Evening Star Newspaper, September 15, 1935, Page 70

P2 THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, SEPTEMBER 15, 1935—PART FOUR. DOWNTOWN “E” STREET PROMINENT IN LOCAL HISTORY Burning of Old Hospital Dur- ing Croil War, Charity and Patients Running | With Sisters of for Their Lives, Marked High Point of Excitement on a Main, Thoroughfare. By John Clagget Proctor. ington, is one of the Capital City’s oldest and most historic part extending from North Capitol street westward, and today a number E STREET, in downtown Wash- thoroughfares, especially that of the homes erected a century &go are still standing, while others, though | not quite so old, are more or less interesting because of their associa- tion with the earlier days of the city and the prominent persons who have resided within them. It has seen its gay, joyous and bright side of life, intermingled with sadness, sorrow and tragedy. Today it is much devoted to business, but 50 years ago it was largely residential. Judiciary Square, through which E street runs, is in itself of considerable importance, not only because the rear of the old court house abuts on E street, but also because at one time| here stood, on the north side of the street, about midway of the block, the ‘Washington Infirmary Hospital, which ‘was destroyed by fire on November 4, 1861, when it was principally occupied by slightly wounded soldiers brought here from the battle of Manassas, and at the time it was destroyed it was well filled with the injured from this engagement. THE Star of November 4, 1861, gives % an account of this early disaster of the Civil War, saying, in part: | “The Burning of the E Street Infirmary. “Terrible and Thrilling Incidents. “Removal of More Than One Hundred Patients—A Woman Supposed to Be Burned. “This morning, at a very early hour, the E Street Hospital, better known as the Washington Infirmary, was discovered to be on fire. It contained at the time from 90 to 100 sick and wounded soldiers and a considerable number of other Government patients. The fire is believed to have originated in a defective flue from the furnace, which was located in the cellar under the addition which projected from the center of the main building in the year. The rooms of the Sisters of Charity were in this addition—over the furnace—and the three medical cadets had a room on the floor above The rooms of the sisters were filled with smoke about half an hour after midnight, and the sister superior first gave the alarm. They had barely time to hurry on their clothing and escape, leaving everything but the clothing they had on in the burning building. Their cries brought in the guard, and soon the alarm became general. Drs. Rodman, Hutchins and Allen, the ca- dets above alluded to, lost all their personal effects with the exception of the clothing which they hurriedly put on to leave the burning bullding. The metropolitan police were soon upon the ground and ran through the house arousing all the inmates, and about this time the scene was awful in the extreme.” * * * ‘The block between Sixth and Sev- enth streets was early built upon, and many important people had their resi- dences here. Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase of the Supreme Court of the United States built and occupied No. 601, with his brilliant daughter, Kate Chase, who married Senator Wil- liam H. Sprague of Rhode Island. John F. Callan and John E. Kendall lived close by. The skating rink, still within the recollection of many, was on the north side of the street. the south side was the old E Street Baptist Church, still stand- where preached for many years . George wmuhu‘flnmm who | at one time was president of Colum- | bian College, or what is now George | Washington University. Though the| | writer never knew Mr. Samson per-| | sonally, yet he always had a keen in- terest in the man because of the part | he played at his parents’ wedding, as | announced in The Star of October 10, | 1856, which says: “On Thursday, the 9th instant, by the Rev. Mr. Samson, Mr. John C. Proctor of Hagerstown, Md., to Miss Mary A. Davidson (which should be Davison) of this city.” As this particular clergyman was | extremely popular, the chances are that he performed a like service for many ancestors of present Washing- tonians. ‘The residence of John C. Calhoun was also on the south side of the| block not far from the Benning-Mc- Guire residence, at No. 614, which to- day is doing service as a transient | house, operated by the Young Wom- |en’s Christian Associaiion. George | Colegate, Dr. John Davis, Leonidas | Coyle and Leonidas Campbell were also early residents of this side of the