Old Law School, 5th and D Streets, N.W.

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The old Columbia Law building, on 5th street above D, facing the Judiciary Square, having been razed to make room for a splendid office building, one of the old land marks of the olden time, so dear to the heart of those who remember primitive Washington, and venerated by the descendants of the worthies of three-fourths of a century ago, disappears from view, and hereafter will exist only in the memories and traditions of the old days. For a long period – over twenty years – it was the home of the third Episcopal Church established in the city limits, for shorter periods by the Congregationalists, who subsequently built at 10th and G street; by the Central Presbyterian (Rev. Dr. Pitzer’s) Church, organized in May, 1868, and other religious bodies, and for thirty years as a law school and office building, the Columbia Title Insurance Company, on its organization, occupying the large hall in the upper part. There are, therefore, quite a number of the old-time Washington people who feel an interest I the old building, some of whom, in church and Sunday school, laid the foundation for Christian character, and many are those who became disciples of Blackstone through the law school. It may be asserted, therefore, that there are members of scenes which were enacted in the building for near three-fourths of a century which are remembered and will be recalled by hundreds scattered over the Union, if not the world.

The site itself has an interesting history. It occupies what is known on the original plat of the city as the south half of lot 13 and all of lot 14, square 489, having a frontage of nearly 77 feet and a depth of over 93 feet. It was included in the tract of David Burns, and in the allotment of the city lots the first fell to the government and the latter remained in the possession of Burns. The south half of 13, in October, 1792, was deeded to Gen. Samuel Davidson, and lot 14 was in January, 1802, conveyed by Burns’ heirs to Isaac Pollock, who one later conveyed it to David Pollock. In March, 1819, Davidson’s administrators conveyed the south half of lot 13 to Commodore Stephen Decatur and Col. George Bomford, the former hero of the war with Tripoll, subsequently killed in a duel, and the latter for years at the head of the ordnance department of the army, and for a long series of years the proprietor of Kalorama. This portion having passed into the hands of Henry Ault, and lot 14 to C.W. Boteler, the vestry of Trinity parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church purchased in June and July, 1828, the site, the consideration in the deed from Ault being $500 (about 20 cents per square foot), and nominal in the other.

There were but two churches of the Anglican faith in the city limits in the 20’s – Washington parish, established in 1795, with its church, Christ, near the navy yard, covering the eastern portion, and St. John’s set off in 1815, with the church at 16th and H streets, covering the remainder of the city. The central portion of the city was then sparsely supplied with churches of any denomination, and there were none for those of the Episcopal faith. The want of a more convenient place of worship in the central portion of the city was further emphasized by the condition of the streets or roads, as well as the distance between the two churches. The neighborhood of the city hall (or court house, as now called) was regarded as about the central portion, and the neighborhood especially south and west of Judiciary Square appeared to be the proper locality for a church. Gen. Roger C. Weightman, then mayor of the city, and some other corporation officers were of that faith, and residents of that section. A meeting was called for December 8, 1826, at the city hall. Those present canvassed the subject of establishing a church and parish, and determined to ask subscriptions in furtherance of the project.

Those present went forth and talked up the matter with their friends, and by April 30, 1827, nearly $700 had been secured. On this date the use of the council chamber, now the Circuit Court room, in the city hall, having been secured for temporary services, a vestry was elected, composed of Gen. Weightman, Mr. Wm. Hewitt, Thos. Henderson, Joseph H. Bradley, Richard S. Coxe, Edward Ingle, G. C. Grammon and H. M. Moffit, but the latter failed to qualify.

A call was extended to Rev. H. V. D. Johns (afterward bishop), and he accepted and entered on his duties as rector. The election of vestry having been questioned, there was a reorganization, Messrs. Weightman, Hewitt, Coxe, Ingle and Grammon, with John A. Smith, Dr. John B. Blake and Wm. Prout constituting the new board. C. H. Wiltberger and W. S. Drummond were chosen wardens, Mr. Ingle treasurer, and J. Dawson James register. Mr. Johns then formally accepted the call, at $650 per year, and the boundaries were fixed at 9th street west, North and South Capitol streets. I street south and the Boundary, now Florida avenue; and June 27, 1827, the parish was established. The site above described was soon after selected, and the little band, under the rectorship of Doctor Johns, commenced to grow, both in number and influence. The salary of the rector was increased to $800 per annum, and plans formulated for raising funds to secure the site and erect the church edifice. So well did they succeed that after the corner stone had been laid in 1828 the edifice was completed in a year, and occupied April 12, 1829, and on May 11 following it was consecrated by Right Rev. Bishop Moore of Virginia.

