USA > Washington DC > Washington DC > Historical sketches of the ten miles square forming the District of Columbia : with a picture of Washington, describing objects of general interest or curiosity at the metropolis of the Union. > Part 7
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91
Late Potomac Co .- Acknowledgement.
pany, in due pursuance and execution of the power and au- thority vested in the said President and Dircetors by the said Company as aforesaid.
J. MASON, JONAH THOMPSON, JOHN LAIRD, C. SMITH.
Sealed and delivered in the presence of W. CRANCH, ROBERT BARNARD, Sec. Pot. Co.
District of Columbia, to wit:
Be it known, that, on this fifteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and twenty-eight, before the subscriber, William Cranch, Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia, personally appear the above- named John Mason, President, and Jonah Thompson, John Iwird, and Clement Smith, Directors of the said Company, heing a majority of the said President and Directors of the Potomac Company, and before me execute and acknowledge the foregoing deed or instrument of writing, as and for the act and deed of the said Potomac Company, duly executed and delivered by them, on the considerations and for the pur- poses therein set forth, according to the true intent, meaning, And purport, of the same; W. CRANCH.
92
Washington-Location.
TIIE CITY OF WASHINGTON.
It is certain that the rare judgment of General Washington was peculiarly well illustrated in the selection of the scite of this metropolitan city, which will continue to bear his immortal name to endless ages. It is also certain, as stated at the commencement of these sketches, that he bes- towed great personal labour and pains, before he de- termined on the position where the city is located; and probably no selection could have been found, in the ten miles square, more excellent or judicious. Its central situation ; the romantic and picturesque beauty of the site and environs; the general salu. brity of its climate: and the excellence of its wa- ter-all combine to render it the most desirable spot in the United States. It comprises a square of four miles in extent, and is watered by the Po- tomac and Anacostia rivers; which add to its na- tural beauty, and will contribute to the facility and prosperity of its commerce. There are on each side of these rivers, and, indeed, in almost every possible direction, the most beautiful eleva- tions, calculated for the residence of private gen- tlemen, or those who may wish to retire from the bustle of a city. These heights command exten- sive and variegated prospects of the District-of
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93
Washington- Approach.
the surrounding country, and the windings of the majestic Potomac, as far as the eye can reach, while their convenience to the Capitol, Govern- mental Departments, and the society of enlight- ened legislators and statesmen, the neighboring towns of the District, enable them to afford every advantage and pleasure that can result from a union of city and country, and intellectual enjoy- ments.
The society of Washington partakes of all the hues of " many colored life," from the highest polish of polite France to the rude dignity of un- tutored nature. Parties, during the winter months are numerous and well attended by all that are or wish to be thought fashionable, and these tend to bring together many who might not otherwise have an opportunity of mingling with each other. The amusements during the winter are so diversified and the society so good that none can feel at a loss for the one, or be dissatisfied with the other. - The transition is easy from the exhibitions of par- Hamentary eloquence, in the halls of Congress, to those of forensic eloquence, in the highest judi- cial tribunal of the country; and from these again to the less instructive but more amusing displays of colloquial power in the fashionable assemblies of the evening.
The approach to the City from the Baltimore road, by Bladensburgh, is not wholy uninteresting.
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Washington-Approach.
The bridge, the ill-fated battle ground, the orchard where the artillery was planted, the open space where Barney bravely resisted, the mounds that cover the promiscuous ashes of the slain-the duelling ground where Decatur fell-are not with- out interest to the traveller passing on in thi direction, towards the national metropolis.
The best bird's eye view of the City is from an elevated ridge near the Potomac Bridge, where the eye surveys the lofty hills at a dis- tance, forming the background on the Virginia side-the public buildings, and most of the . houses of the city in front, and the river rolling in majesty on the left.
On contemplating this view, a late traveller emphatically remarked-" There is a moral grandeur associated with the Capitol of the U. States, which far transcends in dignity the natu- ral scenery of this place, and which I never so fully realized as while I stood gazing upon these national buildings. Astronomers tell us there is a point within the sun's disk, where, if the eve could be placed, it could see the planetary world revolving about a common centre, with the most perfect order and harmony. The same idea pre- sents itself, while viewing the United States from this position. The intricacies and irregularities arising from an oblique view disappear, and the
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95
Washington-Bird's Eye View.