street. ® In the block between Seventh and Eighth streets the most noted build- ing was the Blodgett Hotel, built in 1793 by Samuel Blodgett. It stood on the north side of the street, where is now the large Government building, | erected many years ago for the Post Office Department, and used as such until the building just vacated at Eleventh street and Pennsylvania av- enue was completed. The Blodgett Hotel building was | | never used for the purpose originally intended, and when Tom Moore vis- ited Washington in 1804 he found, as he said, the hotel “already in a ruin; | & great part of its roof has fallen in, and the rooms are left to be occupied gratuitously by miserable Scotch and Irish immigrants.” Indeed, it was never completed by the promoter and about the only use to which it was put prior to its being taken over by the Government in 1810 was to hold the first theatrical performance there in 1800, the company being Wignall | & Reinagle, who conducted the New | Theater in Philadelphia, and came here and fitted up just enough space in this building to carry on for about three months. IT WAS CALLED the United States, Theater, and the first performance | was given about June of the year :mentioned. the title of the play being | “Venice Preserved, or the Spoiled Child.” But the weather, which can | never be entirely depended upon, was not in harmony with the occasion and the enterprise, for it is recorded that a short while before the theater opened & heavy storm broke over the city, overflowing the creeks and drown- ing much stock and almost ruining the theatrical scenery. Apparently the expenses were greater than the profits, for the promoters closed the theater in September following. This building was also notable as having been the meeting place of the third session of the Thirteenth Con- gress, September 19, 1814, to March 3, 1815, following the burning of the | public buildings by the British. This particulay building had been saved from destruction through the efforts of Dr. William Thornton, who told the models of interest to the entire civ- ilized world, and not of interest alone to this country. By 1829 or 1830 it became necessary to enlarge the building where were then quartered the Post Office Depart- ment, the Patent Office and the city post office, and an addition was built to the original structure, facing Sev- enth street, and hutlu subsequent- L British officers that it housed patent | General Amos Kendall long to secure Center: Old National University Law School Building, later Elks’ Hall. Photo of a group of members taken about 1896. Right center: Blodgett Hotel as it orig- inally stood on E street between Seventh and Eighth streets. Lower, center: Home of Rev. Obadiah Brown, at 804 E street, later the Chil- dren’s Hospital. < 1y located the Patent Office and the city post office. In life—as has been said {wfih‘ slight omission)—it is just one thing | after another. In days gone by, may- be you were thrown out of a buggy | and killed or met a tragic end in some | other way. But there was always some method or means to accidentally shorten life, and so we find recorded | in the Metropolitan of April, 1836, the following item which illustrates that Washington was never without its traffic troubles. The item reads: “A dangerous accident happened yesterday to one of our respectable citizens, from a cause which is a re- proach to our police, or rather to our laws, for we believe it is only very lately that sufficient legal authority has been given to abate the nuisance. The gentleman referred to, descend- ing the steps from one of the doors of the post office, was encountered on the mid-pavement by & full-grown hog, which, running against him, threw him down. His head striking the pavement, or curbstone, he re- celved injuries on his head and face so serious that it is still doubtful whether the injury may have been mortal.” ON APRIL 21 the press records the result of the accident, saying: “The ill-fated man who was thrown down by a hog, opposite the general post office, on Thursday as mentioned in our Imst, died on Saturday from the severe injury he sustained, his skull being fractured by that infamous accident. “We cannot but think that the family of the unfortunate gentleman (Mr. F. G. Blackford, a clerk in the general post office), which have been thus /in & moment, from & cause 50 reproachful, deprived of his support, have s good claim against the cor- poration for that abundant pecuniary compensation, which will be but & poor return to them for the invaluable life thus suddenly cut off.” Incidentally, there are a lot of poor people in Washington and elsewhere who would like