USA > Washington > Standard history of the city of Washington from a study of the original sources > Part 6
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Mr. Burnes, however, appears to have been obdurate, and the President resolved to adopt the tactics suggested in Mr. Jefferson's notes of "leaving them inducements to bid against each other." Accordingly the President wrote Messrs. Deakins and Stoddert on February 28th :
"Gentlemen: If you have concluded nothing yet with Mr. Burns nor made him any offer for his land that is obligatory I pray you to suspend your negotiations with him until you hear further from me.
"With much esteem, I am, Gen'n. Yrs. &c., G. W."
Following this letter to Deakins and Stoddert, Mr. Jefferson about March 1st wrote his letter of instructions to Major I.'Enfant before quoted, directing him to "begin on the Eastern Branch and proceed from thence upwards," the purpose being to thereby convey to Mr. Burnes and the other proprietors having lands towards Georgetown the impression that it had been determined to locate the Federal buildings near the Eastern Branch. In explanation of these instructions to Major L'Enfant the President on March 2nd wrote to Deakins and Stoddert for their private information as follows :
"Philadelphia, March 2nd, 1791.
"Gentlemen : Major L'Enfant comes on to make such a survey of the grounds in your vicinity as may aid in fixing the site of the Federal town and buildings. His present instructions express those alone which are within the Eastern Branch, the Potomac, the Tiber, and the road leading from Georgetown to the ferry on the Eastern Branch; he is directed to begin at the lower end and work upwards, and nothing further is communicated to him.
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The purpose of this letter is to desire you will not be yourselves misled by this appearance, nor be diverted from the pursuit of the objects I have recommended to you. I expect that your progress in accomplishing them will be facilitated by the presumption which will arise on seeing this operation begun at the Eastern Branch, and that the proprietors nearer Georgetown who have hitherto refused to accommodate, will let themselves down to reasonable terms .* I have referred Maj. L'Enfant to the Mayor of Georgetown for necessary aids and expenses. Should there be any difficulties on this subject, I would hope your aid in having them surmounted tho' I have not named you to him or anybody else, that no suspicion may be excited of your acting for the public.
I am, gentlemen. (No signature on letter press copy.)
Messieurs Stoddert and Deakins."
At this point it is necessary to call attention to the fact that within the territory lying between Georgetown and the Eastern Branch were two unincorporated towns-known respectively as Hamburgh and Carrollsburgh. Hamburgh was a platted town laid out by Jacob Funk, and was known also as Funkstown. It contained 130 acres, subdivided into 287 lots, and was located with a frontage on the Potomac River, just above the mouth of what was then Goose or Tiber Creek. It was bounded on the north by a line about on the present location of H Street, northwest, on the east by a line about midway between the present locations of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Streets, west, and on the west by a line approximately on the line of the present location of Twenty-third Street, west. The plat is recorded at Marlborough, Maryland, under date of October 28, 1771. The land appears to have been purchased by Funk from Thomas Johns in 1765.
*This communication will explain to you the motive to my request in a letter of the 28th ulto. I now authorize the renewal of the negoti- ations with Mr. Burns agreeably to former powers at such time and in such a manner as, in your judgment, is likely to produce the desired effect. I will add however that if the lands described by the enclosed plat, within the red dotted line from A to C thence by the Tiber to D and along the North line to A can be obtained I shall be satisfied although I had rather go to the line A. B.
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Carrollsburgh was located between the north bank of the Eastern Branch and James Creek. It was bounded on the north by a line from a point on James Creek a few feet north of the present N Street bridge over that stream to a point on the Eastern Branch about midway between the terminations of N and O Streets, south. It contained approximately 160 acres, subdivided into 268 lots under terms of a deed of trust recorded at Marlborough, November 20, 1770. This deed runs from Charles Carroll, Jr., to Henry Rozier, Daniel Carroll and Notley Young, and authorized the grantees to subdivide Duddington Manor and Duddington Pasture, and to sell the lots except six, to be selected by the grantor, his heirs or assigns, and to draw the lots or cause them to be drawn for by ballot or lottery. The deeds of conveyance to the lots in Carrollsburgh, which are numerous, recite the fact that the lots had been drawn by the grantees respectively, in a lottery of the same. The drawing of lots by lottery was in accordance with a custom which at that time was quite prevalent.
