Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-05-31
CITY AND DISTRICT.
A E-ENEAyT MEwORIAL
Proposed Eonors to the Engineer of
the federal City.


\ tardy. but inst recognition of the services
OF Major l. Ea.a.t. the French engineer, who
laid cut this city. is contemplated in the bill
which was presented in the House on the 22d
instant by Mr.. kdsson, providing for an appro-
lration to remove the remains of l. Enfant from
their present obscure resting place in the garden
Ot the country place of the late George W Riggs
and fur the erection of a suitable monument to
h. memory This action was taken at the re-
Gucs; Of Mr. W W Corcoran.
Although Congress appropriated money to paw
liIi' Tor his services and gave him piece of real
estate within the city limits. this patriotic
IreIc Gilman refused to accept it. as the work of
beauty was Ia him work Of love.
it''re T. on tie IN the office Of the Commits
s'hsF Oi Public Buildings aud Grounds in this
CIV. the original OF Major L'Eniants refusal to
accept compensation. and it reads as follows:
PHILADELPHIA, March Is, 1872
H.>TfEUEN:-f fhts DIS received your favor of
TIE l4'i Inst Informing IHe you have ordered five
hInurod EiIus3s O. be paid To- me by MeSSsTS Gun
hlaEH1In q Nfs-it, which snm you mention as
II ended IS "nttls;.;iOH. adding 10 IL lot in the
CIV Niihcu, iiquiring the principle upon which
Iou suggest this offer Slati only here testify nv
sU'ITl7'. ther up'a and ia testimony OF my ilten-
ton To decline accepting OF 1t hasten expressing
I" You IN wish diG request That you will call back
'uT tFier i"r the money and hot take any further
'u5te @bcdl The lot. l all gentlemen. your ODE
It,LI servant. p 4. LENFAST.
10 the Commissioners, David Carroll and Daniel
Stewart
NE. CoRCORAN'S LETTER
In his letter &c Congress advocating the cree
ton OF a monument. Mr.. C0rcoran says that he
knew LEuiaut personally and in the early part
o: the century saw him frequently He was
very poor and very proud" says Mr.. Corcoran
refusing To receive the small compensation Of
f:.Ted Eim. and ! believe still due him. for the
great work OF laying ont the city During the
r'H.a. rder OF his life he was entirely supported
ty Ms personal friend. Dudley Digges with
n"in he lived At NarbulJon and at Chellum
Castle Manor Tie frSt-naped place adiOins
Crt Washington. and the latter Is in Prince
George county. Md. north OF Bladensburg
Hicre lie died June 4. 1S3j
- IL haS always been my Intention" continues
lr. COrcyFan. III the government did not DO
so, to have his remains removed from the gar
cen oi the OH mansion to some more suitable
location and TO this end | applied some time
AGO To tie owner of the estate. MIR. I. l.. Riggs
Nh0 readily acceded TO my request. am sure
there = not citizen Of the United States who
would not be glad to see Congress pay this
tribute OF respect to the gallant soldier who
Planned this city. which should be called the
Garden City OF The World"
Ttse Career Of MAJOR t'Enfant.
INTERESTING PERSONAL DETAILS OF TIE GREAT
ENGINEER
One Of the most obscure characters in Ameri-
can history is Major Pierre Charles LEnfant,
whose name is remembered as that of the engi-
neer chosen by Washington TO plot the site of
the Federal City. His plan tor laying out the
city was carried out. and while in the early
years OF the republic it was REGARDED as both
eNtTaVa-aGt aCd visionary the subsequent de-
yel0FHeut and growth OF the city has fully JUS
t.htd the prophetic expectations of the san@uine
engineer. ~ is often the case with men of
genius. l. kGiint lived IN advance of his time,
ana u = Ie!t Tor later generation to recognize
bis abilities and to peTpecuatp his name. The
story OF his life. as far it can be- gathered
iFcni the Scafty materials which are available.