to be thrown down by a hog today. But God help the hog! Naturally, the burning of the post office left the department without. & home, but it did not take Postmaster a temporary one, at least, until better arrangements could be made, and so we find by the Metropolitan of De- cember 19, 1836, that Fuller’s, or the City Hotel (site of the present New Willard), was selected as an emer- gency measure. Across the street from the Blodgett home of W. W. ltm. editor s National Intelligencer. It occuplzd! the spot where in more recent years | stood the Busch Building, once occu. pied by the Civil Service Commission but which was replaced by the pres- | ent structure. Here, in 1824, a Te- ception was given by Mr. Seaton in honor of the distinguished French visitor, and Gen. Willlam Henry Har- rison is said to have been the guest here of Col. Seaton before his inau- guration as President. Sorrow and grief also came into this household, particularly so when ‘William Henry Seaton, son of the dis- tinguished editor, met with a fatal accident about 1828. According to an early account, he went out on his thoroughbred saddle horse to take his customary morning exercise. He went unattended, and no uneasiness was felt concerning him, as he was a skilled and fearless rider. Time was up for his home-coming, and his mother stood at the parlor window of their home in E street, opposite the oid brick yellow-painted Post Office Department of that day, the site now occupied by the land office. “Around the corner of Eighth and E streets she saw him, his horse gal- lantly prancing. The next moment something frightened the horse and it started on a gallop, dragging her son, one of his feet having caught in a stirrup. The young man’s death was & sad blow to his parents.” AOOORDDIG to my late friend, Washinglon Topham, after the death of Col. Seaton, in June, 1866, the house was occupied by Malcolm Seaton, his son. Later, in March, 1880, the property was purchased by Edward Abner and dismantled to make room for the construction of the hall and Summer garden which Ab- ner conducted until 1887, when it was replaced by the Busch Building. The Star, recognizing as usual the significance cf Washington's old build- ings, had this to say in its issue of March 5, 1880: “A permit has been issued by Mr. Entwisle, the inspector of buildings, to Edward Abner for the construction of & hall and lager beer garden on E street Seventh and EMI‘M northwest, The 3 site for this garden is the old Seaton mansion, which is now being torn down. This fine old brick mansion, vith wide hall, ample parlors and other apartments, and garden in the rear, has been historic for over half a century as the residence of Ex-Mayor W. W. Seaton, one of the proprietors of the National Intelligencer and as- sociate editor with Mr. Joseph Gales. It was the resort of all the notable people who visited Washington, where most generous hospitality was dis- pel L “It is said that President Harrison ‘who was the guest of Mr. Seaton, used the northeast chamber of the second story for the preliminary meetings of his cabinet before his inauguration. Mrs. Seaton superintended the man- agement of the garden and each of the distinguished persons who were visitors contributed a fruit tree. Mr. Calhoun’s pear tree was long noted in city pomology. Mr. Webster sent & New England apple tree, Mr. Clay an apricot tree, Mr. Benton a cherry tree, Mr. Alexander Porter of Louisi- ana a fig tree, Silas Wright a plum tree and other Senators other trees and thus the garden was planted by senatorial hands.” ‘The late Henry E. Davis, in refer- ring to the southeast corner of Eighth and E streets in a paper read before the Columbia Historical Society, men= tions a tavern kept there by a Ger- man named Green, whom he said, “opened his place some time before the war, and it stood for the Democrats of that time for what Hancock's on Pennsylvania avenue, near Thirteenth street, stood for the Whigs. In those days the modern restaurant was un- known and it was the habit, as I know partly from information and partly from the fact that places similar to Green's survived even to the days of my later boyhood, for each gentle- man to own his own bottle of liquor and to keep it at the place of his resort, where he would go and drink from his bottle at his pleasure. “Green had as his barkeepers Sebas- tian Aman and Edward Kolb, the lat- ter still living, and, if I may be ex- cused for telling the story in this presence, I remember hearing that M‘;Mfim‘t Upper, left: The old E Street Baptist Church, between Sixth and Sev- enth streets on E. Top, center: Temperance or Marini's Hall, where the Knights of Pythias