One of the most iconic buildings in Washington is the US Capital. Its design and history will be covered at another time but in this post I wanted to discuss some lore about capital hill in the past. The Standard History of The City of Washington From a Study of the Original Sources has some interesting folklore about the future city
The site where our National Capital now spreads its streets and avenues was formerly the center of the one-time powerful Algonquins, the sub-tribe of this great family having their village here being the Powhatans. They were in possession when Captain John Smith explored the region and had been for hundreds of years previous to that time. All the tribes of the
Algonquins met in council here and the place of these national meetings was on the delta between the Potomac and its Eastern Branch. The council-house stood at the foot of the very hill on which now stands the lofty American Capitol. The Indians also came here in great numbers during the fishing season and called the vicinity their “fishing ground.”
Audacious predictions for cities are not uncommon in American history. Founders of Seattle named the foundling town Alki New York, the New York of the west. Even in the 1600s people had premonitions about the future of this city
Francis Pope, named his place Rome, and called a small stream at the foot of his hill, Tiber River. It is told of this dreamer, that he predicted a greater capital than Rome would occupy that hill and that later generations would command a great and flourishing country in the new world. He related that he had had a dream or vision, in which he had seen a splendid parliament house on the hill, now known to us as Capitol Hill, which he purchased and called Rome, in prophetic honor of the great city to be.
His title to the land may be somewhat convincive of his prophecy, as it was deeded under the name “Rome,” June 5, 1663.
It reads: “Layd out for Francis Pope of this Province Gentleman a parcel of land in Charles County called Rome lying on the East side of the Anacostian River beginning at a marked oak standing by the riverside, the bounded tree of Captain Robert Troop and running north by the river for breadth the length 200 perches to a bounded oak standing at the mouth of a bay or inlet called Tiber.”
His furrows have long since given place to streets and buildings; his’ stream still flows in the old course, less glorious, perhaps, though more useful, as it now serves the modern use of a city sewer.
The Strolling Historian 