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CITY OF

WASHINGTON,

IN THE TERRITORY OF COLUMBIA.

THE territory of Columbia was ceded to the United States by the

his

States of Maryland and Virginia, for the purpose of establishing a federal city, that might become the permanent feat of the Federal Government. This city, now building, is called after the name of that brave defender of American liberty and supporter of the rights of mankind, GEORGE WASHINGTON, who having vindicated the rights of countrymen, and contributed to the establishment of his country's independence, has been called by the voice of gratitude and affec tion to fill the highest office a generous and brave people had to beflow-this city will therefore ftand as the most honourable monument of his worth and the people's gratitude that could poffibly be erected; and we truft that when it becomes the feat of government, which it is to be after 1800, that it will recall to the minds of future legiflators his virtues, and the principles on which American liberty is founded, and its government established. This city ftands at the junction of the rivers Potomack and the Eastern Branch, in latitude 38° 53′ north, extending about four miles up each, including a tract of territory, exceeded in point of convenience, falubrity, and beauty, by none in America, if any in the world: for although the land is apparently level, yet by gentle and gradual swellings, a variety of elegant profpects are produced, while there is a fufficient defcent to convey off the water occafioned by rain.

Within the limits of the city are twenty-five fprings of excellent water; and by digging wells, water of the best quality is readily had; befides thefe, the streams that now run through that territory, are alfo to be collected for the use of the city.

The waters of Reedy branch and of Tiber creek may also be conveyed

to the Prefident's houfe; for the fource of Tiber creek is elevated about two hundred and thirty-fix feet above the level of the tide in the said creek, and the perpendicular height of the ground on which the ca pital is to ftand, is feventy-eight feet above the level of the tide in the fame the water of Tiber creek may, therefore, be conveyed to the capital, and after watering that part of the city, may be def tined to other useful purposes.

The Eastern Branch is one of the safest and most commodious harbours in America, being fufficiently deep for the largest ships for about four miles above its mouth; while the channel lies close along the edge of the city, and affords a large and capacious harbour.

The Potomack, although only navigable for small craft, for a confiderable distance from its banks next to the city, excepting about half a mile above the junction of the rivers, will nevertheless afford a capacious fummer harbour; as an immenfe number of ships may ride in the great channel, oppofite to and below the city.

The city, being fituated upon the great poft road, exactly equidiftant from the northern and fouthern extremities of the Union, and nearly fo from the Atlantic ocean to the Ohio river, upon the best navigation, in the midst of the richest commercial territory in America, and commanding the most extenfive internal refources, is by far the most eligible fituation for the refidence of Congrefs; and as it is now preffing forward, by the public fpirited enterprise of the people of the United States, and by foreigners, it will grow up with a degree of rapidity, hitherto unparalleled in the annals of cities, and will probably foon become the admiration of the world, and one of the principal emporiums of American commerce.

The inland navigation of the Potomack is fo far advanced, that craft loaded with produce now come down that river and its several branches, from upwards of one hundred and eighty miles to the great falls, which are within fourteen miles of the new city. The canals at the great and little falls are nearly completed, and the locks in fuch forwardness, that in the course of the prefent year, the navigation will be entirely opened between tide water and the head branches of the Potomack, which will produce a communication by water between the city of Washington, and the interior parts of Virginia and Maryland, by means of the Potomack, the Shannandoah, the South Branch, Opecan, cape Capon, Patterson's creek, Conoocheague, and Monocaly, for upwards of two hundred miles, through one of the noft healthy, pleafant, and fertile regions in America, pro

ducinga

ducing, in vaft abundance, tobacco of fuperior quality, hemp, Indian corn, wheat and other small grain, with fruit and vegetables peculiar to America, in vast abundance, and equal in quality to any in the United States.

The lands upon the Potomack above the city of Washington, all around it, and for fixty miles below, are high and dry, abounding with innumerable springs of excellent water, and are well covered with large timber of various kinds. A few miles below the city, upon the banks of the Potomack, are inexhauftible mountains of excellent free-ftone, of the white and red Portland kinds, of which the public edifices in the city are now building. Above the city, also upon the banks of the river, are immente quantities of excellent coal, limeftone, and marble, with blue flate of the best quality.

The founding of this city in fuch an eligible fituation, and upon fuch a liberal and elegant plan, will by future generations be confidered as a high proof of the judgment and wisdom of the prefent government of the United States, and whilst its name will keep fresh in mind to the end of time, the many virtues and amiable qualities of the Prefident, the city itself will be a standing monument of their public fpirit.

The plan of this city, agreeably to the directions of the Prefident of the United States, was defigned and drawn by the celebrated Major L'Enfant, and is an inconceivable improvement upon all others, combining not only convenience, regularity, elegance of profpect, and a free circulation of air, but every thing grand and beautiful that can poffibly be introduced into a city.

