The daily gazette., 1875-04-07
From the Philadelphia Ledger
The W0shin0t0n Mansion.


| The question as to which house
Washington occupied in this city dur
ing his term of Office as the first Presi
dent of the United States, was the sub
ject of recent address by Mr'Na
thaniel Burt, before the Historical
Society, and is now printed in pamph.
let. Mr.. Burt is the owner of the
property, and, by reference to his title
deeds, he fixes the identical site of the
Washington mansion upon the spot
now occupied by the stores No. 524 to
$50 Market street. He gives u fac
sinile of the plan made for Robert
Morris, the owner of the washington
house." in the days Of its occupancy
by the President, so that all uncer-
tainty on the subject may be consid-
cred at an end. Apart from the merely
antiquarian side of this investigation
ID Is curious to see how the picture of
the times is reproduced in the address,
with the suggestive description OF
what, in 1890, constituted the require.
ments of house good enough for the
head of the Government The antici-
pated removal of the capital from New
ork to this city caused great in
crease of values, and Washington him
self wrote to his private secretary
The house of Mr. Robert Morris had
previous to my arrival, been taken for
residence. 1t is the best they could
get. II is the hest single house in the
city" 1t was 42 feet wide by 65 feet
deep, with kitchen 81 by 20, and had
IN extensive coach house and stables,
fi.of II
dental mansion. Besides, Washing.
ton love OF horses and his large wealth
led him to crafty his taste beyond
even the limits of the stables Of his
own residence, That had room, as he
writes, fcg twelve only," and Mr..
Euyt leports a Northumberland ira
d'tion that Washington had no less
than fourteen horses at livery stable.
Ii there were, in addition 10 those in
his own stable, it is net surprising that
this was the topic, accordingto Stuart,
the artist, which seemed to interest
him more than any other. The rent
OF this house and grounds was three
thousand dollars year, which Wash
ington insisted on paying himself, for
as he wrote, to occupy the premises
at the expense of any pablic body, l
Will not y and thus he defeated the
intended gift Of the city. A compari-
son With she present value of money
and the present rental of houses, even
the best in the city, will show what it
took out of Washington's pocket to
maintain his perfect independence in
this respect. 1t is curious, too, to note
the gradations with which, in those
days, his movements were marked by
the number of his horses, according to
the dignity or etiquette of his business
| Or his visits. His elegant coach, bull
in London for John Penn, and by him
brought here when he was living il
this city-bsught In t0ra By the Penn
/ sylyania Government, who gave it K
Mrs. Wasnfngton-this he drove in tc
Christ Church every Sunday morning
with two horses When he drove Il
Lsnsdowne (now in the Park, where
the Binghams lived, and 10 Bush Hill
to visit Vice President Adams, or tc
belmont, TO see Judge Peters, the
coach had four horses and when ht
drove to the Senate it had six. All his
servants, and they were numerous, al
was natural in man used 10 the lavish
attendance of Virginia plantation
were white, and wore liveries of whit,
cloth, trimmed with scarlet or orange
During his term Of office Washington
continued to reside in the house desig
mated, with intervals of absence a
Mount Vernon, and on tours or dut,
or pleasure, until Msreh, 1877; and 81
from 1880 until he finally and gladl,
relinqulshed public life, the old Mar
ket house was the scene OF his officia
receptions and of his private and sim
pie social and domestic life. Mr.'Bur
gives graphic picture of both thu
Drawing rooms" or levees and re
ceptions, which, in those days O.
almost unspoiled simplicity, the trav
ellers, whose accounts furnish the de
scriptions, that now seem very modes
and inexpensive. 1t was from thu
house at Sixth and Market, that Wash
ington came to Congress Hall, at Sixtl
and Chestnut-the building still stand
ing opposite the Ledger u1ficc-to bic
farewell to the Representative of thu
nation, when he was succeeded 10y
john Adams as President. Severa
years before, however, Robert Morris
sold the Market street property, il
order tn undertake II great house 70
himself on the square of ground be
tween Seventh and Eighth and Ches
nut and Sansom streets. 1t changed
hands again in 1882, and then the ole
building was taken down, and nov
they are in the heart of the bushes
part of the city, SO that soon it will b.
only tradition of the past that tha
was once the court end of the town.
Death of Col. James Page of PliiIa