United States Statutes at Large/Volume 3/14th Congress/2nd Session/Chapter 18
[Obsolete.]
Chap. XVIII.—An Act authorizing the sale of certain grounds belonging to the United States in the city of Washington.
The superintendent to lay off that part of the public reservation of ground described.
To sell half the lots, &c.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the commissioner for the superintendence of the public buildings in the city of Washington be, and he hereby is, authorized to lay off into building lots all that part of the public reservation of ground in the said city, numbered ten, lying on the north side of the Pennsylvania avenue, between Third and Four and an Half streets west, embraced by the whole of the front of said reservation on said avenue, and extending back, or northwardly, not exceeding two hundred feet; and, under the direction of the President of the United States, to sell any number of such lots, not exceeding one half of the whole number, and the avails thereof to pay into the treasury of the United States; and in such sales the commissioner is hereby directed to reserve to the United States every other lot, except in particular cases it may be expedient to sell twoCondition of sale. or more contiguous lots; but all sales made in virtue of this act shall be under and upon the express condition, that the purchaser shall build and finish, or cause to be built and finished, within three years from the day of sale, a good and substantial brick or stone house of not less than three stories high, exclusive of the basement story, nor less than twenty five feet front, and in failure of a compliance with the said conditions, or any of them, the lots so sold shall revert to the United States, and the party failing shall incur a forfeiture of any and all moneys which may have been paid for the same.
Appropriation of the moneys arising from the sales.Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That the moneys arising from the sales aforesaid be, and they hereby are, appropriated to the payment of any moneys which may hereafter be expended for the public buildings and public improvements in the city of Washington.
Approved, February 24, 1817.