The city is divided into fquares or grand divifions, by the streets running due north, fouth, east and west, which form the ground-work of the plan. However, from the capitol, the Prefident's houfe, and fome of the important areas in the city, run tranfverfe avenues or diagonal streets, from one material object to another, which not only produce a variety of charming profpects, but remove that infipid fameness that renders fome other great cities unpleafing. These great leading ftreets are all one hundred and fixty feet wide, including a pavement of ten feet, and a gravel walk of thirty feet planted, with trees on each fide, which will leave eighty feet of paved street for carriages. The rest of the streets are in general one hundred and ten feet wide, with a few only ninety feet, except North, South, and Eaft Capitol ftreets, which are one hundred and fixty feet. The diagonal streets are named after the refpective States compofing the Union, while thofe running north and fouth are, from the capitol

3

eastward,

caftward, named, Eaft First street, Eaft Second Street, &c. and thofe weft of it are in the fame manner called West First street, West Second freet, &c. thofe running caft and weft are from the capitol northward named, North A street, North B street, &c. and those fouth of it are called South A ftreet, South B street, &c.

The fquares, or divifions of the city, have their numbers inferted in the plan, and amount to eleven hundred and fifty. The rectangular 'fquares generally contain from three to fix acres, and are divided into lots of from forty to eighty feet front, and their depth from about one hundred and ten to three hundred feet, according to the fize of the fquare.

The irregular divifions produced by the diagonal streets are some of them small, but are generally in valuable fituations. Their acute points are all to be cut off at forty feet, fo that no houfe in the city will have an acute corner. The lots in these irregular squares will all turn at a right angle with the refpective streets, although the backs of the houses upon them will not stand parallel to one another, which is a matter of little or no confequence.

By the rules declared and published by the Prefident of the United States, for regulating the buildings within the city, all houfes must be of stone or brick-their walls must be parallel to the streets, and either placed immediately upon them, or withdrawn therefrom at pleasure. The walls of all houses upon ftreets one hundred and fixty feet wide must be at least thirty feet high; but there is no obligation impofed to build or improve in any limited time.

The area for the capitol, or houfe for the legislative bodies, is fituated upon the most beautiful eminence in the city, about a mile from the Eastern Branch, and not much more from the Potomack, commanding a full and complete view of every part of the city, as well as a confiderable extent of the country around. The Prefident's houfe will stand upon a rifing ground, not far from the banks of the Potomack, poffeffing a delightful water prospect, together with a commanding view of the capitol, and fome other material parts of the city.

Due fouth from the Prefident's houfe, and due weft from the capitol, run two great pleasure parks or malls, which interfect and terminate upon the banks of the Potomack, and are to be ornamented at the fides by a variety of elegant buildings, and houses for foreign minifters, &c.

Interfperfed through the city, where the most material streets crofs one another, are a variety of open areas, formed in various regular figures, which in great cities are extremely useful and ornamental.

Fifteen of the best of these areas are to be appropriated to the different States compofing the Union; not only to bear their respective names, but as proper places for them to erect statues, obelisks, or columns, to the memory of their favourite eminent men. Upon the fmall eminence, where a line due weft from the capitol, and due fouth from the Prefident's houfe would interfect, is to be erced an equeftrian ftatue of GENERAL WASHINGTON The building where Maffachusetts and Georgia ftreet meets, is intended for a Marine Hofpital, with its gardens.

The area at the fouth end of Eaft Eight street is for the general exchange, and its public walks, &c.-The broad black line, which runs along part of North B ftreet, and, feparating, joins the Eastern Branch at two places, is a canal, which is to be eighty feet wide, and eight feet deep. The area, where South G ftreet croffes the canal, is intended to contain a city hall, and a bason of water; there being a very large fpring in the middle of it.

The area, at the junction of the rivers, is for a fort, magazines, and arfenals.

At the east end of Eaft Capitol ftreet is to be a bridge, and the prefent ferry is at the lower end of Kentucky ftreet, where the great road now croffes the Eastern Branch. The Tiber, which is the principal stream that paffes through the city, is to be collected in a grand refervoir befide the capitol, from whence it will be carried in pipes. to different parts of the city; while its furplus will fall down in beautiful cafcades, through the public gardens weft of the capitol into the canal. In various parts of the city, places are allotted for market houfes, churches, colleges, theatres, &c. In order to execute the plan, a true meridional line was drawn by celestial observation, which paffes through the area intended for the capitol. This line was crof fed by another, running due eaft and weft, which paffes through the fame area. Thefe lines were accurately measured, and made the bafis on which the whole plan was executed. All the lines were ran by a tranfit inftrument, and the acute angles determined by actual measurement, thus leaving nothing to the uncertainty of the compafs.

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