USA > Washington > Standard history of the city of Washington from a study of the original sources > Part 29
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The affair occurred at Bladensburg on March 22, 1820. The men fought with pistols at eight paces. Both fell at the first fire; Barron seriously wounded, and Decatur suffering from a shot in the groin from which he died several days later.
In the fall of 1822, ten thousand people attended the races in Washington, to witness a contest between "Eclipse" and "Sir Charles," two famous Virginia racers. More than a mil- lion dollars were staked on this event, some excitable persons staking and losing all they possessed of worldly goods. "Eclipse" proved worthy of his name, outdistancing "Sir Charles," and making a fortune for his owner, including the stake of $5,000 and many thousands more in wagers.
The year 1824 was made memorable by the visit of General Lafayette, who arrived from Baltimore on October 12 of that year and was welcomed by elaborate public ceremonies and an enthusiastic display of popular affection. He was given a municipal dinner at the Franklin House Hotel, and during his stay many social entertainments were given in his honor.
In anticipation of General Lafayette's visit Mayor Small- wood constructed a reception room as an addition to his residence, which is still standing at 324 Virginia Avenue, south- east. It was Mayor Smallwood's expectation to personally entertain the distinguished guest of the city, but his untimely death on September 30, 1824, twelve days before Lafayette's arrival, prevented the carrying out of his plan.
The census for 1820 showed the population of Washington at that time to be 13,247, of whom about three-fourths were white. The slaves, and free colored persons were about equal in number, the former being slightly in the majority. George- town had a population in this year of 7,360. The growth and development of the city from this time until 1860 is traced in the annual statements of Mr. John Sessford, an early resident, which were published in the National Intelligencer and have
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been reprinted in the Records of the Columbia Historical Society.
In his statement for 1822 Mr. Sessford mentions the levelling of the ground on the north front of the State and Treasury Departments, the filling of the low grounds east of 7th Street and south of Pennsylvania Avenue, the completion of the west front of the Capitol and of the original wooden dome of that building. For 1823 he tells of the completion of the south portico of the President's house, the laying of cast iron water pipes from north of G Street to F, along F to 12th and thence to Pennsylvania Avenue, connecting with the K Street Spring near or in Franklin Park, the filling of the low ground between 10th and 12th Streets adjoining Tiber Creek. The compiler recommends the deepening of the river channel to admit the passage of steamboats. He mentions also the erection of an extensive wharf for the accommodation of the Southern Steam- boat Line. The first steamboat on the river was the Washing- ton which commenced trips to Aquia Creek in June, 1815. For 1825 he mentions the planting of trees on two squares of the filled low lands south of the Avenue, the completion of the east- ern portico of the Capitol, the grading of Pennsylvania Avenue from 17th to 22d Street, and the completion of the grading of the grounds of the President's House and City Hall. He states that at that time there were about 13 miles of brick paving averaging 13 feet wide. Referring to industrial conditions, he complains of the importation of non-resident slaves to the in- jury of free labor.
During the second decade of the city's existence, industrial activities began to assume respectable proportions. In Decem- ber, 1910, Philip Pyfer opened an establishment for the manu- facture of hides on Pennsylvania Avenue opposite Center Market. A similar establishment was maintained by John Helmar opposite the house of Dr. Thornton. In 1812, John Achmann commenced the manufacture of fire engines in Wash- ington. Achmann had learned his trade in Europe and invented an engine of his own. His engine is described as having a box
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of copper, the pumps of brass and the rest of the engine except the carriage of iron. In 1811 the Washington Brewery was established at the foot of New Jersey Avenue by J. W. Colbert and Company for the manufacture of malt liquors. In May, 1813, a factory for the making of spinning and carding machin- ery was set up by R. Parrot and I. W. Westerman of England, at the foot of Parrot's rope walk on the Eastern Branch.
In 1817 two mills were established for the manufacture of woolen goods, one of them the Washington Knit Stocking Fac- tory under the proprietorship of Isaac Keller, the other the Columbia Mills under the proprietorship of George Jackson. In 1810 or 1811, A. and G. Way established a window glass factory on the bank of the Potomac near the mouth of Tiber Creek, from which was produced an average of 3,000 boxes containing one hundred square feet of glass each per year.