On his way to Philadelphia the preceding November, President Washington had requested Messrs. Deakins and Stoddert to make inquiries as to the ownership of the Hamburgh lots. The results of their investigation were set forth in the following letter to the President under date of December 9, 1790:
"Sir: Immediately after we had the honor of seeing you on your way to Philadelphia, we sent up to Jacob Funk in Washington County for a particular state of the situation of the lots in Hamburgh, and never till yesterday received his answer.
"We find there are 287 lots laid out upon 130 acres of land and as far as we can judge from the book of sales kept by Funk which he sent us, the whole of the lots are in the hands of about 150 proprietors principally Dutchmen residing in Frederick and Washington Counties, and in Pennsylvania, who have heretofore held them in but reason- able estimation ; and we have reason to believe that the far greater part of them might now be purchased at little more than the original cost, which was five pounds each lot; tho' there can be no doubt that if the seat of government
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should be fixed so as to comprehend these lots, a much higher value would be instantly set upon them. And on this account we had once determined to commence an immediate purchase of them, meaning to accommodate the public without any private advantage, but we were deterred from carrying this into effect by the consideration, that if they should not be wanted by the public, they would remain a considerable loss on our hands. To leave nothing undone that we could consistently do, we are now making applica- tion to our Legislature through the delegates from this county for a law to pass condemning any land that may be chosen for the seat of government at the reasonable valuation of disinterested men, in cases where the proprietors will not agree to the terms offered, and where they reside at a distance-and, as like difficulties occur at almost every possible place on the river, we have no doubt such a law will pass, and we imagine in the course of next week, there being a disposition in the majority of both houses, to promote the residence on the Potomac.
"We have the honor to be, with the highest respect and esteem Sir, Your most Obed. Servts.,
Will Deakins, Junr., Ben Stoddert."
Coming to a consideration of the question of the Hamburgh lots the President, in his letter to Deakins and Stoddert of February 17, 1791, in which he urges them to purchase the lands of David Burnes, continues :
"The Maryland Assembly has authorized a certain number of acres to be taken without the consent of the owners on making compensation as therein provided, this will be principally useful as to the old lots of Hamburgh. However by purchasing up these lots or as many as we can, we shall be free to take on the terms of the Act so much of any other lands in our way, and consequently those whose proprietors refuse all arrangement. I will therefore beg the favor of you to take measures immediately for buying up all the lots you can in Hamburgh on the lowest terms you can not exceeding the rate of twenty-five pounds the acre. I leave it to yourselves to dispatch a private agent for this purpose to treat with the proprietors wherever to be found, or to do it by any other means which in your discretion shall appear not too expensive and which may
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not excite suspicions of their being on behalf of the public. I am, with great esteem, gentlemen, your most obd't humble serv't. (No signature on letter press copy.) Messrs. Deakins and Stoddert."
A number of circumstances tend to indicate that at about this period the President's concern with regard to the import- ance of Hamburgh was accentuated by a strong inclination to make this the site of the principal Federal buildings. The President at this time was planning to stop at Georgetown in the course of a trip through the Southern States, and on the same day that the President wrote to Stoddert and Deakins with regard to the owners of lots in Hamburgh-Mr. Jefferson wrote to Major L'Enfant to desist from his work on the Eastern Branch, if uncompleted, and prepare, for the inspection of the President on the occasion of his contemplated visit, a plan of the land in the neighborhood of Hamburgh. His letter, the postscript to which is particularly significant, reads :
"Philadelphia, March 17, 1791.
"Sir : Your favor of the 11th inst. has been duly received. Between the date of that and your receipt of the present, it is probable that the most important parts of the ground towards the Eastern Branch will have been delineated. However, whether they are or not, as the President will go on within two or three days, and would wish to have under his eye, when at Georgetown, a drawing also of the partic- ular lineaments of the ground between Rock Creek and Tyber, you are desired, immediately on the receipt of this, to commence the survey of that part, beginning at the river, and proceeding towards the parts back of that till his arrival. If the meanders of those two creeks and of the river between them should not have been before laid down either by yourself or by Mr. Ellicott, it is desired that Mr. Ellicott should immediately do this while you shall be employed on the interior ground, in order that the work may be as much advanced as profitable on the arrival of the President, and that you will be so good as to notify this to Mr. Ellicott.
