Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) -- Description and travel; Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) -- History
Farther uptown, on the corner of Gay and Market Streets, was the home
of The Potomac Fire Engine Company. There was great jealousy between the
two. While the fire was raging, both worked together beautifully, but as
soon as it was over, there was usually a fight.
South of the canal on High Street stood the Debtors' Prison. This was
the only prison in the lower part of Montgomery County, although the
county court was held at Rockville, 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
friends made good his debts. A report was made to the Town Council that
he could not perform his duties because he was in jail! Nothing now
remains but a part of the old stone wall.
Here is a description of some of the houses offered for sale:
Together or separate, 2 handsome dwelling houses, situated in George
Town on Potomack, they contain 5 rooms with fire place, four bed
chambers, two closets, and have two handsome piazzas. A kitchen near
the house, 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 whole finished and done in the neatest manner under
a handsome and excellent enclosure containing three lots and a half,
extending 170 ft. on Fayette Street and 192 on Third Street. Apply
to John Threlkeld.
Here is one of the business places advertised:
The warehouse and wharf on Water Street, lately occupied by the
Naval Agent (this was in 1802). There are four floors in this house,
with a room on the second and third with a fire place in each, one
intended for a compting room and the other for a lodging room.
W. S. Chandler.
Evidently a clerk had to sleep on the premises as guard.
There were architects and builders to put up these fine and commodious
houses, for these advertisements appear:
William Lovering, Architect and General Builder--Begs leave to
inform his friends and the public, that he has removed from the City
of Washington to Gay 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 labor only. Specimens of
buildings suitable for the obtuse or acute angles of the streets in
the City of Washington may be seen at his home. May 1, 1800.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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