Foxall's Foundry, in which were cast most of the heavy guns used in the War of 1812, was founded in 1800 by Henry Foxall, a former partner of Robert Morris, in the Eagle Foun- dry at Philadelphia. It was located about a mile above George- town near the site of the canal.
The commerce of what is now ordinarily contemplated under the name of the City of Washington, long ante-dates the establishment of the city and goes back to the early history of Georgetown. Long before the Revolution it was the custom of the farmers of the surrounding country to bring their produce to Georgetown from which large quantities of it were shipped to Europe. Chief among the articles of commerce in those days was tobacco which was hauled long distances either in wagons or in hogsheads through which an axle was inserted and the hogshead drawn over the roads by horses, this custom giving rise to the institution known as tobacco roads.
Until about 1800 or even later, two channels were open to Georgetown, one on either side of Analostan Island, and that on the Virginia shore being the shorter was the most commonly used. This channel was closed by the building of a stone cause- way across it in 1805. Previous to this time most of the
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wharves and warehouses at Georgetown were located at the west end of the town but after the closing of the causeway the mer- chants began to extend their shipping facilities along the banks of the river at the lower part of the town.
Prior to 1822 the tobacco was stored and inspected at Loundes' warehouse, a frame building south of Bridge and between Market and Frederick Streets. So extensive did the tobacco trade of Georgetown become that in 1822, two 3-story fireproof brick warehouses, roofed with slate and with sheet iron doors and shutters, were built by the corporation. These buildings covered three lots situated west of High and south of Bridge Street.
The commerce of Georgetown during the first quarter of the century was greatly stimulated by the operations of the "Potowmack," afterwards the "Potomac," Company. The Potowmack Company was chartered by identical statutes of the Maryland and Virginia Legislatures in October, 1784. It provided for the taking of subscriptions to five hundred shares of stock in the amount of $222,222.2-9, of which Maryland and Virginia agreed to subscribe fifty shares each. The Com- pany was organized at a meeting held in Alexandria, May 17, 1785.
At the Little Falls was constructed, on the north side of the river, a canal two and one-half miles long with four masonry locks having a total elevation of thirty-seven feet.
At the Great Falls a canal was constructed on the south side of the river twelve hundred yards long with five locks hav- ing a total difference of level of seventy-six feet, nine inches, the two lower ones being cut in solid rock.
At Shenandoah Falls, below Harper's Ferry, a canal one mile long was cut. Another, three-quarters of a mile long, was dug at Seneca Falls and another, fifty yards long, was dug at House's Falls, five miles above the one at Shenandoah Falls. Neither of the last mentioned had locks. On the Shenandoah River six canals, with a aggregate length of 2,400 yards, were dug and five locks constructed.
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In addition to these improvements much was done in the way of removing obstructions and constructing dikes and wing dams in the Potomac, Shenandoah and Monocacy Rivers. The total expenditures, including original cost and cost of repairs, maintenance and operation, from 1800 to 1822, was $729,387.29.
The boats used in this navigation were shoal draft vessels of about twenty tons capacity. Some of them were of a permanent character and were pushed up the river by poles on the return trips. More frequently they were temporary affairs put together often with wooden dowels, and after reach- ing Georgetown were taken apart and sold for lumber.
From the opening of the canal upon the completion of the Great Falls locks in 1800, to August, 1826, when the Company was merged in the new Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company, these boats brought down 1,309,911 barrels of flour, 48,909 barrels of whiskey, upwards of 40,000 hogsheads of tobacco, and more than five hundred tons of iron, besides large quantities of lime from Frederick, and other articles, bringing the total valuation to $10,534,000.
An act of the City Councils, approved July 11, 1818, pro- vided that $1,000 should be appropriated for the Western School, no part thereof to be expended except for the educa- tion of poor children; that the Trustees of the First District were authorized to place at a school, for the purpose of receiv- ing a higher grade of instruction, any scholars who should have arrived at such a degree of improvement as to warrant the same, and appropriated $150 to enable them to do so.
On July 30, 1821, the Lancastrian school took possession of an old stable at the corner of Fourteenth and G Streets.
