D.C.'s Historic Eastern Market

Opened in 1873, Eastern Market in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, is the District’s oldest, continually operated public food market. It has been looked upon by locals as the area centerpiece for more than a century.

By Denise Purcell

The neighborhood landmark, which features year-round food merchants as well as outdoor farm stands and vendors, experienced a major setback when it was damaged in a three-alarm fire on the morning of April 30, 2007, resulting in its two-year relocation to a nearby tented annex during remodeling. The majority of the damage- which totaled nearly $20 million, reported The Washington Post at the time- occurred in the South Hall, the market’s original 19th- century brick building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Led by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, city leaders pledged support to restore the market for merchants and the local community, and it reopened on June 26, 2009. “The market is as much a meeting place for Capitol Hill as it is a place to shop. It’s a part of everyone’s social life,” says Donna Scheeder, committee chair for the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC). “Part of the neighborhood’s Thanksgiving tradition is getting their turkeys at Market Poultry, for instance. They know the lines will be long but they don’t care because they’ll see people they know and have fun.”

The Basics of
Eastern Market

The South Hall, the building that suffered a partial roof collapse in the fire, contains 13 indoor food merchants who sell an array of produce, poultry, seafood, beef, specialty sausages, made-to-order sandwiches, cheese and dairy, pastas, condiments and locally roasted coffees among other products. The North and Center Halls act as a community and arts center, as well as a venue to host meetings, events and even wedding receptions. On the weekends, an open-air farmers market offers produce and fresh flowers from farms in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware, in addition to vendors selling antiques and handmade arts, crafts and jewelry.

Applications for new outdoor vendors are reviewed every six months by EMCAC, explains Market Manager Barry Margeson, who works for the Department of Real Estate Services (DRES), a government agency that owns and runs the city market. Among other qualifications, “outdoor vendors need to provide unique foods that can’t be found in other markets, and we look for foods that are easy for people to carry as they walk around,” Margeson says.

Inside, availability for new merchants is much harder to come by as the South Hall is occupied by many long-term food stalls, some dating back before World War II. “Most people have been here for 50 years or more,” Margeson adds.

One family of merchants in particular, the Glasgow family, has a history with the market that goes back generations. Five of the 10 Glasgow brothers reportedly worked at Eastern Market starting in the 1940s, including William and Raymond Glasgow, owners of Union Meat, and Charles Glasgow Sr., owner of Southern Maryland Seafood. Today the family operates four stalls, including the original Union Meat, run by William’s son Bill, and Southern Maryland Seafood, run by Charles’ sons Charles Jr. and Richard. Bakery stall Fine Sweet Shop is owned by sister-in-law Jennifer Glasgow and Market Lunch is owned by Thomas Glasgow, Charles and Richard’s brother. The latter has been an Eastern Market institution since 1985, where best sellers such as crab cakes and Blue Buck pancakes made with blueberries and buckwheat are served cafeteria-style at a 30-seat community table.

Another family with roots in Eastern Market is the Canales family, who operate Canales Quality Meats, previously named a top butcher shop in D.C. by Washington Magazine. Its selections include Angus beef, sausages, smoked bacon and local smoked hams. The family also owns Canales Delicatessen, a full-service deli specializing in sandwiches, homemade salads, empanadas and specialty meats such as bratwurst and Argentine sausage; and Eastern Market Grocery, where more than 20 varieties of raviolis and more than 15 flat pastas are available along with fresh sauces and packaged specialty items.

“You read a lot about shoppers wanting an experience,” says Scheeder, “meaning they want a personalized encounter. That’s exactly what they get from these merchants who have been here for so long. They’re the heart of Eastern Market.”

The Products

Maryland Chevre, Cherry Blossom Cupcakes, Bay Scallops and More

Here’s a look at some of the indoor specialty food merchants who have operated in Eastern Market’s South Hall for years.

Southern Maryland Seafood

Established in 1936, this family-owned merchant has been a part of Eastern Market for three-quarters of a century. Charles Glasgow Sr., who at one time managed Eastern Market and is credited with its revitalization (See 138-Year History sidebar on p. 68), bought Southern Maryland Seafood in 1941; sons Charles Jr. and Richard handle operations today, and grandson Scott (Charles Jr.’s son) is the third generation to work the stand.

