When researching various parts of the Hill, the most interesting part is when some intriguing character becomes involved in the story. Often, they make for better stories than the actual landmark under scrutiny. This certainly goes for Lieutenant Colonel Franklin Wharton, who is far more interesting than the wharf that he owned briefly around the time of the Burning of Washington.
Although the first attempts to build a wharf along the SE waterfront were not marked with any great success, the location soon did become an important one for shipping on the Anacostia river. Over the first years of the 19th century, wharves sprang up left and right of the end of New Jersey Avenue – and, more importantly, where the canal emptied into the river.
For most of the early years of the new capital, the waterfront between 3rd and 4th Streets Southeast was owned by Thomas Blagden, James D. Barry, and Griffith Coombe in various combinations. However, for three years – and right during the burning of Washington – part of it was owned by Franklin Wharton, who is an interesting character and worth looking at.
Wharton was born in Philadelphia in 1767 and was a Lieutenant of the Marines in 1798 when the Marine Corps were formed. He quickly rose to the rank of captain and served during the undeclared war with France that had broken out, until its end in 1800. Four years later, Wharton was made Lieutenant Colonel and commandant of the Marine Corps. He was the third man selected for this position, and the first to have the honor of residing in the Marine Commandant’s House in the Marine Barracks.
In 1813, amid his real work of dispatching Marines around the country to help in the fight against the British, Wharton found time to buy a part of the waterfront a few yards from the Navy Yard. He bought it from Griffith Coombe, though for what purpose is not known.
Wharton’s Wharf is shown in on the right in this detail of an 1833 painting by George Cooke (LOC)
The following year, the war found its way to Washington, and Wharton had to evacuate the Navy Yard just before it was burned by its commander, Thomas Tingey. On board a small vessel, along with his paymaster, Wharton paddled down the Anacostia and past his wharf, on the way to Fredericktown, MD (today Frederick) – and safety.
Three years later, this trip would come back to haunt him, when he would be court-martialed by Archibald Henderson. Henderson felt that Wharton had neglected his duty and behaved dishonorably during the attack on Washington. Wharton was acquitted, but died a year later – and was replaced by Henderson.
What, exactly, happened to Wharton’s wharf is unclear. Some records show that the wharf was sold back to Coombe, but ten or so years later, Wharton’s heirs owned a substantial chunk of the square on which the wharf had been.
Today, nothing remains of the wharf. Even the waterfront has moved. The wharf was in what is today a parking lot just north of Water Street near the corner of 4th Street SE.
Robert Pohl will be speaking about DC Urban Legends on the Kojo Nnamdi Show this Wednesday, noon – 2. Tune in!