intellectual vision stretches to the North and the South, to the East and to the West, bebolding the several States moving on quietly in their own orbits, without crossing each other's path, or producing any jostling in the system. - Another- thought unwillingly intrudes: How long shall : it be before this harmony shall cease, and this : beautiful system be destroyed ? How long shall: the centrifugal and attractive power be so bal -- anced, as to bind the states in their respective spheres? If the agitation of some great queation, such, for instance, as a violent struggle for the Pre -- sidency, should "alienate one part of our beloved country from the other," then indeed would the fancied chaos of the poet be realized, and we would see-
"Planets and suns rush lawless through the void, Destroying others, by themselves destroyed,"
The first public communication on record, in relation to arrangements for laying out this city, is from the pen of Gen. Washington, dated on the 11th March, 1791: which in a subsequent letter of the 30th of April, 1791, he calls the Federal City. The name which it now bears, " City of Wash- ington," was adopted about four months after- wards, probably without the knowledge of Gen,
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96
Washington-Name.
W., in a letter addressed to Maj. L'Enfant, by the first commissioners, as follows, dated
" GEORGETOWN, Sept. 9, 1791.
SIR, We have agreed that the Federal District shall be called " The Territory of Columbia," and the Federal City " The City of Washington;" the title of the map will therefore be " A map of the City of Washington in the Territory of Co- lumbia."
We have also agreed the streets be named alphabetically one way, and numerically the other; the former divided into North and South letters, the latter into East and West numbers, from the Capito !. Major Ellicot, with proper assistance, will immediately take. and soon fur- nish you with soundings of the Eastern Branch, to be inserted in the map. We expect he will also furnish you with the direction of the pro- posed post road, which we wish to have noticed. in the map. We are. &c.
[Signed]
Thos. JOHNSON, STUART, & CARROLL."
On the 14th of March, 1792, the Commission- ers of the City of Washington offered a premium by advertisement in the public papers, for a plan for the President's house, and another for a de- sign for the Capitol, to be presented on the 13th July.
97
Washington-Capitol Commenced.
On the Od of April, 1792, President Washing- ton approved of the plan for the Capitol, present- ed by Dr. William Thornton, which was after- wards modified and made more easy of execution by Mr. S. Hallet, and on the 2d and 3d Sept., the following appears on the records of the Commis- sioners-" The Capitol is in progression, the South east is kept vacant; that corner stone is to laid with the assistance of the brotherhood, the 18th instant. Those of the craft, however dis- persed, are requested to joint the work. The so- lemnity is expected to equal the occasion."
The South East corner stone of the North wing of the Capitol, was accordingly laid by Gen. Wash- - inyton, on the 18th September, 1793. The cere -. mony was grand and imposing: a large concourse of citizens of the vicinity, and numbers from dis- tant parts attended. On the occasion, we learn Gen. Washington delivered an impressive and ap- propriate speech. We regret that the public re- cords, which have been diligently searched, do not furnish us with any of the details. In consequence of the yellow fever having made its appearance in Philadelphia, a day or two prior to the ceremony, the alarm in that city was so great, the newspa- pers were discontinued, and not resumed until the first of December following. We state this fact on the authority of a Philadelphia file of news-
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98
Washington-Situation.
papers of that period, which were purchased from Mr. Jefferson, and are now lodged in the Libra- ry of Congress. We have been equally unsuc- cessful in procuring the desired information from any of the publications of that period, issued either in Maryland or in Virginia.
The City of Washington is situated on the left bank of the Potomac and right bank of the Ana- costia, by which two rivers it is embraced ; it is in North latitude, 38º 52' 45.3"-West longi- tude, 76° 55' 30.31". It " comprehends all the lands beginning on the east side of Rock Creek, at a stone standing in the middle of the road lea- ding from Georgetown to Bladensburg ; thence. along the middle of said road, to a stone standing on the east side of the Reedy Branch of the Tyber ; thence, southeasterly, making an angle of 61º 20', with the meridian, to a stone standing in the cast road leading from Bladensburg to the Eastern Branch Ferry ; then east, parallel to the said east and west line, to the Eastern Branch ; then, with the waters of the said Eastern Branch, Potomac River, and Rock Creek, to the place of beginning." It was planned under the direction of George Washington, then President of the United States, by Pierre C. L' Enfant, in the year 1791. The positions for the different edifices and for the se- veral squares and areas, as laid down by .Indres
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99
Washington-Avenues, &.c.