Eastern Market is Southern Maryland Seafood’s only location to sell its vast selection of fresh and frozen seafood that includes sablefish, bay scallops, bluefish fillet, whole Atlantic salmon, rock shrimp, swordfish, mussels, red snapper and catfish, among many other varieties of whole fish and fillets.

The vendor’s clientele extends well beyond neighborhood residents into the D.C. Metro area and beyond, but Charles Jr. says the core customer base consists more of locals than tourists at Eastern Market. “Customers come here from across the area, from Virginia, West Virginia, Annapolis, just to buy the seafood, and we source it wherever we know we can find quality,”
he stresses.

Bowers Fancy Dairy Products

This merchant of domestic and European cheeses and artisan dairy products has been a part of the Capitol Hill neighborhood since 1964.

Operated by Ray Bowers and his son, Mike, Bowers offers an array of international cheeses, such as Kerry Gold Aged Cheddar and Irish Porter cheese, as well as U.S. artisan and local varieties including Humboldt Fog from Cypress Grove Chevre, Arcata, Calif.; Grayson, a Taleggio-style cheese with a reddish-orange rind from Meadow Creek Dairy, Galax, Va.; and hand-dipped chËvre from Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Co. in Boyd, Md. Along with cheese, Bowers also sells local dairy products such as heavy cream from Lewes Dairy on Delaware’s Eastern Shore and fresh country tub butter from Pennsylvania, plus cheese accompaniments such as p‚tÈs from Les Trois Petit Cochons and Montmartre.

According to manager Jack Cully, who jokingly refers to himself as Dr. Cheese, the stall enjoys good neighborhood business from residents, particularly on weekends. “We’re the only cheese store in the area,” he notes. “We get a lot of people coming in because they’re having a party.”

Bowers attracts an engaged clientele who are encouraged to taste the artisan varieties on offer, so staff is generous about passing out samples to people standing in line or trying to make a selection. “In a market like this, you can’t beat the traffic, but it’s really the quality of the customer that’s important,” says Cully. “We have many people who will pay $45 to $50 per order.”

Fine Sweet Shop

In 1997, Jennifer Glasgow assumed ownership of Fine Sweet Shop, which has operated in Eastern Market since 1965. The bake shop offers an array of baked goods prepared in-house by Glasgow’s four-person staff. Its menu includes mostly classic desserts such as pineapple upside-down cake and bread pudding.

To keep pace with the cupcake trend that has hit D.C., Glasgow offers 12 kinds, including Red Velvet, German Chocolate and Strawberry, and creates varieties to tie in with special occasions such as Cherry Blossom cupcakes offered during the annual D.C. festival of the same name. Southern classics such as sweet potato pie are among the best sellers, along with items such as coconut brownies and ginger cookies. Also on offer is a selection of breads such as challah and farmbread and rosemary loaves that are prepared or arrive par-baked from several D.C. area suppliers, says Glasgow.

A changing Capitol Hill demographic has helped grow steady day-long traffic, she says, especially on weekdays when the bakery serves a mostly residential crowd, starting with bagels in the morning through lunchtime sandwiches and afterwork drop-ins looking to pick up a dessert or special-occasion treat. “The area has become more upscale. There used to be no coffee shop on the street and now there are four,” she notes. Eastern Market’s own history plus its proximity to the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall also brings in heavy tourist traffic, especially on weekends when the outdoor market and crafts are available, Glasgow adds.

Future Plans

Eastern Market’s outdoor market could eventually be extended to encompass a weekend flea market at a nearby school, Scheeder reveals. EMCAC is also looking into different events to generate excitement at the market such as the recent appearance of Food Network’s Top Chef truck over Memorial Day weekend.

“We’re always looking at different things that help to strengthen the market’s identity as a fresh food destination,” Scheeder says. |SFM|

Denise Purcell is editor of Specialty Food Magazine.

This article was featured in the July 2011 issue of Specialty Food Magazine. See other articles in this issue at: July 2011 Specialty Food Magazine.

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