Before The Yards / Yards Park - Part 1 / Griffith Coombe

When one visits the new Yard Parks, you will not find many references or historical signs relating to the history before the Navy Yard.  When D.C. was still in its infancy the Navy Yard was confined to the area around 8th St SE before it began its expansion westward towards New Jersey Ave.  Before the expansion occurred there was a sugar refinery that eventually became a brewery, a school and the headquarters of the commanding general of U.S. forces before they fled the British in 1814.  The ‘headquarters’ were not within the walls of the Navy Yard - in fact the ‘headquarters’ belonged to a private citizen named Griffith Coombe.

Griffith Coombe was among the list of early prominent SE citizens and was socially connected with Thomas Law, Frederick May, and other influential men of Capitol Hill and other parts of the city.  Coombe’s himself was a very successful man of business – some of his dealings were with banks, bridges and turnpikes.  He was married to Ms Mary Pleasonton, the aunt of General Alfred Pleasonton who went on to command cavalry troops at Gettysburg.  

Mr. Coombe's house was located on the corner of Georgia Avenue (today’s Potomac Ave) and 3rd St SE – basically right around the Yard Park probably right in between what is today the ‘Lumber Shed’ and the ‘Foundry Lofts.’  His home was built before the seat of government was moved from Philadelphia and was for many years before the move the house was the center of wealth, elegance, and culture.  General Washington, Presidents Jefferson and Madison were said to have dined, slept in his house and were not strangers to his generous hospitality.

As mentioned above the most notable historical point of Mr. Coombe’s residence was that in 1814 when General Winder and what was left of his army retreated before the British and crossed the Eastern Branch he set up camp on the ‘plain generally known as the Navy Yard Common.’   General Winder chose for his headquarters the house of Mr. Coombe and it was in his house that he received up until the time the army fled the British invasion: President Madison, Secretary of State, Mr. Monroe, the Secretary of War, General Armstrong, Commodore Tingey, Commodore Barney, and many other distinguished persons.  Eventually the house fell into disrepair and was eventually torn down – most likely as the Navy Yard expanded west.  Mr. Coombe died in  1846 and is buried in the Congressional Cemetery.

Of note – while walking through the Yards Park a few weeks ago I found a small piece of broken pottery.  I’m not an expert in pottery but this does not look like a dinner plate made in China in 1985 and sold at K-Mart.  The pottery was found in the area where the house was located.  If someone out there can determine when this pottery was made that would be awesome.  Not saying it is from the early 1800s nor am I saying its not from the 1970s but I find it strange that pieces of ‘old’ looking pottery keeps coming up through the ground where historical features of SE used to be located.  Below is a picture of the pottery.