Ellicott, were first determined on the most advan- tageous ground, commanding the most extensive prospects, and the better susceptible of such im- provements as either use or ornament may require. Lines or avenues of direct communication have been devised to connect the most distant objects with the principal by a direct communication with the main, and, preserving through the whole, a reciprocity of sight, and the most favorable ground for convenience and prospect. North and south lines, crossed by others running east and west, divide the city into streets and squares; and at certain intervals, there are squares which are always to remain open, unoccupied by buildings, for the purpose of promoting a free circulation of air, &c. ; these are intended to be laid out into walks and planted with trees, as some of the aven- ues are, particularly the Pennsylvania avenue, from the Capitol to the President's house. The avenues are named after the respective states. The Capitol is the point from which the streets are named ; those running north and south of it are designated by the letters of the alphabet-A street north-A street south-and both extend to the letter W. Those running east and west of it are numbered 1st street west, 1st street cast ; those In the east extend to SO, and those to the west extend to 26. The Tyber runs through the mid-
100
Washington-Avenues, &.c.
dle of the City, and may be conveyed to the higla ground on which the Capitol stands-and the wa - ter of the Tyber and the Reedy Branch may be conveyed to the Capitol and the President's house the avenues, and such streets as lead immediately to public places, are from 130 to 160 feet wide divided into footways, walks of trees, and carriage ways ; the others are of various widths, from :@ to 110 feet ; the avenues and streets, of 100 fee and upwards, have foot ways of 20 feet wide; those under 100, and over 80, have footways 17 feet wide ; and, under 80 feet, 12 feet footways ; and the centre of the pumps, hydrants, and trees, ared on all the streets, to be placed four feet outside the curbstone. The principal part of the City was graduated by the surveyors and recorded before any buildings were erected ; and there is a City! surveyor, whose duty it is to give the proper gra duation and outlines of lots,as recorded, to person desirous of building, and give a certificate there- of, when demanded, on the payment of a small fee. The grounds on which the city stands wa- ceded by the state of Maryland to the United States in full sovereignty, and the proprietors of the soil surrendered their lands to be laid out as a City, gave up one half to the United States, and subjected other parts to be sold to raise money as a donation to be employed, and constitute a fund for the erection of the public buildings.
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101
Washington-Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Pennsylvania Avenue, from the Capitol to the President's House, was planted with Lom- bardy poplars during the administration of Mr. Jefferson, who took great pleasure in ornamenting and improving our infant metropolis. The popu- lation at its commencement being very thin, the Members of Congress and others were obliged for some years to board in Georgetown; and, from the want of society and other conveniences, seve- ral attempts were made to remove the Seat of Go- vernment; but these proving unsuccessful, the opinion of its stability became fixed and well grounded, and its population and improvements have since moved on pari passu.
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102
Table showing, synoptically, the Width of the Streets and Avenues, in Washington.
ALPHABETICAL, OR NORTH AND SOUTH STREETS. Streets, ABCDEF GHI KLM NOPQRSTUVW
North, .... 90 90 80 70 90 100 90 90 90 147 8 90 90 90 90 90 90 90
90 90 90 80 80 South, .... . 90 90 80 90 90 70 100 80 90 80 90 90 90 85 85 85 85
85 $5 80 80 40 NUMERICAL, OR EAST AND WEST STREETS.
Streets, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 East, .... 110 90 90 85 10 85 90 100 90 80 90 112 90 100 90 80 100 50 80 100 80 80 80 80 - - West, ... 90 90 110 80 80 100 $5 85 85 85 111 5 85 110 110 110 160 110 90 110 90 90 90 100 90 90 80
North and South Capitol Streets, eoch 130 feet wide; East Capitol Street, 160; Half Streets, east and west, 80; Four and a half Street west, 110; Thirteen and a half Street west, 70; Water Street, 60, Canal St., 30
WIDTH OF THE AVENUES.
New Hampshire, .... feet 120; Pennsylvania-
South Carolina, 160
Massachusetts,. 160
East of Presid's house, 160
Georgia, . 160
Rhode Island, . 150
West of do 150
Kentucky, .. ·
120
Connecticut, . 1$0 · Delaware, . 160
Ohio, · 160
Vermont, . · 150
Maryland, . 160
Louisiana, · 160
New York,. 160
Virginia, .. 120
Indiana, · 160 New Jersey. . 160
North Carolina. . 160
Tennessee. 120
* * Streets of 100 feet in width, and upwards, must have Footways 20 feet wide-Streets between 80 and 100, have Footways of 17 feet-and these under So, Fautways of 12 feet. The centre of Trees and Pumps must in all cases be placed Your feet untrade the limitun
103
Washington-Incorporation.