Rev. Dr. Johns served the parish for five years, leaving for a field in Baltimore in 1832, and his successors in the rectorship were Chauncey Colton. ’32-’33; E. G. Higbee, ’34-36; John Owen, ’36-’39; H Stringfellow, ’40-’46; Dr. C. M. Butler, ’47-’55. In the early days of parish the custom prevailed of annually calling a rector, and to this may be attributed the short terms of some of them, but for many years past the terms have been for unlimited terms. Thus, Dr. Butler, after serving from them ’47 to ’54, redesigned to accept the rectorship of Christ Church in Cincinnati. Dr. Butler came from Boston, and finding that the church had become a favorite place of worship for many prominent people of the nation, particularly of legislators, and as the question of extensive repairs to the building was under consideration, he suggested the enlistment of interest by churchmen elsewhere, and the erection of a finer, larger and more attractive church edifice. A circular letter was prepared, but the responses were not so favorable as had been expected by the committee (Messrs. R. S. Coxe and A. H. Lawrence, with the rector), who made their report in 1848. By this date the congregation had outgrown the seating capacity and the demand for pews could not be supplied. The project had about been abandoned as far as the creation of a new edifice was involved and the energies of the congregation were directed to the enlargement of the old building.

In January 1849, the architect of the Smithsonian, Mr. James Renick, presented the plan for the building (erected afterward at 3rd and C streets, northwest) and estimates which revived interest. The rector, Dr. Butler preached a special sermon on the subject, strongly urging the erection of a larger edifice, as a duty the congregation owed to the church at large and the community. A meeting of the congregation was held a few days after, at which General Walter Jones, then a leading member of the bar of the District, presided, and the situation having been canvassed on motion of ex-Mayor Weightman (who was prominent in the original organization), the plans of the vestry looking to the erection of a new edifice were endorsed and approved and the hearty cooperation of the congregation pledged. By the close of the year subscriptions to the amount of $15,000 had been obtained and having decided to build on the same site, it was determined to commence the demolishment of their church home of more than twenty years in February, 1850. Before the close of January, however, Mr. W. W Corcoran offered a loan of a sufficient amount to purchase another site, and the present site of Trinity, northeast corner 3d and C streets was purchased from the Birth family for $4,620. The cornerstone of the new Trinity was laid April 2, 1850 and in the spring of 1851 what had before been known as “Irish Hill” was ornamented by a fine church edifice and that it is as influential a congregation as it was in the old church home can readily be seen by the present congregations, Sunday school missions, the parish hall & c.

It would seem too, that other congregations formed here were successful, for the Congregational church at 10th and G streets and the Central Presbyterian at 3d and I streets are evidence of the fact. As already intimated, there were many prominent men who worshiped in the old church. The great leader of the Whig party, Henry Clay was a frequent attendant. Francis Scott Key, the author of the “Star Spangled Banner,” served as warden and vestryman for several years and was an office bearer at the time of his death, January 1843. Mr. Thomas L. Smith, Mr. John M. Broadhead, Mr. A. O. Dayton, Mr. A. N. Zevely and Mr. D. W. Middleton filled important positions under the government, as also John A. Smith for years clerk of the Circuit Court; William Noland and Dr. John B. Blake, who each served as commissioner of public buildings; L. B. Harden of the Navy Department. T. H. Gillis, father of the admiral who had previously served in the vestry of Christ Church; William Prout, who donated the site of Christ church in 1806. John W. Maury was mayor of Washington. Drs. J. Fred May and W. P. Johnston were leading physicians. Maj. Wm. Doughty, Wm. Gadsby of hotel fame. The Morrisons, Perrys, Todds, Rileys and Bealls were among the attending families.

In February, 1851 the 5th street building was sold by Trinity vestry to Messrs. Ezra L. Stephens, Henry Rockwell, James H. Durham, Wm. P. McConnell and Nehemiah Northrup as trustees of the First Congregational Church and Society of Washington for $8000, nearly $3,500 less than its original cost. The title was in 1860 passed to T. P. Chapman then to J. J. Warring. In the early part of the war for a few months it was used by the government for hospital purposes and the lower basement for a livery stable. It was purchased in April, 1865, by Rev. Dr. Geo. W. Samson for $10,000, and he for some time preached regularly on the Sabbath, but in December 1868, he conveyed it to the Columbian College, now university.

Document Information

Images: 1
Photographic Credit: GW University Historical Photographs Collection
Author or Source: Evening Star, April 1, 1898
Document Location: University Archives
Date Added to Encyclopedia: March 2, 2007
Prepared by: Lyle Slovick, Assistant University Archivist

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