Existing comment:
A Well-Known Early Newspaper:
The National Intelligencer, which was located for a time on Pennsylvania Avenue near Sixth Street, was among the most influential of the many newspapers published during the early years of the nation's capital. During the 1814 attack on Washington, when the newspaper was located closer to the Capitol, British Adm. George Cockburn ordered the Intelligencer's office demolished and its contents burned. He told his troops to be sure to destroy all of the type for the letter "C" so the anti-British newspaper could never again criticize him by name.
Benjamin Banneker:
A self-taught free-black, Benjamin Banneker assisted chief surveyor Andrew Ellicott in laying out the avenue based on Pierre L'Enfant's plan. President George Washington appointed Ellicott and Banneker to survey the boundaries of the new city. Nearly one-quarter of Washington's population in 1800 was black, and though most were slaves, there was a growing population of free blacks who bought their own freedom or who were set free.
1800:
Central Market:
Central Market, built in 1802, was the city's biggest shopping area for produce and meat. Slave auctions were held here until outlawed in 1850. Later rebuilt and expanded along the avenue between Seventh and Ninth streets, the market eventually had more than 1,000 vendors, including the women above. The market was demolished in 1931 for the construction of the National Archives, one block from the Newseum. |