The seat of Government was removed to Washington in the year 1800, during the presi- dency of John Adams. The superintendence of the city, as far as the United States were concer- ned, was in the first instance placed in the bands of three commissioners, until May, 1802, when the Board was abolished, and a superintendent appointed. The legal jurisdiction was assumed by Congress on the 27th February, 1801, and the laws of Maryland and Virginia, then existing, were declared to be in force, which is the case at pres- ent, with few exceptions.
The city was incorporated by an act of Congress, passed on the third of May, 1802, by which act, the appointment of the Mayor was vested in the President, yearly; and the two branches of the Council elected by the people, in a general ticket. By a supplementary act, passed May 4, 1812, the corporation was made to consist of a Mayor, a Board of Aldermen, and a Board of Common Council; the Board of Aldermen to consist of eight members, elected for two years, two to be residents of, and chosen from, each ward; the Board of Common Council, to consist of twelve, three from each ward; and the Mayor by the joint ballot of the members of the two boards, to serve for one year. By a new charter granted by Con- gress on the 15th of May, 1820, it is provided
104
Washington-Wards.
that the Mayor shall be elected by the people, to serve two years, from the 2nd Monday in June ; the Board of Aldermen to consist of two members from each ward, elected for two years, and are ex-officio justices of the peace for the whole coun- ty; the Board of Common Council to consist of three members from each ward, to serve one year; and every free white male citizen of the United States, of lawful age, having resided in the city one year previous to the election, being a resident of the ward in which he offers to vote, and shall have been assessed on the books of the corporation for the year ending on the 31st of December pre- ceding the election, and shall have paid all taxes legally assessed and due on personal property, when legally required to pay the same, shall be en- titled to vote at any election for Mayor, or mem- bers of the two Boards.
The city is by an act of the Council divided into six wards, bounded as follows, viz. " All that part of the city to the westward of 15th street west, shall constitute the First ward; that part to the eastward of 15th street west, and to the west- ward of 10th street west, shall constitute the Se- cond ; that part to the eastward of 10th street west, to the westward of Ist street west, and to the northward of E street south, shall constitute the Third; that part to the eastward of Ist street
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105
Washington-Proposed Monument.
west, to the westward of 8th street east, and to the northward of E street south, shall constitute the Fourth; that part to the eastward of 10th street west, to the westward of 4th street east, and to the southward of E street south, shall constitute the Fifth; and the residue of the city shall consti- tute the Sixth ward."
Mast foreign travellers who have visited the United States, and who have undertaken to pro- nounce, for the information of mankind at large, opinions concernin ; the moral and political fea- tures of the American character. have, in gourral, assigned to it a trait of ingratitude, from the seem- ing negligence, at the capital city of the Union, of proper measures to perpetuate the memory of Gen. Washington. The reproach, it cannot be denied, derives some countenance from the dor- mant resolutions of Congress, of the 24th of Dec. 1799, which proposed funeral and other honois to that illustrious man; the main object of which is still unaccomplished.
But let us reflect, and consider whether the imputation of ungrateful neglect is justly merited. No obelisk, no useless pyramid, no pedestrian or equestrian statue, it is true, has yet been reared to Washington's fame, on the Banks of the Potomac. The nation, however, has founded a City. that bears, and will transmit to posterity, his name and 8
106 Washington-Proposed Monument.
his renown. It is a Living, Intelligent, Monu- ment of Glory, and will reflect, as it grows in wealth and brightens in splendor, the inestima- ble consequences resulting to the country from the martial qualities and the patriotic virtues of that greatest of the Heroes of modern times. Every improvement of this City, every dollar expended upon public buildings therein, adds to the magni- tude, the durability, and the beauty, of this mon- ument. Unlike other testimonials of veneration, it will freshen with the current of time, and be as Jasting as the nation itself.
Now, however, is the time to fulfil the dormant intention of Congress. 'T'aste has improved with the accumulation of riches, the arts are flourish- ing, and the aid of the statuary may be called in- to adorn the grand and admirable design, whose foundations have been already so magnificently laid, in the erection of the public buildings, and. in some degree, nobly effected by the patriotism and enterprise of its private citizens.
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The Capitol-Commencement.