I am with great esteem sir, your most obedt humble servt. (No signature on letter press copy.)
"P. S .- There are certainly considerable advantages on the Eastern Branch : but there are very strong reasons also
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in favor of the position between Rock Creek and Tyber independent of the face of the ground. It is desired that the proper amount should be in equilibrio between those two places till the President arrives, and we shall be obliged to you to endeavor to poise their expectations.
Major L'Enfant."
A further highly important item of evidence on this point is to be found in a document drawn by Mr. Jefferson preparatory to the President's departure from Philadelphia. This is a draft of the Proclamation which the President intended to issue after reaching Georgetown, setting forth the complete limits of the Federal Territory. At the close of this draft Mr. Jefferson added in brackets the following, which he said, being conjectural, would be rendered conformable to the ground when more accurately examined :
"the highest summit of lands in the town heretofore called Hamburgh, within said territory, with a convenient extent of grounds circumjacent, shall be appropriated for a capitol for the accommodation of Congress, and such other lands between Georgetown and the stream heretofore called the Tyber, as shall on due examination be found convenient and sufficient, shall be appropriated for the accommodation of the President of the U. S. for the time being, and for the public offices of the Government of the U. S."
Accompanying this draft was a plan giving an accurate illustration of Mr. Jefferson's ideas regarding the proposed city as it would be if located in accordance with the quoted portion of the draft. This plan showed the town facing south and extending along the north bank of the mouth of Tiber Creek with the President's house located on Observatory Hill and the Capitol about at the present location of the White House or Treasury Department.
At the mouth of Tiber Creek was the note: "no water here for commerce and a fine open prospect for those attached to the government." Along the shore between Tiber Creek and Rock Creek was the notation: "This part will suit merchants because of the depth of water." On the stretch of land lying on the Potomac below Tiber Creek and extending toward
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Young's (now Arsenal) Point was remarked: "To be laid off in future."
In a letter to Major L'Enfant of April 4, 1791, President Washington enclosed this plan with others explaining that it had been prepared under an idea that no offer worthy of consideration would come from the land-holders in the vicinity of Carrollsburgh, from the backwardness which appeared in them, and therefore was accommodated to the grounds about Georgetown.
On the 11th of March Messrs. Deakins and Stoddert had written to the President that the owners of Hamburgh lots in Washington County, Maryland, were willing to sign a paper ceding their lots on being requested by any person under the President's direction. In order to take advantage of this disposition on their part the President wrote the following letter which he sent to Stoddert and Deakins to be used in obtaining the desired agreements :
"Philadelphia, March 17, 1791.
"Gentlemen : On passing through Georgetown I propose to examine the ground between that town and the Eastern Branch, and on that examination to fix on a site for the public buildings. Should there be any circumstances in favor of the ground next adjoining to Georgetown, I foresee that the old town of Hamburgh will be a considerable obstacle, as the streets of that will probably not coincide with those which might be proposed for the Federal City; on behalf of the public I should be much pleased if the proprietors of lots in that town would voluntarily consent to cede them at such price as may be set on the adjacent lands which have been or shall be ceded. I will ask the favor of you to have application made to them in time for their decision to meet me at Georgetown.
(No signature on letter press copy.) Messieurs Deakins and Stoddert."
This letter was enclosed with a private communication to Deakins and Stoddert in which, after requesting them to dispatch his letter to the owners of the Hamburgh lots with the necessary propositions in form, he says: "I am aware that by this means it will become known that you are acting for the
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public; but there will be no reason for keeping this longer secret after my arrival at Georgetown."