was organized and the Na- tional Rifles once met. Upper, right: Burning of the E street hospital during the Civil War. Left,center: The Crock- er residence, first home of the Post Office De- partment in Washington, northwest corner of Ninth and E streets. @ place was the late Gen. John C. Breck- inridge, who had the peculiar taste of keeping his whisky in a bottle par- tially filled with roaches. I repeated this story once in a light and half incredulous way in the hearing of Aman, who told me that if I were tell- ing the story as a joke I was much mistaken, as he had personally often | handed the bottle, roaches and all, to Gen. Breckinridge and seen him drink from it.” Breckinridge, it will be recalled, was one of the candidates in the four- cornered race for the presidency in 1860. When the Civil War began he joined the Confederate forces and was with Gen. Jubal Early when he made his raid on Washington in 1864. NO DOUBT many will recall the free lunch served by Martin Schneider in his restaurant in the basement in the corner building at Eighth street. His fried oysters, many will agree, were delicious. Of course, those were the days when if you hur- ried around the corner “prosperity” was likely to knock you down, and when food was cheap enough to give away. Not far from the Seaton home was the “Old Rye” House, conducted for a while by Charles O'Connor. It was only a small place of 15 or 20 rooms and was opened just before the Civil War by the proprietor, who had lost his position in one of the Federal departments. As & hotel owner, he failed, and later was reinstated in his Government position. ‘The Rev. George W. Samson was not the only clergyman identified with E street, for the Rev. Obadiah Brown resided for many years on the south side of this thoroughfare between Eighth and Ninth streets. He preached at the First Baptist Church which occupied the site of the present Ford Theater Building, where President Lincoln was shot. The E street resi- dence, where the Rev. Brown lived, is said to have been built about 1821. After the dwelling was vacated by the family of Dr. Brown, it was occu- pied in succession by several families and institutions, among them a young ladies’ seminary. John Slidell of Civil ‘War fame, once made it his home. When the Children’s Hospital was organized in December, 1870, it occu- pied as its first quarters rooms at the corner of Thirteenth and P streets, where 1t had 13 beds. Finding itself n nndr more space, it took over, in o 1872, the Obadiah Brown property, and here it remained until about 1878 when its building at Twelfth and W streets was sufficiently completed. At an early date, Mrs. Mary G. Cabell resided on the southeast corner of Ninth and E streets. She was for- merly of Lynchburg and had for her son-in-law Capt. N. H. Vanzandt, U. 8. A, who went South in 1861 Then came William R. Riley, who con- ducted a dry goods store on this cor- ner for many years. The northwest corner of Ninth and E streets is particularly historic be- | cause of it being the site of the first Post Office Department in Washing- | ton, after the Government moved from Philadelphia to the new Capital in | June, 1800. The original building was erected by Dr. John S. Crocker as his home, and was leased by him to the Federal Government. It was from here that the Post Office Department moved to the Blodgett Building. It became the residence in later years of Joseph Gales, jr., of the National Intelligencer. a stream of considerable volume flowed southward, not far to the west of the Crocker dwelling, its source | being obtained largely from the springs in the neighborhood of Frank- lin Square and from the Burne's spring which still exists, it is said, be- neath the west end of the old Masonic Temple at Ninth and P streets. It emptied into Tiber Creek below Penn- sylvania avenue. Up to about the year 1810, long boats carrying six cords of wood, came 1p this branch during high tide, within a few feet of Gannon Row, which con- sisted of four brick houses located in the ravine on the south side of E street. At times, it is said, the water the doorsills of these buildings, and on several occasions, caused the in- mates to vacate the lower rooms. for many years at 914 E street, had almost rounded out a century when it was removed early in this year. The corner stone was laid in 1843 and here many important meetings were held. According to an unknown old- timer who wrote of this neighborhood | many years ago, this building was | erected on the site of “a ramshackle, | leaning, tottering, caved-in frame and | tumble-down building used as a fac- tory, and presided over by a man named Fagin. northwest