By proclamation of January 24, 1791, President Washington directed that the three commissioners appointed pursuant to the act approved July 16, 1790, “proceed forthwith to run the said lines of experiment and, the same being run, to survey and by proper metes and bounds to define and limit the part within the same,” which were substantially in accord with the lines subsequently adopted, moving the southern boundary point of the 10 miles square farther south, so as to include a convenient part of the Eastern Branch and also the town of Alexandria.
WASHINGTON IN EMBRYO
When President Washington arrived in the future National Capital he found the great task before him was to bring into harmony the rival interests of the Eastern Branch, or Carrollsburg, and of Georgetown. The property holders of Carrollsburg appeared to be anxious that the new public buildings be located in their town. David Burnes, who owned much of the land that now lies between the White House and the Capitol, was keen to have, on condition that he give up part of his property, the public buildings located there. Thus from the beginning of the history of the city there has been rivalry between various sections of the city while the Government was planning for its development.
The controversy between the landholders led Thomas Jefferson to make a rough outline plan for a city one-fourth less in size than that which George Washington had in mind, to be built in the vicinity of Georgetown. This sketch showed the Capitol building at the site of the town called Hamburg, about where the Naval Hospital is now located; from there eastward public walks or a Mall was planned, with the location of the President’s House at about the present Nineteenth Street, south of Pennsylvania Avenue. Jefferson also proposed a rectangular system of streets, in contrast with the open spaces and radiating avenues planned by L’Enfant, who also reversed the position of the Capitol by placing that to the east of the President’s House on Jenkin’s Hill.
TERMS OF ORIGINAL AGREEMENT
The terms of the sale of land to the Government were agreed to on March 30, 1791, under which the original owners agreed to convey to the United States Government, free of cost, such portions of their farms as were needed for streets, parks, and other public reservations; and to sell such land as was needed for Government buildings and public improvements at £25 per acre (about $67). The remaining land was to be laid out in building lots and apportioned equally between the Federal Government and the original owners. Rufus R. Wilson, in Washington, the Capital City, says:
In this way, without advancing a dollar and at a total cost of $36,000, the Government acquired a tract of 600 acres in the heart of the city. The 10,136 building lots assigned to it ultimately proved to be worth $850,000, and now represent a value of $70,000,000. Shrewd financier as he was, it is doubtful if Washington ever made another so good a bargain as that with Burnes and his neighbors.
The following is a copy of the agreement: