Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-04

KEY House IN GEORGETOWN.
During the time that Mr.. Key was attorney
for the District Of Columbia he lived in a large
brick houae, No. 351s. on what il now known as
II street. but which has III days gone ty been
known Bridge street. because il WAS the street
which led to the old Aqneduct bridge across
the Potomac. and was ptevi,us to the building
on account of the fact that II was the road
to Little Falls and Great Falls as we'll
This house, in which Francis Scott Key lived.
is 6 t least one hundred and fifty years old.
Many years before Mr.. Key occupied the house
George Washington stopped in 1t over night.
Its foundation walls are four feet thick and
above the foundation the walls are fully
eighteen inches through all the way to the
caves.
IT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY BUILT.
A builder locking over the house once said:
''This house was made. not thrown together"
Even the partition walls are Of eighteen inches
solid brick. In the chimneys alone are enough
bricks to build an eight-room house as houses
are at present constructed. and there are
enough bricks in the whole house sufficient to
build six eight-room houses NJ the present day.
Above the pavement the house has two full
stories and an attic Of four rooms and beneath
the pavement is q basement, the rooms Of
which are plastered and prepared for living in,
but which are rot now used, and under this
pdsciHcilt Is CciitI 80 tudt tuib ucuso may Do
said to have five stories. In the cellar is an
old, monstrous brick fireplace and crane. by
which the kettles we're swung on an off the fire
in that age of SO many boiled dinners.
The bricks of which this house is built are
Of the large, almost cubic pattern, Of which
the old Christ Church where washin gton wor-
shipped in Alexandria is constructed, and like
them, were brought from England. Although
this house has been occupied BY so prominent
man az Francis Scott Key, the builders name
l.. TT
ney Of Georgetown, who has lived there all his
long life, and has written CHRONICLES Of
Georgetown" does not know.
THE HOUSE AT PRESENT.
A STAR reporter went to the door Of the Key
residence one morning this week for some in
formation ahout the old house and the Key
family. He raised the knocker and letting IL
fall he was soon pleasantly received by Mrs
Nicholson and her daughter, Mrs. Fisher, and
ushered intoa hall of ten feet width. where
dances were held in Mrs. Keys day. In this
hall is a large arch at the foot Of a wide stair
These people who now dwell in the house
have occupied it thirty-eight years, having pur-
chased itin ls5sfrom the heirs Of Mr.. Key. They
were glad TO tell about tie house and the neigh
borhood.
At the left Of the hail is a window, and on
one pane of glass, scratched with a diamond.
are few words. which suggest little romance.
IL Is very natural To suppose that young man
JUST ie"''he ''ie nouse Ser"''hsa 'Ne" 'ners'
soAAehln oN "iSDo" FAME
AVG "'i1' arg sne'e
MARIA IL. hey,
o. remember me-"
On the right side Of the hall IL the large old
| fashioned parlor, almost twenty feet square.
The windows in it have been changed some
since Mr.. Key lived there. One window has
| been altered so as to be used q store window
and the other window made into door. This
room is, however. used As parlor at present
| Theee ars the only changes made in the front
of the house, SO that it ia about IS Of old.
Mr.. Keys law offcs was In the wing at the
west side CT the houre. There it WAS that his
son, who had run away from home and married
his own cousin, informed his father OF his we'd
ding. The room is about fourteen feet square
and the ceiling Is about eight feet high. There
IL door opening on the street, and the room,
so Large and airy, must have made an admira-
| BILE office.
| just above the office room is q window be.
tween the two chimney, which merge into one
Immediately over it. From this window Mrs.
FISHER informed the reporter that one Of Mr..
Keys daughters who had come to the house
Iour oI nse yesrA Ego .oia Nor she sna the
and csnss their fstbsr mch .n,Stx S hss.uo
the roof was Of such steep pitch that they wers
likely to fall.
| USED TO PLAY GHOST
l. She aIso told Mr., Fisher that nm d.rt NIGHT,