Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-09-08
RICHMOND In 1900.
AROs-EYE VIEW or THE CITY AND
or ITS PEOPLE.
eRchy Description of the virginia CapI-
II Eighty-Nine Years Ago, with
Mention of Many of Its People.
For tho nlspnich.i


mwalks about our beautiful city 70
this about many Of the people who
nv, here in the distant past--who were
diSguished IN their day and whose
livhave been conducive 10 the pleasures
an'happincss OF those who have como
up the arena OF life after them. And
cen try TO imagine Richmond as it
aparcd years ago and 20 view il as il
wsat that time-with only few houses
sciered hero and there in the then
cotry surrounding it. which is now
flr mp with elegant residences and is
incled within the city limits. Well.
lot g. suppose we are now in the CITY
pDo the first Of the century, and what
10 see ? The majestic Capitol IS
here We arc charmed with tho beauty
Of its-oportions and its chasto style OF
architelrc and, when we 20 upon top
OF it 81 May morning ami turn our
ewes totds the west We gaze upon a
landscaOf iranscendent beauty, bathed
an tiuW lovely green. and diversified
withlls and dales, through which like
ser thread ripples and bubbles over
tkalls our historic river. West OF the
Apitol but few houses are seen.
FAMOUS HOUSES
Streets are not laid off as ut present,
out there are country roads coming
down Broad and Nam streets to the
market-house down town, one of which
runs trahsvorsely across the Capitol
~auarc. which * common, without a
ace around it fthe present one was not
nat up until 1870. ignorant Of the beau
tifving effects OF landscape gardening,
clothed only in its original natural beau
" OF green sward and forost-trees. You
see the old Washington Tavern. now the
St. Clair Hotel, near by, whose site is
the best ono in the city on which TO
build "A new modern hotel On the square
above Won see the two adjoining houses.
one Of which is now occupied by Gene
raj James Mcdonald, built aud Occu-
pied hy Mr.. Solomon Jacobs, a wealthy
citizen of that day. Right opposite Is
the house Of Mr.. Fitzwilson, one of the
city fathers aud on the corner OF
Seventh and Grace, whore the Luther
an church now is, yOu see Ierpsichore
Hall. a long wooden building where the
bellies and bcauX often met TO trp 1.-the
LIGHT fantastic too IN the maZcs OF
the merry dance" or. perhaps, with
more gravity TO walk the stately mlnuette
10 the music of negro Ministries. Farther
on vou see the low wooden residence OF
Chancellor George Wythe 0ong since
unlled down. situated on Fifth street
in the midst Of yard and garden, ON
brecipg what is now the whole square
between Fourth and Fifth streets and
Greco and Franklin. Afar of, where
the college now Is, appears the stately
mansion OF Colonel John Mayo Bellville,
where princelv hospitality was dispensed,
and where Major General Winfield Scott
led 10 the altar the fair daughter Of the
house. Towards the southwest, beyond
the penitentiary just about TO he built,
WAS Belvidere, one of the residences OF
Colonel William Byrd, and now occu-
MED bv Mr.. Webb, the treasurer of the
State. and nearer towards tho river and
Byrd Island, on Fifth street, were three
fine houses, occupied 10y Colonel Jones,
Colonel Thomas Mann Randolph. OF
Tucknhoe. and Mr.. George Nicholson.
At the foot OF Fifth street you see the
VIRGINIA ArmOry recently completed and
burned at the evacuation IN 1863. The
house Of Miss Mckenzie now Pinel
UOspitaO stands way out IN the
country. Colonel Haryie's, Judge
MarshalPs. Colonel Carrington's, Mr..
Ambler's. and few other houses,
with capacious grounds around,
woro The only good residences IN the
northwestern part of thu town. Doubt
less there are other houses which my
ewes have not rested upon, which
omission might perhaps be supplied by
old Mr.. Peter BERNARD, now ever ninety
wears Of age, Mr.. George Fisher, Dr.
Greed Thomas, and other old gentle
men in the city, ns well rs 10y my friend
Colonel Frank &. Ruflin, who knows
more about the history of Virginia which
is not contained in the books than any
man ! know of.
At the corner OF Ninth and Broad
streets. where Blair's drugstore now Is,
was a building in which a few years
later. on the 22d of May, 1907, Aaron
Burr was tried for treason against the
United States Government, Chief JUS
tice Marshall presiding. and III which
There waaa display of forensic talent sur
passing almost any trial that has ever
taken place in the history of our country.
Beniomin Bolts thc father of John
Minor Bots, Edmund Randolph, John
Wlckham. John Baker, and Luther Mar
tin. Esdulres. we're the counsel of Burr,
and George Hay (who lived IN the house
on Ninth street now called Ford's law
building. Or Boale's old house,, VII
liam Writ, and Alexander McRao were
the counsel for the United States
WILLIAM WRIT
In this trial Mr.. Writ gave ut
terance to his very beautiful de
scription Of Blannerhasset's Island,
which at once stamped him as a
transcendent orator, and it has been
copied in all the school-books on elocu-
lion and elsewhere from that time until
now ns an oratorical gem OF the very
first water. Right opposite stood land
still stands what remains OF lt) the old
Swami Tavern, the Fifth-Avenue OF ITS
dav. where perhaps more men after
wards becoming distinguished and re-
powned soiourned for a season than ever
were IN any other one house IN the
United States. George Washington,
Thomas jefferson, Patrick Henry, James
Madison. the Lees, General Lafayette,
md many others OF their compeers were
plests Of the house, whose wisdom, elo-
ou.nce. and patiotism did moro to prevent
therrsud Kingof England from enslavnS
these provinces and to start our Govern
ment upon its career OF freedom than
din any others of our lllustrous men
who were their able coadjutors.
IN Broad street near Second was the
old Rrackett's Tavern, where the farmers
visiting the city with their produce IN
their large old-fashioned covered four
ana six-borse wagons, did mostly con
qrecate and perhaps if you had gazed
intently along the winding. road that
comes down Broad street from the di-
rection Of what Is now the Exposition
Grounds. You might have seen what is
-. -, I'm these dnYs. but was quite