James Lawrenson was the longest tenured government employee at the time of his death, in 1890, having worked as a Post Office Clerk for seventy-one years. In addition, he served the people of Washington, D.C. as a Justice of the Peace, notary public, and local newspaper correspondent for The Baltimore Sun. James lived during a time of great national growth, and witnessed, first-hand, defining moments in our nation's history. The story of James Lawrenson is a glimpse not only into the life of the man, but also into the life of our nation's capital during the nineteenth century.