Mr. Ould, Principal of the Western school, tendered a report for the months of June 22, 1824 and June 22, 1825, in which he said :
"One hundred and three scholars are reading O'Neall's Geography, Ramsay's Life of Washington, Murray's Intro- duction, Reader and Sequel, Terry's Moral Instructor, and Day's Sanford and Merton and spell words in Walker's Dictionary; 62 of them commit daily to memory a portion
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of Geography, Grammar and Dictionary; 51 are learning to read Scriptural Instructions; 34 are learning to read monosyllables, and 34 are perfecting themselves in the alphabet and in words of from two to four letters.
"Of the scholars learning to write, 154 can write toler- ably, and many of them can do the ornamental hands of Old English, German Text, Engrossing, and Roman and Italian Print.
"One hundred and eight are in Arithmetic; 38 of whom are progressing through the first four rules of Arithmetic, Simple, Compound, and Decimal Reduction, Single and Double Rules of Three, Practice, Simple and Compound Interest, on to Exchange."
An important incident of the first quarter century of the Capital was the determination of the longitude of Washington reckoned from Greenwich, an achievement which is to be credit- ed to Mr. William Lambert, a clerk in the Pension office.
Mr. Lambert's final calculations were the result of a Joint Resolution of Congress, passed March 3, 1821, authorizing the President to have astronomical observations made to determine the correct longitude of the Capitol Building from Greenwich or from any other known meridian in Europe.
Mr. Lambert continued his calculations throughout the summer of 1821, making frequent observations with the result that he finally reported the longitude of the Capitol as 76° 55' 30.54", and that of the President's House as 76° 57' 05.33" west from Greenwich. In consequence of Mr. Lambert's labors and upon his recommendations, Congress established the Naval Observatory on the site of the present Naval Hospital. Numer- ous errors were afterwards found to exist in Mr. Lambert's calculations and upon the establishment of the transatlantic cable an additional source of accuracy was obtained. By the report of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey for 1884, the longitude of the Statue of Freedom on the Capitol Build- ing was given as 77° 0' 33.54".
Twice in its early years the city found opportunity to respond to the distress of its neighbors. In September, 1803, the City Councils authorized the expenditure of $300 for the
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relief of a number of the inhabitants of Alexandria who had re- moved here because of the epidemic of yellow fever which was then devastating that town.
On July 26, 1815, an appropriation of $1,000 was made "as a gratuity for the relief of the sufferers by the late destruc- tive and calamitous fire in the town of Petersburg." The assess- ment for this appropriation like all others at the time, was apportioned among the several wards.
Just before the close of the first quarter century of the city the first serious attempt to effect the retrocession of Alexandria County to Virginia was made. Meetings for and against retrocession were held in Alexandria in March, 1824. The project being put to vote was defeated by a count of 404 to 286 votes.
Probably the oldest church in the District is St Paul's Epis- copal, Rock Creek Parish, which was organized in 1719 as one of a string of Episcopal churches extending from Baltimore to Richmond, with a small chapel on the site of the present church on the Rock Creek Church Road just north of the Soldiers' Home grounds. The present edifices was erected about 1775. The second oldest church in the District is believed to be the German Lutheran Church at Wisconsin Avenue and Volta Place which was first established in a log structure on the present site in 1769. Christ's Church, Episcopal, worshipped from about 1775 until 1807 in what had been a barn, about where New Jersey Avenue and D Street, southeast, now intersect. In 1807 part of the con- gregation erected the present church on G Street between 6th and 7th, southeast, naming it Christ Church. The West Street Pres- byterian Church of Georgetown was organized about 1781, and about 1783 constructed its first building at Washington and Bridge Streets, replacing it with a larger one in 1821. The present Dumbarton Avenue M. E. Church of Georgetown was founded in a cooper shop in 1792, and in 1795 erected a small brick church on Montgomery Street. The present structure was erected in 1849. St. John's Episcopal Church in Georgetown was organized in 1796 and its building completed in 1804. Trinity Church, Catholic, of Georgetown, was organized by Bishop Car-
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roll in 1795 and its building completed in 1797. St. Patrick's, Catholic, with its first building on F Street near 10th was or- ganized in 1797. The First Presbyterian Church was organized in 1795 and met for some time in a carpenter shop used by the workmen on the President's House and for a few months in the north wing of the original Capitol building. In 1812 it moved into a new building on South Capitol Street, and in December, 1827 dedicated its first building on the present site on 4} Street.
