Evening Star Newspaper, February 2, 1930, Page 91

e S the grocery store of Benjamin S. Baily; Thomas Bowen, tailor; Willlam Owner, board- ing house; Mrs. Nelson, boarding house; David Stewart, coach maker; Mrs. Windham's female boarding house; and C. McCormick’s apothecary and drug store, at the northeast corner of Third street and Pennsylvania avenue. “John Sinon, who sold the depot building to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co., had a tailor shop on Pennsylvania avenue just to the west of Third street. “On the east side of Third street just above the Avenue was James Birth stonecutter, the father of William W. Birth, who continued the same business for many years and lived to reach almost a hundred years. “Just opposite on Third street was the resi- dence of Joseph Elgar, at that time commis- sioner of public grounds. At the northeast corner of Third and B streets, Edward Ingle, hardware merchant. “On B street between Second and Third streets were Coi. Watson, land agent; Lund Washington, congressional reporter; John G. Robinson, house carpenter; Charles Keller, ma- chinist in Patent Office; Thomas Donn, coach maker; Thomas Bowen, tailor, and W. H, Campbell, hardware merchant. “On Second street between the Avenue and © street were Lewis Club, messenger in the United States Senate; Richard Dement, clerk in general Post Office, and Ignatius Wheatley, watchman at the Capitol, who was on B street between First and Second streets.” ‘A FTER the old station was abandoned in 1851 by the railway company the corner of Second street and Pennsylvania avenue was used for a time as a saloon. Later it was pur- chased by Matthew G. Emery, who in 1869 erected a new building on the site of the old one, as will be seen by the account published in The Star of October 4, 1869, which reads: “AN OLD LANDMARK GIVES WAY TO A FINE IMPROVEMENT IN 1869. “The erection of a new building on the north side of Pennsylvania avenue near Tiber creek, between Second and Third streets, obliterates an old landmark. “Mr. M. G. Emery is building at that point a four-story pressed-brick front, with three- story back building, fronting 19 feet on Penn- sylvania avenue by a depth of 40 feet, to be finished with stone caps and sills throughout. The first story will be fitted up as a capacious store, and the entire building will have all the modern conveniences. The cost of the build- ing will be about $7,000. “To make room for this improvement, Mr, Emery is having torn down a building with the history of which many of our citizens are unfamiliar. “It was here that the depot of the Wash- ington branch of the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- road was first established. The building now being demolished was erected over forty years ago, and afterward fell into the possession of John Sinon, a well known tailor, from whom it was purchased by the Balilmore & Ohio Railroad Co. for $9,000 and converted into a depot.” From Mr. Topham's story it is gleaned that houses Nos. 201 and 203 Pennsylvania avenue are built on the foundation walls of the old depot, and he further says: “The old brick car house was in the rear on square No. 574, back from the corner of B and 2nd streets. “This historical remnant of the original depot is standing today, nearly ninety years after its construction, and can be seen half way up the alley running north from B street between 1st and 2nd streets northwest. IN 1899, when Matthew G. Emery erected the old Census Office Building, which still stands in the block between First and Second and B and C streets, another old landmark was removed. It was the original Washington freight station of the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- road and was razed by workmen under the direction of Mr. Maurice P. Talty. It stood in the southern part of the block, the old District Building—later the Business High School— THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, TEBRUARY 2, The Old National Hotel, from a photograph taken at the time of Buchanan’s inauguration, in 1857, standing farther to the north. The writer has been told that this was the first freight depot in America, and this statement may be true, so far as he knows. Some time ago the wriler gave some of the history of the National Hotel in one of his articles. Recently he came across additional interesting information about this old hos- telry, which the District government has agreed to buy for $580,000, and more interesting per- haps is the statement made to the writer that it s Intended to turn the building over to the National Guard as its temporary headquar- ters. Of course, we all know that this is not & satisfactory place for that worthy organiza- tion, but at least it would be a step in the right direction until better arrangements can be made. JUST a little bit of the real history of the place. Originally this block—known as square 491—belonged to David Burnes, and in the division of the 24 lots into which it was separated, lots 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 16, 19, 20 and 24 went to the Federal Government, while those not mentioned went to David Burnes. Like many other people, even down to the present time, David did not anticipate his death, and consequently died intestate, and his property went to his widow, Anne, and his only surviving child, Marcia, who became the wife of John P. Van Ness, a member of Con- gress from New York and later mayor of Washington. On December 24, 1793, lots 1, 2, 5 and 7 were included in the purchase of the 6,000 lots made by Robert Morris (who financed the Revolution but went broke on Washington real estate) and James Greenleaf, and the latter almost immediately transferred his interest to Morris and James Nicholson for $488, and upon default of these two men the lots mentioned were sold at public auction in 1800 to James Hoban. From then on these lots and others making up the hotel site passed through the hands of Daniel Arden, George Kneller, Thomas W. Pairo and William A. Bradley, and in 1826 the Calvert family began purchasing in this block, which finally resulted