Evening Star Newspaper, September 20, 1931, Page 75

v emre— but it has housed in its time many lawyers, m have become conspicuous mem- bar. . Prior to the erecting of the Fendall Building, {lip Ricard Fendall, who owned the property from a very early date, lived with his family on this corner until his death in 1868, and subse- quently his descendants eccupled it at least up to 1880. He was born In Alexandria in 1794 and was probably the son of Philip Richard (or Ricard) Fendall of Alexandria, who on Jenuary 12, 1792, sold to Samuel Blodgett, for & syndicate, 394 acres of & %ract of land in Northwest Washington known as Jamaica for 30,520 Mexican silver dellars. Later we find this same Pendall organizing fn Alexandiria in December, 1792, what is re- ferred to as the second bank seuth of Phila- delphia and the first one in Virginfa. Techni- cally, however, since Alexandria at that time was in the District of Columbia, this claim amight be disputed. The jumior Fendall, who was borm in Alex- andria in 1794, graduated from Princeton Col- lege in 1820, and after being admitted to the bar in his native city, moved to Washington shortly afterward and continued until his death as one of our most prominent lJawyers. In 1841 President Tyler appointed him U. 8. District Attorney to succeed Francis Scott Key, and after being out of office for a few years he was again appointed to that office im 1848. N the Winter of 1838 Mr. Fendall hap- pened to have an accident in the downtown section of the city, which shows the almost rural character of Washington even as recert as a hundred vears ago. It seems at that time —and even up until 1858—the stream which ran through the blocks bounded by Ninth and Tenth streets, and which had its source in Franklin Square, was not fenced in, and that where it crossed F stree: near Ninth the 1avine through which it flowed had a depth of about 14 feet. Bridges for pedesirians and conveyances were thrown across the streams at mecessary places %o facilitate travel, but those bullt for pedestri- @ans lacked the protection of sidle rails, and du= %o this indifference on the ‘part of the city muthorities Mr. Fendall fell into the ravine one wark night and broke his leg in two places. Well, we may have all kinds of automobile mccidents nowadays at this busy intersection, but none of us would care to return to the conditions exicting in this neighborheed in our grandfather’s days. ‘The old building on the southwest cormer of John Marshall place and Indiana avenue was built as a Masonic Temple on ground purchased by Federal, Columbia, Lebanon and New Jerusalem Lodges. The corner stone was laid dn 1826, and the Masons lost control of it in 4843. From 1837 to 1839" it was occupied as the City Post Office and later it became a dance hall and was used for other amusements. Here Joseph H. Bradley made his home Trom about 1850 to 1870. In recent years it ‘has been an office building for lawyers. Two doors west of the Masonic Temple, at No. 456, is a spacious building, erected =s a residence by the elder Richard Wallach sbout 3840. It is a light-colored structure and has an imitation stone front. Richard Wallsch, the son, and the Mayer of Washington from 1861 to 1867, occupied it when serving in that effice. At one time it was also occupletl by Dr. Fred- erick May, and Jonah D. Hoover lived thers when marshal of the District, 1852 40 1854. Next to the Wallach home is & three-story plastered-front building, No. 488, snd mnex: west of this, No. 460, is a similar structure, with Mght-painted brick front, Flemish bond, mnd these compose the Walker Bullding. old District Building, which was used { by the District Government for some years subsequent to 1391, was built by the National Capital Investment Co. organised in 1890 by Maj. Semuel H. Walker, who seys: “When the foundations wete being prepared sm ex- Thaustiess stream of ‘water was encountered 11 ‘feet below the sub-basement level. This stream supplied the saloons on the morth side of C wtreet and Havenner’s Bakery and Kimball's Stables on the south side of C street between THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, 9. John Marshall place and Sixth street, also the pump in front of John B. Scott's Hotel at Sixth street and Louisiana avenue, as well as the pump which once stood at the southeast corner of Seventh strect and Pennaylvania avenue, in front of Peter Bacon's grocery store. When the District Government rented the old bufiting they closed up the well umnder the building, and when the Collins House and the May Bullding were built on the north side of C street the stream of water was turned into the sewer.” The