J, an FAtFehti " sad one. exhibiting as it does,
81" tragedy OF disappointed ambition
But little Is definitely Known as to when or
where I.FnianJ vas born. except that, ne was
Dorm soIneD here IN France. The probable date
a. lis trth is 100. as stated in Mr.. Corcoran's
letter. above quoted. He was q young officer
In the French line. and he came To America
about the YEAR III. and. joining our reyolu-
t,UnaTy forces. was wounded at the assault on
Savannah, under the Count dEstanu and made
prisoner IN 1ta2 he was exchanged for Lieut.
De Heyden, OF the .AUspach Yagers. His parole
III tFrHCA AMI English Is StIll cXtant. The
greater part Of tac French contingent set sail
from America soon after this time but Lieut.
i. EuanT. remained "a voluntary resident of
the country, and became major of engineers in
CUR army in 1883.
Philadelphia ut the close of the war of the
Revolution was the most tiourshing city in the
country. and Robert Morris was not only the
merchant prince of the time. but also the fiscal
agent OF the government. Here was situated the
United states bank. which he controlled. Mr.
Morris determined to build Grand private resi-
Cence Tor himself on Chestnut street Phlladel-
phia. taking up the whole square between Sth
ana 9TH stress. ard back to SAMSON aud Wall
nut streets Mr.. Norris who was a member of
the FIRST congress. which met in New York
made at that time the acquaintance of Major
J. tElant, who had superintended the recon-
struction of the old city hail. which stood at the
head OF Broad street. facing Wall street. into
ltI"fssl nal Tor the accommodation of Con rrpSS
III consideration Of the services rendered hy
MAJOR IEnfant the mayor OF New York wrote
hlIn very complimentary letter on behalf of
TIE cry. making him freeman and giving him
Ten acres OF ground upon the commous" At
iAa' t!ae this land was not considered imme-
Clateiy available and the young Freuchman did
I15 take II up, but seems To have preferred a
m"G"y compensation Instead: and there are
NaTlpuS letters from Alexander Hamilton Rob-
ert Morris. and other men of note cOunsel;nc
him about his pay 1t appears that lie got next
10 nothing fUr his services
ROBERT MORRIS FOLLY
Congress moved from New York to PhiIafei-
phia. aud l. Eniant appeared there as the privi-
legged guest of Robert Morris. The acquaintance
began III New York became mere intimate, and
g. the wealthy merchant unfoIded his ideas he
fouR' in |. Enf;at's quick and ready apprehension
the means Of carrying them into execution and
Uf realizing las ambition to erect splendid and
stately private residence. Major l. EnIant then
TO more than thirty years OF aye. undertook to
build this mansion for Mr. Morris for the sum OF
SGA.CP- The material was to be marble and
The gO>Sipy chrOniciers of the day said that the
cellars under the house were three stories
deep, which was probably an eyaggeration of
the !deJ- tHdt ample provision was made for
wine vaults Pictures OF the house. now extant
show al ob!onE building. altogether unlike the
houses Of that day. but much like those of the
Present, with pavilion projections at the cor
hers, recesseS iOE architectural pOrticOs. and the
Steep French rOOt OF the present date The
house gives the first instance ever seen on the
western continent of the mansard roof. which
fa- since become so common.
Long before the house was done the owner
va ii jail. and tie materials were nsed to
lG.id other houses. The immediate cause Of
his downfall and Imprisonment FOR debt was his
TccSicSS speculation in the public lands of the
different state- Inch were hastily disposed of
under the government of the cOntederation
The correspondence between Mr.. Morris and
Major Lfn.anT shows thai he had invested the
latter salary and eFnuluments in the shares of
fhe haih. where they we're lost in the common
ruin At this period. however, the young
fTenCtman WAS too much cngrosSed in the CAV
society of foreign spectators and American pol
Elclaus and promoters who thron9ed Phiadel-
phiI, 70 Complain ~ his loss In after wears he
wrote bitter letters to Robert Norris who was
then lying IN the public spOnging house .harrass-
~ between his hopes Of profit and his fears of
smallpox, which had broken out in the Jail and
his letters show an humble though polite spirit.