in a majority interest in the Iots upon which the hotel stands, and on August 10, 1830, an agreement was entered 1930. into between George Calvert, Roger C. Weightman, Willlam A. Bradley, John Gadsby and Henry T. Weightman to form an associa- tion for the purpose of erecting a hotel on this site. In 1831 the cost of erecting the building is placed at $157,500, of which George Calvert contributed $102,500; Roger C. Weightman, $34,000; William A. Bradley, $14,500, and Henry C. Weightman, $1,000, and it is assumed that the balance of $5,500 was put up by John Gadsby, who, together with Augustine New- ton, became the first proprietors of the hotel. The portrait of Gadsby, in oil, together with that of his wife, Mary, can still be seen in the hotel. ACCORDING to an act of Congress, approved July 13, 1868, the National Hotel Co. was incorporated, the incoroprators named being George H. Calvert, son of George Calvert, who helped form the hotel assoclation; Roger C. Weightman, J. C. McGuire, Zeph English, .George H. Calvert, jr., and Charles B. Calvert. George Calvert of the original hotel asso- ciation, according to the Maryland Historical Magazine, was born at Mount Airy, Feb- ruary 2, 1768, and died January 28, 1838. His will, dated June 8, 1835, devises all his prop- erty to his sons, George Henry Calvert and Charles Benedict Calvert. On June 11, 1799, he married Rosalie Eugenia Stier, daughter of Henri Joseph Stier of Antwerp, and Maria Louise Peeters, his wife. George Calvert of Mount Airy was of the distinguished Lord Baltimore family, his father being Benedict Calvert, son of Charles Calvert, the fifth Lord Baltimore. Benedict Calvert had 13 children, as follows: Rebecca, Eleanor, Charles, Elizabeth, Edward Henry, George, Philip, Leonard, Cecilius, John, William, Ariana and Robert, Of these children Rebecca, Charles, Philip, Leonard, Cecilius and Robert died young, while John, Willilam and Ariana are said to have been “living at the date of their father’s death.” Eleanor, the second child, married Mrs., Wash- ington’s son, John Park Custis, and after his death Dr. David Stewart; Elizabeth married Dr. Charles Stewart, Edward Henry married, first, Elizabeth Biscoe, and later Miss Helen Chapman Calvert of Alexandria, and George, B street looking east from Third street. as it is today, soon to be replaced by a private office building. previously referred to, who was interested in the old hotel, and whose sister, as stated, married Mrs. Washington’s son, . THE children of John Parke Custis and his « wife, Eleanor (Calvert) Custis, were Eliza~ beth Parke, Martha Parke, Eleanor Parke and George Washington Parke, and of these Eliza~ beth married Thomas Law, the wealthy son of the Bishop of Carlisle, who was a large holder of local property in the early history of the city. Martha married Thomas Peter, and they have a number of descendants living in this city and elsewhere. Eleanor married at Mount Vernon on Washing‘un’s birthday, 1799, Law~ rence Lewis, nephew of Gen. George Washing« ton, the ceremony being performed in the presence of Gen. and Mrs, Washington. George Washington Parke Custis married Mary Lea Fitzhugh, daughter of Col. Willlam and Anne (Randolph) Fitzhugh of Ravensworth. From this it will be seen that George Calverg was an uncle to the wife of Thomas Law, which no doubt accounted in a large measure for Mr. Calvert’s interest in Washington’s property. He was also an uncle to Martha Parke (Custis), who married Thomas Peter; Eleanor Parke (Custis) Lewis and George Washington Parke Custis, who built Arlington and whose daughter, Mary Anne Randolph Custis, married Gen. Robert E. Lee. George Calvert of Mount Airy (born 1768) and his wife, Rosalie Eugenia (Stier) Calvert, had nine children—Carolina Maria, George Henry, Marie Loulse, Rosalie Eugenia, Charles Bene- dict, Henry Joseph, Marie Louise, Julia and Amelia, George Henry Calvert was born 1803 and died 1889. In his will, dated June 30, 1885, he disposed of his estate about as follows: Life estate to wife, Elizabeth (Stewart) Cal- vert, daughter of James and Rebecca (Sprigg)’ Stewart, and after her death makes special bequests to nieces Mildred Carter and Rosalie Turbeville Stuart, and nephews Bernard Carter’ and Charles B. Calvert, and grandnephew Jones, son of Julia (Stuart) Jones. To George H. Calvert he left the pictures of his father and mother by Stuart, and to Charles B. Calvert the picture of Romulus and Remus by Rubens. His portrait by West went to Bernard Carter, and the bust of himself by Powers was given to Johns Hopkins University. An interesting item gave to his nephews, Charles B. Calvert and Bernard Carter, “the winés remaining in my dwelling after my wife's decease.” All the rest and residue went to Anna Murray Bernard Carter, the children of Rosalie Hall (“one share to all of said children col= lectively”), Alicia Bowle, Mildred Cartery Anette Brogden, George H. Calvert, Ella Camp= bell, William N. Calvert, Charles B. Calvert, Eugene S. Calvert, Rosalle Stuart, Margaref) Hunter and Ada Robb. Charles Benedict Calvert, brother of George Henry Calvert and son of George Calvert who was born at Mount Airy and died at Riverdale, made rather an odd will, which was dated August 14, 1846, and probated in Maryland on March 27, 1864. To his widow he left her dower interest and directed that the bequests made to his children be distributed at the discretion of his wife and his brother, George H., as each child should arrive at the age of 21, and that when that time should arrive, if his wife and brother were not satisfied to distribute the share they should postpone it until said child had arrived at the age of 25, and if then still not satisfled that said child was deserving of consideration he was then not to share in the estate. Undoubtedly there are many descendants and connections of this worthy and distinguished Maryland family in the District of Columbia, the members of which have helped make our country’s glorious history and have participated to the fullest in building up the republic, He Killed Her. Nflo—laok,. our captain is going to kick the