Deakins and Stoddert, pursuant either to this request or possibly to a former one to the same effect, procured from such of the owners of Hamburgh lots as were convenient to Georgetown the following agreement, the date of which appears to make the instrument antedate the President's request :
"Whereas, It would be a desirable circumstance to the Subscribers, that the Federal City should be laid off so as to Comprehend within its lines, the Town of Hamburgh, lying in Prince Georges County-And whereas, the president of the United States, has the power under an Act of the General Assembly of Maryland to Condemn one hundred and thirty Acres of Land, anywhere in the State of Maryland for the purpose of the Federal City-and it is reasonable to Suppose that if a Situation for the Federal City should be Chosen, so as to Comprehend Hamburgh, as aforesaid, the President of the United States would find it necessary to have the whole of the Lotts in said Town condemned, unless the same could be had by purchase from the Proprietors-Now we the Subscribers, proprietors of Lotts in Hamburglı, in consideration of the premises, as well as for the Consideration hereafter mentioned, Do hereby agree and bind ourselves, our heirs, Executors and Administrators to sell to the President of the United States, or to a Commissioner or Commissioners, Appointed, or to be Appointed by him, the Lotts which we respectively hold in Hamburgh, for the uses of the Federal City, and for such price for each Lott, as each of those Lotts shall be valued at, which may be condemned under the Act of Assembly aforesaid, it being probable that the whole of the proprietors of Lotts in Hamburg, may not agree to Sell, and that it will therefore be necessary, that a Condemnation should take place, with respect to some of them.
"In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands and seals this Twenty-first day of February, 1791.
Thos. Cramphin (Seal).
Witness.
Benj. Stoddard-for Thomas Cramphin-x2 lotts No. 150: 239.
Chas. Beatty (Seal).
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Benj. Stoddard-for Charles Beatty-4 Do. 286: 115 243 : 53.
Robt. Peter (Seal).
Benj. Stoddard-for R. Peter-83: 84: 170: 225.
Wm. Robertson (Seal).
Benj. Stoddard-for Wm. Robertson, either No. 241 or 277.
Thos. Beall of Geo. (Seal).
Benj. Stoddard-for Thos. Beall-1 lott 233.
Markham Waring (Seal).
Benj. Stoddard-for M. Waring-1 lott 76. John Montz (Seal).
Will Deakins-for John Montz-No. 1. Thomas Johns (Seal). Will Deakins Jr .- for T. Johns.
Will Deakins Jr .- for F. Kokindoffer for 4 lotts 2: 5: 248: 252-3 lotts No. 85: 86: 157-
Jas. M. Lingan (Seal).
Will Deakins for J. M. Lingan-9 Lotts No. 8: 10: 25: 27 : 187 : 218 : 211 : 247 : 269.
Henry Hilliarys Sen'r (Seal).
ditto for H. Hilliarys-No. 102.
Will Lydebotham (Seal).
ditto for Wm. Lydebotham-No. 155.
Thos. O. Williams (Seal).
ditto for T. O. Williams-No. 26: 222.
Evan Thomas (Seal).
ditto
for Evan Thomas-No. 81. Lawrence O'Neale (Seal).
ditto for L. O'Neale-No. 274.
12×23 Anthony Holmeade (Seal).
Jno. Suter Jr. for Wm. Magrath.
William Magrath 2 lotts No. 83 & 208 (Seal).
Forrest and Stoddard. (Seal).
Eight lotts, two of which are improved, the value of the improvements must be paid, and may be ascertained by any person appointed by the President. No. 32: 91: 92: 44: 45 :167: 55.""
President Washington had kept in communication with Mr. Carroll respecting his proposed visit to Georgetown and finally, under date of March 17, 1791, wrote to him from Philadelphia fixing definitely the date when he should expect
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to meet the Commissioners. The letter which follows is interest- ing for the light it sheds upon the length of time required for traveling before the advent of steam railroads:
"Philadelphia, March 17, 1791.
"To Daniel Carroll, Esq .- Georgetown.
"Dear Sir: The enclosed letter (requesting Mr. Carroll to send an express to Mr. Johnson to notify him of the proposed meeting) was written to go by the post yesterday, but was omitted to be put to the office in season.
"I have thought best upon further consideration to fix on Monday next for the time of my departure from this City-in which case I expect to be four days in Travelling to Baltimore, and as I shall be under the necessity of going by way of Annapolis, I must calculate upon three days more for my journey from Baltimore to that place, and my stay there. One day will carry me from thence to Georgetown, which will bring it to Monday the 28th of this month, at which time if no accident intervenes, I shall expect to meet the Commissioners at that place, of which I will thank you to give them notice.
With very great regard, I am, dear Sir,
Your most obedient servant, G. Washington."
