Northern Liberty Market

The Northern Liberty Market, later called Convention Hall Market and Center Market, was located on the east side of 5th Street NW, between K and L, in the present-day Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It operated from 1875 to 1974.

Northern Liberty Market used to operate at Mount Vernon Square, one of the busiest parts of town at the time. This market was a collection of what was described as "dilapidated sheds". On September 3 1871, the market was torn down by order of President Ulysses Grant to General Orville Babock, Superintendent of Public Buildings and Grounds for Washington, DC authorizing Governor Alexander Shepherd. . It was to become a public park before being later replaced by the Carnegie Library in 1903.

The Governor had planned to destroy the market. When the vendors learned about his plan, they appealed for an injunction. He counteracted their action with some political influence. The market by that point was guarded day and night by armed men in what looked like a siege of war. At night, the men laid down their arms a few hours only before Governor Shephard arrived with two or three hundred men at midnight with torches. By morning, the market was completely torn down.

Claims were made by several vendors in Court. The District of Columbia was not held responsible. Rather Governor Shephard was held responsible for the destruction of the market. But Congress paid the demands as a gratuity by an act passed January 26, 1897 for a total of $392,215. Some payments were made before Congress passed a resolution suspending the payments. Finally, twenty-five years later in April 1899, checks totaling $125,346.35 were paid out to the few surviving victims and their descendants since many had passed away by then.

A new Northern Liberty Market is built in 1874 on K Street NW between 4th and 5th Street NW, a couple blocks from the old market. Built on a site previously called "Savage Square". The land was purchased at the time for the enormous price of $100,000 and the building was built at a cost of $150,000. It was designed by architect James H. McGill.

The building was 324 feet long, 126 feet wide, 35 feet high on the side and 85 feet high in the middle. Due to the marshy land, the foundations were made of stone sunken to a depth of 12 feet. The walls were made of red bricks and the entire roof made of wrought iron weighing 209 tons.

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