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What Did K Street Look Like in 1850?

There was a time when Washington, even the city itself, was very rural. Imagine livestock roaming the streets, unpaved roads, and small farms in the District.
Silver Spring, Maryland, circa 1927. National Photo glass negatives marked "Jordan & Co." Among the new construction shown here is a National Guard armory. National Photo Company Collection.
A 1901 design for the memorial bridge by Edward P. Casey and William H. Burr, accepted by the Secretary of War but never constructed.
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The watercolor below was painted by Montgomery Meigs in 1850. It depicts a slightly more bucolic and peaceful life on K St.

View from the 2nd story of the residence of Mrs. Comre. John Rodgers, Franklin Row, K Street at 12 & 13 Sts, Washington, D.C., overlooking the backyard and adjacent neighborhood, and showing children standing on balconies
View from the 2nd story of the residence of Mrs. Comre. John Rodgers, Franklin Row, K Street at 12 & 13 Sts, Washington, D.C., overlooking the backyard and adjacent neighborhood, and showing children standing on balconies

Take a look at a map of the area from 1888. This is the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of the area. You can see Franklin Alley in square 285.

1888 map of Franklin Square
1888 map of Franklin Square

Also, we came across this old classified advertisement in the Baltimore Sun, published on Wednesday, December 8th, 1841.

1841 real estate advertisement for Franklin Row
1841 real estate advertisement for Franklin Row
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