Evidence of the continuing interest of Mr. Jefferson in the new Federal seat and of the methodical bent of his mind is found in a memorandum prepared by him for the President's use entitled "Objects which may merit the attention of the President at George T."
This memorandum enumerated as matters to be attended to by the President, the following: The Commissioners to be called into action; deeds of cession to be taken from the land- holders; site of the Capitol and President's house to be determined on; proclamation completing the location of the territory and fixing the site of the Capitol; town to be laid off ; squares of reserve to be decided on for the Capitol, President's house, offices of government, town house, prison, market and public walks. Other squares for present sale designated. Terms of sale to be settled.
He also recommended that the President form a Capitulary of such regulations as he might think necessary to
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be observed until there should be a town legislature to under- take that office. His legal training manifested itself in the observation that this Capitulary should be indented, signed, sealed and recorded according to the laws of conveyance of Maryland, and be referred to in every deed for conveyance of lots to purchasers, so as to make a part thereof, an alternative being suggested that the same thing might be effected by insert- ing special covenants for various regulations in every deed.
Continuing, Mr. Jefferson says he cannot help again sug- gesting one regulation formerly suggested, to wit, "to provide for facilitating the extinguishment of fires and the openness and convenience of the town by prohibiting houses of excessive height, making it unlawful to build on any one's purchase any house with more than two floors between the common level of the earth and the eves, nor with any other floor in the roof than one at the eves."
In his notes on the Residence Act he had remarked that in Paris it was forbidden to build a house beyond a given height, saying "it is admitted to be a good restriction, it keeps the houses low and convenient, and the streets light and airy, fires are much more manageable where houses are low."
Mr. Jefferson further suggested that the President should consider in what way contracts for the public buildings should be made and whether as many bricks should not be made that summer as might employ brickmakers in the beginning of the season of 1792 till more could be made in that season. He closes by setting forth at much length the desirability of and a proposed method for including Bladensburgh in the Federal Territory by a rearrangement of the boundary lines of the Federal Territory as then determined.
This paper is of special interest as constituting a methodical outline of almost the precise steps followed by President Wash- ington and afterwards by the Commissioners in the work of laying out the city.
The President kept true to his schedule, though after a trip accompanied with some vicissitudes, among them being stuck on the bar at the mouth of the Severn River and being
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compelled to spend the night in his cloak and boots in a berth too short by the head.
What transpired during his stay at Georgetown is best told in his own words. In his diary he writes:
"March, 1791, Monday, 28th. Left Blandensburgh at half after six, & breakfasted at George Town about 8; where, having appointed the Commissioners under the Residence Law to meet me, I found Mr. Johnson one of them (& who is Chief Justice of the State) in waiting-& soon after came in David Stuart, & Danl. Carroll Esqrs. the other two .-- A few miles out of Town I was met by the principal Citizens of the place and escorted in by them; and dined at Suter's tavern (where I also lodged) at a public dinner given by the Mayor & Corporation-previous to which I examined the Surveys of Mr. Ellicot who had been sent on to lay out the district of ten miles square for the federal seat; and also the works of Majr. L'Enfant who had been engaged to examine & make a draught of the grds. in the vicinity of George Town and Carrollsburg on the Eastern Branch making arrangements for examining the ground myself tomorrow with the Commissioners.
"Tuesday, 29th. In a thick mist, and under strong appear- ances of a settled rain (which however did not happen) I set out about 7 o'clock for the purpose above mentioned -but from the unfavorableness of the day, I derived no great satisfaction from the review.
"Finding the interests of the Landholders about George- town and those about Carrollsburgh much at variance and that their fears and jealousies of each other were counter- acting the public purposes & might prove injurious to its best interests whilst if properly managed they might be made to subserve it-I requested them to meet me at six o'clock this afternoon at my lodgings, which they accord- ingly did. To this meeting I represented that the contention in which they seemed to be engaged, did not in my opinion comport either with the public interest or that of their own; that while each party was aiming to obtain the public buildings, they might by placing the matter on a contracted scale, defeat the measure altogether; not only by procrastination but for want of the means necessary to effect the work; that neither the offer from George-Town or Carrollsburgh separately, was adequate to the end of insuring the object. That both together did not compre-
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