A Portrait of Old George Town

Bridge

George Town, which was called, variously, Analostan, Mason's Island, My Lord's Island, and Barbadoes, was almost a part of George Town

in George Town, was feted there and said he had never seen a more elegant entertainment. Twenty-three kinds of fish were c

peach trees. Cotton was grown there which was the color of nankeen; it was spun, woven, and used in its natu

business of shipping tobacco. The majority of his trade seems to have been with France, from letters of his father to him, i

itia here, and also owned a ferry operating to the Virginia shore from the foot

with the Government in 1800 as Assistant Postmaster General. For many years it was a wilderness, with only traces

Street and High Street (Wisconsin Avenue), up to Bridge (M) Street. It was called Peter's Square. At the age of forty, after he had lived nearly f

(Mrs. John Parke Custis), had been living since she became the wife of David Stuart, one of the Commissioners laying out the City of Washington. Soon after their marriage, Mr. Peter gave to Thomas and his wife one of the six houses he had built for his sons on lots across

's mother had been Jean Dunlop of Garnkirke. To this couple, the father also gave a house situated no

d first pastor of the Presbyterian Church. But, far more than that, he seems to have been pastor, "Parson," as he was affectio

harge of a classical academy in October, 1775. For two years he taught, drilled the students in military training, and studied theology on the side. His books were borrowed from the R

Charles Beatty. Dr. Balch preached there on Thursday night and again on Sunday. He did not remain at that time, but, a year or so later, asked to come back, and at first used a little frame house on the north side of Bridge (M) Street, which was occupied on week days by a school. Just about this ti

not much larger than thimbles. The ladies of George Town would not dr

er Elizabeth, one of the King family. She lived only eighteen days, and a little more than a year later, he again embarked on the s

ter Abraham and Lot had separated, Abraham giving Lot the first choice of location, "the Lord told Abraham to look over the whole land which

o was a trustee of his church, and Mr. Crookshanks lived near by. Dr. Balch had an island on the river called "Patmos." This time he went to the New Testament and named

little boy was not to be deterred. He went up on Bridge (M) Street, hunting an audience and a distinguished one he brought back with him. If small in number, it made up in quality, for he had General John Mason and Monsieur Pichon, a "bland and elegant" Frenchman sent by Napoleon

tice that he was going to speak on the life and services of the great

aluable papers and the records of his church. He wrote to a friend: "Only the Parrott (his wife) remains!" App

town was hung in black, all the stores and banks were close

a native of Monmouthshire, England, was born in 1760. He went to Dublin, where he was put in charge of extensive iron works and where he became a Methodist. On coming to this coun

wn College. He built also a large brick house, two stories, with dormer windows on Frederick (34th) Street, between Water (K) and Bridge (M) Streets. It was quite a pretentious house for that time, with its high ceilings, elaborately decorated cornices of minute workma

used to accompany each other, and both were fond of tinkering. Jefferson, you remember, was of a very inventive turn of mind. During thi

uth below Bridge (M) Street, in a house demolished a few years ago. It stood immediately south of the Canal on the east side, and was in appearance much l

test appearance of 37 vegetables in the Washington market, and after his return from France for 23 years he received from his old friend, the superintendent of the Jardin Des Plantes, a box of seeds w

at this home, and was once good-humoredly twitted by one of them in regard to his inconsistent roles of "proclaimer of the gospel of pe

litary arms of this country were then very imperfect. Foxall was the only founder in America who understood the proper mode of manufacture. Here began the firs

an order from the government for guns, and transport them over the mountains on carts drawn by ten or twelve yoke of oxen to the scene of the engagement. F

y Fo

re it, he would build a church to His glory. The enemy had their face set in its direction when a sudden and violent storm turned them from their course. An old letter, written by George Bleig, afterwards Chaplain-General of the B

the Colorado office building erected there. With the proceeds the very handsome grey stone church was built on 16th Street above Scott Circle.

visited him often in Philadelphia, and preached in George Town December 9, 1772. But it was twenty years before regular services were held, and then only by a preacher who c

f Henr

one at the Navy Yard known as Ebenezer, a colored chapel, and later, the Foundry Church. In 1814 was organized the fir

adelphia in 1799; his third, Catherine, whom he married in 1816 in England, while on a visit home. He had only two children and they were by his first

in December of that same year he died, quite suddenly, in great

wed no man a dollar. He was prompt in paying off his workmen, usually making coin payments. He was a conscientious, earnest Christian, a real enthusiast in his

h he waged relentless war may be mentioned. Five dollars was the penalty for gaming, hunting, and fishing on the Sabbath. No trading was allowed on the Lord's Day, except the selling of "fresh fish, milk, and othe

m a trade. Long years after, one of his old slaves boasted of having driven the Marqu

eorganized as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

e United States Marine Band, marched to the High Street (Wisconsin Avenue) wharf, where, on board the steamboat Surprise and other boats, they moved up the Potomac, until they reached the termination of the old Potomac Canal, landed, and marched a few hundred yards to canal boats prepared to receive them. They glided along until they reached the point of destination where the old powder magazine stoo

to work in earnest. People on the hills around raised loud

mbia Foundry. The loan of $1,500,000 was obtained in Holland through Richard

and operated a flouring mill on Rock Creek, but the project he was most zealously interested in was the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Of course, Mr. Adams had been here some during his father's presidency, though he was a man i

d Potomac Company entered the river, was owned by the Edes family.

One time, after there was an accident at the Little Falls (Chain) Bridge, he crawled under a larg