The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-03
THE PRESIDENTS PURCHASE.
A Bleak and Barren Place to Which to Take
N Bride.

Bride.
Special to New York World.
The formal transfer of the Green estate, on
the Tenallytown road, recently purchased by
President Cleveland as a summer home for his
bride, was made to-day by Marshal Wilson An
architect will take charge of the place within a
and making it habitable. Mr.. Cleveland does
not desire to change the house or add to il. He
simply wants the woodwork fixed up and the
house put in a perfect state of repair.
The cottage Is on the Tenallytown road, at the
corner Of Woody lane. The Tenalrtown road
Is turnpike road between Georgetown and
some of the outlying small towns of MARYLAND.
Tenallytown is a little settlement of half a
dozen houses about q postoffice, store and a
saloon. The road is dark red cash through
high terra cotta-colored clay banks, runs from
the Georgetown Convent nearly straight north.
Pretty Prospect" the name OF the Presidents
matrimonial bower. is three miles from the
White House, and about mile and half from
the terminus of the Georgetown street car line.
West of the Tenallytown pike the scenery is as
beautiful anywhere about Washington. The
ground is rolling woodland, which breaks every
now and then into abrupt spurs.
1t is hardly probable the President will use
this place for regular residence. 1t is more
than likely that he will use it place where he
can have an occasional supper to which he can
about the White Honse. 1t is too bleak and for
lorn for regular residence. 1t is Jeffersonian
simplicity gone mad. The land surrounding the
house is a red cold clay. filed with coarse gravel
There is not patcn of good tillab'e ground in
the entire twenty-eght acres. The entrance
is through cutting in small en-
bankment. There is no gate at this en-
trance. 1t is open to everybody. Green
posts with barbed wires make the fence which
surrounds the place The private way winds
nd all of Oak ND
then climbs small hill, reaching the house at
distance of about forty rods from the main
entrance The house is upon bare, unshaded
hill THE west side of the house is half COW
cred with ivy. In front of the house is long
Hill covered with a scanty growth of poor. thin
grass The lower part of the hill is clear gravel
and clay. There are one or two small trees in
front of the house, but they are not lage enough
to afford any good shade or protection.
Back of the house there are half dozen more
trees. These run in a line to a small implanted
barn, which is beaten black by the weather The
house itself is a two-story cottage OF stone. 1t
is nearly square building aud contains per-
haps eight rooms, exclusive of an attic chamber
Then there is small back building containing
the kitchen and two rooms for servants. The
walls are of a common yellow-gray field stone
They are not thick. / should think the place
would be of the hottest inside of forty mile
range OF Washington in the middle of July
day. At night it will probably be cool, as the
point is high and commands sweep of Wash
ington. ranging from the Capitol up to the State
Department and dowDthe river as far as Alex
andria
The front part of the house is shaded by a
narrow porch; from this porch extends the land
scape, after which the place is named Pretty
Prospect" 1t is probable that it was II is view
which captured Mr.. Cleveland and made him
look upon the property as desirable. The price
which he agreed to pay for the place. $2l 800. is
a large one. The house might be worth So, 600
A house as good that conla
certainly be built for $1,000, 6,000
1t will require the disbursement OF at
least S. 600 or Sc 900 to make the place habitable
for the President and his bride. The land is be-
yond any hope of redemption. 1t is cold and
Improbable the fields of civil service reform
The house is an elevation which commands a
turn in the road. He can who is coming sew
eral rods away. ard. with the inexhaustibe sup
ply of stones at hand, it will be his fault if
he does not succeed In driving off any section of
Office seekers or curious callers who may try to
invade his bower.
feel quite well convinced that If Miss Folsom
could make a visit in I'D rance of the marriage "a
Pretty Prospect" she would decline to 60 on
with that interesting ceremony until the place
was disposed Of No lady would consent to re
main out there for any Mngth of time if she had
the choice of living in town. 1t is bleak lonely,
desoiate, and unromantic. When the wind does
the force of hurricane. There is thunder.
storm nearly every night in this region in the
spring and summer, and if one ls at all nervous
ana sensitive. life upon the exposed top of this
hill certainly would have great drawbacks.