between Ninth and Tenth, the site of the famous and historical Temperance Hall of later years, and where a hotel stands today. Fagin's old barracks fell down one day, col- lapsed from the wear and tear of age. Fagin was the only one hurt. He was found in the debris, wrapped all round with the belting and gearing throttled by some gigantic octopus. “Old Fagin and Dick Adams and his father, on D street, in the same square, were the only turners in town screw plug tops to order at 10 to | 25 cents per.” | It was in Temperance Hall that the Knights of Pythias was formed and held its first meeting on February 19, 1864, and the minutes of that eve- ning show that: “Upon agreement a number of -gen- tlemen met and after some conversa- tion upon the subject, they were called to order and upon motion of Mr. Rathbone a chairman of this meeting vmmm.:.’r.x.mz JEARLY in the history of the city| from this stream frequently reached | Old Temperance Hall, which stood | “This building was on E street| as though he had been seized and | and made all the boys wire and| Q-m Pes S J&L«J‘-‘,w,;r,; 7 0ld Blodgett Hotel and the Home of Mayor Seaton, 1 here Lafayette Was Entertained, Along With the Residence of Obadiah Brown, Noted Divine, and Other Edifices Now But Memories. was unanimously called to the chair and D. L. Burnett was nominated as secretary. After organizing as above | the object of the meeting was stated by Mr. Rathbone to be the foundation or organizing of a society. Its busi- | ness and operations to be of a secret character, having for its ultimate object friendship, benevolence and charity. Before proceeding further, those present were requested to sub- scribe to the oath as hereinafter laid | down in the initiation, ana all present having signified their willingness to do so, the same was administered to them by reading the same, by J. H. Rathbone. After taking of the oath, on motion it was resolied that this order be styled the Knights of Pyth- ias.” OHN M. KLINE. commander of the Department of the Potomac, G. A. R., joined this order six years after it was organized and today is probably | the oldest living member of that fra- ternity in point of service. Mr. Kline is now 88 years of age and still | enjoys good health, all things con- | sidered. Many will better recall this building as being the dancing academy for many years of L. G. Marini, and where the National Rifles met until their G street building was completed Samuel De Vaughan, Thomas Ber- ry. the Buckinghams, Richard Gud- gin, President James Buchanan and Dr. James E. Morgan were early resi- dents of the south side of E street between Ninth and Tenth. Dr. Mor- gan later moved to the north side of the street, where Dr. Burroughs lived. and where in later days the National Fencibles met at No. 913. Dr. P. Bradley, uncle of Joseph H. Bradley, also had his home and office in this block. The new building of the Po- tomac Electric Power Co occupies the site of the old Medical Building. Further west on E street, at 1006, was the building occupied until re- | cently by the Musicians’ Union. Prior to this the Elks used it as their head- quarters and meeting place. The build- ing was erected about 1885, and The Star thought it of sufficient impor- tance to say “Among the numerous buildings re- cently erected in this city the new law building of the National Uhiversity, No. 1006 E street northwest, merits especial mention. It is a handsome two-story and basement building, pressed-brick front, and its neat out- side appearance is a great improve- ment to that neighborhood. The first room on the left of the hall is large and cheerful and is used as a library and reading room. It 's handsomely furnished, and the shelves of the book- cases are filled with United States Supreme Court reports, State reports and numerous textbooks, embracing the course of study in the school. Be- yond the library is the moot court room, fitted up like the court rooms of the present day, and complete in all its details. “On the second floor there are two rooms, one for the professors and the large lecture room, 25 by 60 feet, fur- nished wtih the latest students’ chairs, with writing desk attachment, which conduces greatly to the comfort and convenience of the student as he takes his notes of the lecture. Altogether this is one of the most complete buildings of the kind in this country, and it is the only one in this city de- | voted exclusively to the use of & law school. The opening of the law de- | partment of the university last Mon- day evening was a complete success |and the almost phenomenal growth f this institution in the past seems to continue in the future.”