The First Baptist Church organized in 1802 with its edifice at 19th and I Streets, where it remained until in 1833 it con- structed a new building on the site of Ford's Theatre. The Methodists of Washington first met in one of the "Twenty Buildings" at South Captol and N Streets in 1802 or 1803. They afterwards occupied Mr. Carroll's barn on New Jersey Avenue, southeast, and in 1811 dedicated a new brick church called Ebenezer on 4th Street between South Carolina Avenue and G Street, southeast. The F Street Presbyterian Church was or- ganized in 1803 and in 1808 constructed its first building at 14th and F Streets, on the site of the New Willard Hotel. In 1808 the Friends erected their first meeting house on the site of the present structure. The Second Baptist Church was organized in June 1810, and occupied a structure near the Navy Yard, being then known as the Navy Yard Baptist Church.
The site and building for Foundry M. E. Church at 14th and G Streets were donated by Henry Foxall, the owner of Foxall's Foundry, in fulfillment of a resolution taken by him at the time of the British invasion of 1814 that he would construct such a church if his foundry should be spared. The church was dedi- cated on September 10, 1815. St. John's Episcopal Church which was the place of worship of every President from Madison to Buchanan, inclusive, and later of President Arthur, Mrs. Roose- velt and Mrs. Taft, was designed by Benjamin Latrobe and was dedicated on December 27, 1816. St. Peter's Catholic Church at 3d and C Streets, southeast, was organized May 10, 1820, and its first building completed the following year. All Souls' Unitarian Church was organized in 1820, and its building at 6th and D Streets dedicated June 9th, 1822. Wesley M. E. Chapel at 5th
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and F Streets was organized in 1823. The Second Presbyterian Church was organized in 1820; the Fourth Presbyterian in 1829; the Central M. P. in 1829; its first frame building. "The Taber- nacle," being dedicated in 1832; Trinity P. E. Church was dedi- cated in 1829; The First M. P. Church and the Congress Street M. P. Church of Georgetown dedicated their buildings in 1830.
The commencement of the second quarter century of the city's history was marked by the inauguration of President John Quincy Adams on March 4, 1825. This inauguration sur- passed any other demonstration in Washington up to that time. The President-elect drove to the Capitol with ex-President Monroe, escorted by the District militia and a cavalcade of citizens.
John C. Calhoun, the Vice-President, took the oath of his office in the Senate Chamber and a little later, in the Hall of Representatives, Chief-Justice Marshall administered the oath to Mr. Adams.
During this administration President and Mrs. Adams held very democratic receptions in the East Room of the White House, where people of many classes and nations were wel- comed. One good feature of these entertainments was that guests were required to come early and leave by eleven o'clock, an example then followed by other entertainers of Washington.
In 1826 occurred the bloodless duel between Henry Clay and John Randolph near the Virginia end of the Chain Bridge. Clay, offended at some remark of the offensive character for which Randolph was notorious, had challenged the latter. Clay's shot went wide and Randolph fired in the air, whereupon Clay expressed his gratification that his opponent had not been injured, and a reconciliation followed.
The year 1827 closed in Washington with a "Fair for the benefit of the Orphan Asylum," of which Mrs. Margaret Bayard Smith, the wife of the original owner of the National Intelli- gencer, Samuel Harrison Smith, said, "Every female in the city, I believe, from the highest to the lowest, has been at work for it.
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Conveniences for residents were much improved in Wash- ington by the close of 1828, and Mrs. Smith, in a letter to her sister in November of that year, wrote: "Never in my life have I been so comfortably and agreeably fixed. My wishes are completely satisfied. Our house, a delightful one, in the best part of the city, surrounded with good neighbors, good churches and good pavements which enable us to visit both neighbors and churches in all weather. You will recollect the situation of the Department of State, etc .- it is opposite to this. A broad pavement leads one way to Capitol Hill and another to Georgetown, besides cross paved ways in every direc- tion."
Two months later this sprightly woman wrote: "Our city is as alive and bustling as New York." This was at the period closing the administration of John Quincy Adams.
