A Portrait of Old George Town

s, Shops,

k again, besides the country gentlemen coming to town to sell their crops and tend to oth

Historical Society, which he read before the Society on January 16, 1951, the earliest tavern of which there is record was kept by Joseph Belt who w

for one year-but we hear no more of him so are not certain that he continued in business. But J

nt to the warehouse at the Mouth of Rock Creek, in Frederick County, is accordingly laid out, and the lots will be sold the 4th

of the C

der Be

sconsin Ave.) and Bridge (M) and apparently built on the southernmost one of them a tavern where real esta

County, Se

s provided with Good Entertainment, Stabling, and Provender for Horses, would be obliged to all Gentleme

eph

Braddock's soldiers attracted by the name and sign stopped to sl

ol. Joseph Belt, the original patentee of Chevy Chase

s of that period "to keep Tavern in George Town, to keep good Rules and Orders and not suffer the loose and

ces to be held at George Town, the horses "to be Entered the Day bef

ohn Orme was the son of the Rev. John Orme, a Presbyterian minister w

the present M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, where the

At the house of Mr. John Orme, in George Town ... part of a Tract of Land, c

notice in the paper-and added, "N. B. The Executrix will

tened circumstances, and the thre

ern for short periods. This may have been the same John Wise who later o

Revolution who like John Orme, before him, w

is referred to as occupying the home w

the large Stone House near the Square, the best calculated ho

rs record meeting at the "House of Mr. Ignatius Simpson." And in 1784 Mr. Simpson had no license issued and the Commissioners met

and even the birthplace of the District of Columbia for there was sign

, a little east of the canal bridge. Christian Hines as a youth of fifteen was an apprentice living with the Green family just across the street from this building, and altho

to an old print, and had a large Inn Yard at the side and back for

apparently from 1784 until his death in 1794 his tavern was a very busy pla

ohn Suter's standin

n, August

Cornne, deceased, are desired to bring them in lega

er, Admi

es and Potow

1790, for erecting a New Warehouse contiguous to the Old

rd B

rd O'

George Town that Lot or Acre of Ground whereon the Old Warehouse formerly stood.... A good title will

1, 1790And

s little item fro

ox, a small supply of fresh Lisbon LE

James

Sept. 7, 1

was eviden

hn Suter, Jr., took over the tavern and

hus: "There are stables sufficient for the accommodation of 50 horses with commodious sheds for carriages ... and not twenty yards from the kitchen is a copious and never failing spring of most excellent running water." The main building differed but little from others, but north of this and running north upon Washington Street to the next street, was a wing, one or two stories high, and one room deep, the doors opening into a covered corridor supported by bri

t there will be a Ball at the Union Tavern on Friday the 22nd instant (Feb. 22, 1799), in

ssemblies used to be held here. Mrs. William Thornton has

staid about two hours. President and Lady went

embly were, of course, James M

avern in March, 1799, Francis Kea

nds of liquors accounted necessary for travellers. Add to this a well of water not to be surpassed in Town. I am determined to spare no pains to render this situation agreeable and flatte

1800Franc

aken over the Union Tav

nouncement of reopening, and assurance of best liquors, and begins: "Anchor Tavern and

n. John Tennally had a tavern (from him came the name of Tennally Town). Joseph Semmes's Tavern at the Sign of the Indian King, was very well known. It seems to have m

seum, Janua

, Sign of the Indian King, adjoining the Bank of Columbia, which he has fitted up at considerable expense for the accomodation of travellers. He embraces this opportunity of returning

own,Jose

28th of Ja

he BRICK HOUSE formerly occup

p Bar

am Th

mmes had his tavern in thi

ouse of entertainment" (Mrs. White's Tavern) on a more en

ccupied by Mr. William King, Merchant, of this place (the hou

s day, William Kings in

Stevens als

giving a few days notice find a supply from

mes and Potowmack Pa

s Fier

or other devices cut on Glass and fancy

these

ltimore: Opium, Mercury, Jolap, Ipecacoanha, Nitre, Glanker Salts, Gu

supply of most fashionable paper hangings-an

various tastes

f, which he means to sell at a moderate price. He likewise offers his services to the public as a practitioner of physic, surgery and midwifery. Mrs. Cozens also informs the l

is arrived in George Town, where he proposes staying two week

was in trouble inser

o give notice that I intend petitioning the next Ge

later he ad

, between the College and the River, a pleasant and healthy situation, I

he got "on hi

rchant, advertis

re good, my

too poor to trus

Weekly Ledger (an appropriate name for this town of counting houses); in 1796 The Sentinel o

Then, there was the Union Bank. I have seen a great many of it

seen had torn edges, but always the writing was regular and even, if sometimes hard to read.

was sent to George Town for his early training, and has written thus: "In 1779 I was sent to George Town, eight miles from Bladensburg to school, a classical academy kept by Mr. Rogers. I was placed at boarding

s (31st) and Washington (30th) Streets. Christian Hines says: "In 1798 I went to school to a man named Richmond who kept school in a small brick house attached to the house of Reverend David Wiley, graduate of Nassau Ha

ng Ladies on the north side of Bridge Street, nearly opposite the Printing Office." There were several teachers of French who advertised in the paper; Monsieur A. L. Jancerez

eceived and had for sale at his cabinet and chair factory a large quantity of Windsor chairs." West along Bridge Street, before 1790, William Eaton had "mahogany ware, chairs and tables, beds, etc., finished and unfinished." Another cabinet-maker was Mr. Schultz. James Welsh, cabinet-maker from London, opened

o Captain Richard Johns a complete assortment of Window and Hollow Glass Ware, manufa

rierer an

y called their store "Th

Respectfully inform the Public that they

la Marche has for sale waters f

there for common use, but many ho

lons of water each. The little oval metal placques one sees now and then affixed to houses in Georgetown were, in those days, put only on the houses of the members of the volunteer companies to denote that "h

U

LD FI

OF

5th

I

the men whose companion he was, and who evidently loved him when they inscribed the "R. I. P.," must have believed, as

s-1817, I mean-were drawn by hand, and t

re Engine Company. There was great jealousy between the two. While the fire was raging,

and there the cases were tried. At one time the town clerk of George Town got tangled up in his money matters and was placed in this prison where he languished until his frien

n of some of the hou

use, a bake house, two rooms for domestics, a stable, coach house, a beautiful (falling) garden, ornamented with terraces, well grassed, a large fish pond, a well and a spring of water, 150 young fruit trees,

the business pl

n 1802). There are four floors in this house, with a room on the second and third with

Chan

had to sleep on th

put up these fine and commodious hou

Street, the next street above the Union Tavern in George Town, where he palns to estimate all manner of buildings, either with materials and labor, or l

architects in Europe, also practice in first buildings there, and hath finished elegant buildings in Europe, with and without materials, and in this country hath always had the good fortune of having the patronage and friendship of his employees, and hopes by attention to please and to execute, that he wil

n, Septemb

s, pump maker, late from Philadelphia, serve the public by supplying them

the Lower Ware Hou

the architect and builder of the Pr

s, at the President's House and in proportion for those le

s being rebuilt hiring "good carpen