THE CAPITOL
Was commenced in 1793 by Mr. Hallet as ar- chitect, who was succeeded by Mr. G. Hadfield and Mr. Hoban, who finished the North wing. The charge of the work was then given to Mr. Henry B. Latrobe, (architect) who directed the building of the South wing, and prepared the halls for the reception of Congress. Such por- tions of the building having been completed as were indispensably necessary for public use, fur- ther proceedings were suspended during the em- bargo, non-intercourse and war; at which time the interior of both wings was destroyed, in an jucursion of the enemy. After the close of the war, Congress assembled, for several sessions, in a building patriotically raised by the citizens of Washington, for their accommodation. . In 1815, Government determined to restore the Capitol. The work was commenced under B. H. Latrobe, who superintended it until December, 1817, when upon his resigning his charge, the further pro- ceedings were entrusted to C. Bulfinch, who proceeded to execute the designs already adopted for the Representatives' Hall and Senate Cham- ber, and to lay the foundations of the centre, comprizing the Rotundo, Library, &c. These
108
The Capitol-Exterior.
have been completed, with the accompanying terraces, gate-ways, lodges, &c. in the course of ten years. The building now exhibits an harmonious whole, imposing for its mass and commanding situation, and well adapted for the important uses for which it is intended. It may be described as follows:
The Capitol of the United States is situated on an area enclosed by an iron railing, and including 223 acres-the building stands on the Western portion of this plat, and commands, by the sudden declivity of the ground, a beautiful and extensive view of the city, of the surrounding heights of Georgetown, &c. and of the windings of the Poto- mac as far as Alexandria.
The exterior exhibits a rusticated basement, of the height of the first story; the two other stories are comprised in a Corinthian elevation of pilas- ters and columns -- the columns 30 feet in height, form a noble advancing Portico, on the East, 160 feet in extent-the centre of which is crowned with a pediment of 80 feet span: a receding loggia of 100 feet extent, distinguishes the centre of the West Front.
The building is surrounded by a balustrade of stone and covered with a lofty dome in the centre, and a flat dome on each wing.
109
The Capitol-Dimensions-Cost.
DIMENSIONS of the Capitol of the United States, and its Grounds.
The ground within the Iron Railing, 223 acres. Length of Foot Walk, outside of Railing 2 of a mile and 185 feet.
The Building is as follows.
Length of Front,. 352 feet 4 inches,
Depth of Wings, .. 121 do. 6 do.
Erst Projection and Steps. 65 do.
West do. do .. 83 do.
Covering 1 } acre, and 1920 feet.
Height of Wings to top of Balustrade. 70 feet.
Height to top of Contre Done,. . 145 do.
Representatives? Room, greatest length 95 do.
Representatives' Room, greatest height, ..
60 do.
Senate Chamber, greatest length. 74 do.
Senate Chamber, greatest height. 42 do.
Great Centeal Ro. undo, 96 tt. in diameter, . 96 feet high.
The North Wing was commenced in 1793, and finished in 1800, cost. $180,20 57*
South Wing commenced in 1803, and finish- en 1508, cost ..
303,808 11
Centre Building commenced in 1818, and
finished in 1827, cost. 957,647 35
Cost of building the Capitol
$1,746,718 33
"Including all alterations to 1814.
The Representatives' room is in the Od story of the South wing-is semicircular, in the form of the ancient Grecian theatre-the chord of the longest dimension is 96 feet -- the height, to the highest point of the domical ceiling is 60 feet. This room is surrounded by 24 columns of variegated native m: rble, or breccia, from the banks of the Potomac, with capitals of white Italian marble. carved after a specimen of the Corinthian order, still remain- ing among the ruins of Athens; which, stand on
110
The Capitol-Representatives' Hall.
a base of freestone, and support a magnificent dome painted in a very rich and splendid style, to re- present that of the Pantheon of Rome, and execu- ted by an interesting young Italian artist, named Bonani, who died here a few years ago. In the centre of this dome is erected, to admit the light from above, a handsome cupola, from which is sus- pended a massy bronze gilt chandelier, of immense weight, which reaches within ten feet of the floor of the chamber. The Speaker's chair is elevated and canopied, and on a level with the loggia or promenade for the members, consisting of columns and pilasters of marble and stone. Above this, and under a sweeping arch near the dome, is placed the model of a colossal figure of Liberty, by Causici, (in plaster, ) on the entablature be- neath is sculptured an American Eagle, (in stone) just ready to fly; copied from nature by an Italian · sculptor of high reputation who has left but this single specimen of his talents in this country.
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