country, and is therefore unable to incur so great an expense.
"At any rate, under their circumstances, their necessity for the proposed improvement does not justify the expenditure.
"Some of the causes of this oppressive state of things will be found in the fact that the Government has extensive domains in the city exempt from taxation, and in the embarrassment arising from the peculiar and unfortunate condition in which this entire district is placed. In connection with this it should not be forgotten how much the public lands here have been augmented in value by those exten- sive city improvements which have contributed largely to the existing burthens of the people. The extended scale upon which the Govern- ment originally laid out the city, and the number and width of its streets, have also greatly increased its expenses.
" Believing there has been some misapprehension in the public mind in regard to the amount of Government expenditures for the benefit of this District, compared with the amount of money received from the sale of land therein, beyond its cost, and the value of lands still unsold, your committee have thought proper to procure a state- ment of facts relating to this subject, which is hereto annexed.
"From this statement it appears that there has already been received, from the sale of public lands in this District, beyond the cost of all the lands purchased by the Government, the sum of $696,618.68; that the estimated cash value of lands still unsold amounts to $1,091,174.09, making in the whole $1,787,792.77.
" All the appropriations of money by Congress for the benefit of this District, independent of the public buildings for the General Government, amount to $186,860.48; of this sum there has been appro- priated for a penitentiary, a courthouse, and jails, $144,295.79. There are many other considerations which might be presented to show that the General Government ought to exercise a liberal spirit toward this
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District; but they will be reserved for a more important occasion, when its general concerns shall be exhibited in pursuance of another resolu- tion of this Ilouse."
It is within the memory of many of the present inhabitants of this city that this project for the improvement of Pennsylvania Avenue was carried into effect, and that great thoroughfare was improved upon the plan of Macadam from the gates of the Capitol to the President's House. But it is worthy of remark that even in making this improvement Congress manifested how little the responsibility of the Government was realized in respect to its duty in the matter of improving the Capital City.
In 1835, a report was made by Senator Southard, of the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia, which is such a full exposition of the affairs of the District that an abstract of it is appropriate here. The report called the attention of the Senate to the fact that the city of Washington was then involved in pecuniary obligations from which it was utterly impossible that it could extricate itself by any means within its own control, or by any exertions which it might make, unaided by Congressional legislation. Its actual debts amounted then to $1,806,442.59, and according to the committee's view there was danger that the city might be driven to a surrender of its charter, and then be thrown entirely upon Congress for its support. A por- tion of the debt of the city had been incurred by its investment in the stock of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and as the debt thus incurred must soon be discharged, and as the creditors were foreign bankers, they would in all probability become the owners of a large proportion of the property within the limits of the Capital.
Besides this, the people had done what they could to improve the streets; but owing to the unusual extent and magnitude of the plan of the city and the width of the streets and avenues, when compared with the entire number of the inhabitants, then numbering but little more than twenty thousand, little, comparatively, had been accom- plished. The avennes varied in width from 160 feet down to 120 feet, and the streets, from 147 feet down to 80 feet; and the avenues and streets that had to be opened and repaired in order to fill up the plan of the city, extended to a distance of more than 60 miles. Upon the streets there had been expended since the year 1800 an average annual sum of $13,000, besides an equal amount assessed upon the citizens for gutters, pavements, etc. This expenditure made upon the streets was undoubtedly one of the principal causes of embar- rassment to the city, and according to the committee making this
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