During the Civil War, this part of Washington was the heart of the city, where hay for horses, produce, live chickens, hats, clothing, and other necessities could be found. The triangular area nearby was called Major Space, and the sprawling City Market stood where the National Archives is today, with the haymarket just west of it on Ninth Street in a world dependent on horse-drawn vehicles. Along Pennsylvania Avenue, small stores stood between some of the city’s most popular boarding houses and hotels, while Seventh Street served as the main route for farmers bringing produce to and from the city and, during the war, as a strategic route for soldiers traveling to some of the sixty-eight forts surrounding Washington. Pennsylvania Avenue also linked the White House and the Capitol, and for more than a century the crossing of these streets served as the city’s town square.