major further states that even today there is no sewer on Indiana avenue between John Marshall place and Sixth street, except in the alley to the south. The District Building occupies the ground ewhere formerly stood two houses built about 1823. In Ne., 8 (eld numbering) lived Samuel Stettinius, and i Wo. 10 (old numbering), Thomas 38, & member of the firm of N. W. Galt & Bro., jewclers. Mrs. Middleton says that Hunter Galt, son of Thomas, was & bass singer and lived here with his father, and that he married & Miss Boiling, & sister to Mrs. Weodrow Wilson, whose first husbantl was Walter Galt, a cousin of Hunter's. The Galt house, according to Maj. Walker, was a double house, and when vacated by that family was eccupied by John E. Notris as a law office, and that here he also taught law -stu- When Lalayette came to this country for a visit in 1824 he spent much time in Washington that Autumn and the following year, and he visited anfl dined with many people here during his stay. The Stettinius home was one of the places where he is said to have been enter- tained, and Maj. Walker, when the furnishings were being disposed of years ago, secured from this residence at public sale an old grandfather’s clock, made by Sarvan Willard of Beston in 1744, and & large walnut tableeand other pieces of furniture, now a part of the furnishings of his own home. The chandeliers, which he con- verted to the use of gas and electric lighting, e » C., SEPTEMBER 20, 1931, 214 New Jersey avenue southeast, site of the Howse Office Building. Home of the Bank of Washington from about 1810 to 1828. Southaest corner of D street and John Marshall place, 1843, later the residence of John H. Bradiey. he also obtained, and they now adern the ceilings of his residencr, Next to she Districi Buliding, at No. 468, is a four-story and basement brick, bearing the lettering: “Cuaranty Mortgage Building ™ :m Taylor home, 324 Indiana avenue, and the residence of the late Rear Ad- miral Robley D. Fvans, popularly known as “Fighting Bob,” now being removied. On this site once lived B. P. Middieton in a house built for him by Alexander R. Shepherd, father of “Boss” Shepherd, once Governer of the District. . The Estes Building, a modern struciurc, comes next, and then the Gunton Building, bearing the date 1880. Mr. Zevely tells us that here formerly stood two small ene-story buildings, erected as [ar back as 1840. Here Johm F. Ennis once had his law office, and the Lawyers’ Club had their meeting place. ‘The walls -of the Cantwell Building are prob- ably those of the original structures on. this site, except the front wall, which appears modern. Four -eighty-twe to 486 are old buildings, in one of which James G. Nailor once had his carpenter shop. ¥e was & Wwell known character of the city and was often zeferred to as “Pretty Kitty.” Thz buildings from here to Sixth street have already been razed. Near the corner, and be- tween what until lately were buildings 486 and 490, as many early residents will recall, ence stood a theater building, which ‘was completed in_1821, and called the “Washington Theater.” It was closed a number of times and remodeled manager, and because young Jeficrson made his debut here when 4 years old. ; g i a3 it LE ;z | 4500t find the following announcement in The Btar of December 6, 1361: “Canterbury Hall (formerly the Washingtén Assembly Rooms), Leuisiana svenue near the corner of Sixth street in the rear of the Na- tional and Brown’s Hotel. Open every hight! With the first talent in America! Entire change of program! The front of the auditorium is seated with elegant rossweed orchestra ohairs. The celebrated violinist, Mr. Goodall, conducts the orchestra. The first appearance of the renowned James Ward, Billy Plerce. Miss Marion Pierce, the versatile actress, in addition to the established favorites. Tonight the beau- tiful ballet, “La Mondonina—Tumblety Out- " Dick Parker (Funny Dick), Harry Fox, W. B. Harrison, Mlle. Frank La Folle, Miss Julia Hudson, the beautiful songstress; Misses Emma Miles, Willis, Vernem, Parker, Clifton and a host of others st the Canterbury matinee— Tamilies, Iafties and children, Saturday after- moon st 2 o'clock. Admission, children, 10 cents. Prices of admission—parguet, 35 cents; parterre, 15 cents.” { : ¢ “The month before this “Hermann the Great” was playing hete, and the press announcement _Canterbury was destroyed hy fire fn the Summer of 1869, and the account of its termination printed in The Star of July 3§ rather complete Tor that peried. It g “This morning before T Targe building on Loulsiana Four-and-a-half and Sixth known as the Washington :nm (for eight years