As improvements came and population increased the improvident, unfortunate class known as "the poor," became part of the city's burden, and in the winter of 1829, a severe season, there was much suffering. Mayor Gales appointed at this distressing time, three persons in each city ward to receive contributions for and to visit and distribute necessities to these unfortunates. Citizens were solicited to contribute anything they would for the general relief. Congress contributed fifty cords of wood and the Treasury Department, not permitted to give away government property, sold at cost, fifty cords of wood, for the benefit of the poor.
The White House during the administration of the second Adams was the scene of the wedding of Mary Hellen, the niece of Mrs. Adams, to John Adams, the President's son, on Febru- ary 20, 1828.
On March 4, 1829, General Andrew Jackson, the first west- ern President, was inaugurated. The campaign between Jack- son and John Quincy Adams had been unusually bitter, and as a consequence Mr. Adams refused to take part in the inaugural ceremonies of Jackson.
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The President-elect was escorted to the Capitol by a guard of volunteer Revolutionary veterans.
John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, was sworn into the office of Vice-President in the Senate Chamber, after which Congressmen and other dignitaries moved to the East portico of the Capitol. When General Jackson made his appearance there a mighty shout arose from the multitude below, to which Jackson responded by removing his hat and bowing to the peo- ple, visibly moved by the honor shown him. He then read his inaugural address, after which the venerable Chief Justice Marshall, whose privilege it had been to administer the oath to so many of the Country's chief executives, now performed that honorable duty for the last time.
After this ceremony the President and his party had diffi- culty in reaching the street. Mrs. Margaret Bayard Smith relates that the new President mounted a waiting horse and rode to the White House.
The crowd surged down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Exec- utive Mansion, where refreshments were served to thousands of guests.
Social affairs in Washington during Jackson's administra- tion had numerous upheavals. During the first four years the famous Mrs. Eaton, formerly Mrs. Timberlake and previous to that "Peggy" O'Neal, who became the wife of Secretary Eaton of Jackson's Cabinet, caused much disturbance in social circles. Scandal was attached to the name of Mrs. Eaton and social leaders refused to take her to their homes or to visit her. The President espoused the cause of the ostracized woman, his feel- ings still sensitive by reason of an experience just previous to his election, when his wife's name had been bandied by his political enemies, which cruelty had hastened the death of Mrs. Jackson.
In the case of Mrs. Eaton, Jackson found that being Pres- ident did not enable him to carry his point. He could order men's actions to a great extent, but the men's wives were not to be ordered, and Mrs. Peggy held sway over a few only. One
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gathers from reading that she seems to have enjoyed the sensa- tion she caused. She finally brought about dissensions that dismembered the Cabinet, but women of the old Congressional and society set were obdurate to the end and Mrs. Eaton never attained high position in the Washington society circle. Her cause was espoused, however, by the Russian Ambassador, a bachelor, and by Secretary of State Van Buren, a widower. Daniel Webster attributed the election of Van Buren as Jack- son's successor to the partisanship he displayed in behalf of Mrs. Eaton.
The social life of the first half of this administration repre- sented a conglomerate society, but during the second half the etiquette of refined society was in large measure restored. Jackson, really fond of intellectual companionship, tired of the motley levees which caused useless expense of money and time, with benefit to no one. As democratic as ever, he felt the necessity of enforcing dignity in social as well as political affairs, and to curb the license of the vulgar, while conforming to polite usages.
During the incumbency of President Jackson the White House witnessed three weddings; Delia Lewis of Nashville was married to Joseph Yver Pagot, Secretary of the French Legation, in 1829; Emily Martin, a niece of the President and Louis Donaldson, a grandson of President Jefferson, were married in 1832; and Mary Eastern, a niece of the President, and Lucien B. Polk, a relative of President Polk, were married in 1837.
President Jackson was the first Chief Executive to undergo the indignity of personal assault, an experience which came to him twice during his term of office. The first of these occurred in May, 1833, when the President was on his way, with a num- ber of distinguished people, to lay the corner-stone of the monu- ment to Mary Washington, the mother of the first President. They were on the steamboat Sidney, and at Alexandria the boat stopped to take on more passengers. One of these, Lieutenant R. B. Randolph, immediately after boarding, went to the cabin where President Jackson sat. There, standing before the Pres- ident, he pulled off his gloves, ostensibly for the purpose of
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