Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-30

architect being Latrobe, the maste. mind
OF our uneaualed Capitol. 1t remains to
this day substantially unchanged. and 8
one of the most elegant interiors In the
city. The exterior Is extremely plain. The
grounds are spacious and entirely inclosed.
When Decatur came to reside in Washing
ton he had all the fame and fascination
that always attach to the hero Of battles
and Of victories. These were supplemented
by the unusual attractiveness of his wife.
She was beautiful and highly educated, and
despite the shadow of her birth. had been
the reigning belle of Norfolk. She had ele-
CANT manners and splendid conversational
powers. Jerome Bonaparte offered himself
to her. but she refused him, on the advice
of her friend. the Hon. Robert G. Harper.
who assured her that the Emperor Napo-
leon would never recognize such a marriage.
when Jerome afterward married Miss Pat
terson Of Baltimore. The Decaturs at once
became social leaders. but for only sin
gle season
On leaving her house on LAFAYETTE Square
after her husbands death, Mrs. Decatur
leased 1t to Baron Tuyl the newly arrived
Russian minister. He was an epicure and
a martyr to the govt. He gave no large
he SAID: washington, with its venlson.
WHO turkeys. canvas-back ducks. oysters.
and terraoin. furnishes better viands than
farls, and only needs cooks"
Baron Tuyl left Washington early in 1925:
and Henry Clay. Secretary Of State to John
quincy Adams. took the Decatur house
ne IurAlSheQ IL very elegantly ana lived IN
the style betting his position. Aside from
this house Clay had no home at the capital
nut lived at the National Hotel. In room
NO: ~. In which he died on June o. 1857
occupfed by Alexander H. STEPHENS. with
equal credit lived his successor in both office
and home, Martin Van Buren,. Upon his
leaving the cabinet after two years OF SER
vice. Edward Livingston Of Louisiana sue
ceeded him. and for an equal period made
this now famous house one Of the most
attractive in the city.
After having sheltered three Secreta rfes
Of State and the representatives Of three Of
fhe greatest Nations Of Europe-Russia.
F'neland ard FrnncA-this horse was oc-
cuD'ed nv John Gadshv. proprietor OF the
National Hotel: nv Josenh Gales. one Of the
owners NJ the National Tn+a'l'sencer: hv
Howell Cobb. John A. and JONES G. King
and William Annleton. all Of whom ma,n-
tanned with credit its social prestige The
latter was especfally noted for his benevo-
lence. One winter his hrtler told HIM that
his wood. which was piled on the sidewalk.
was rapfdlv disanpearing. IT think" ne
said. at had better not be put away while
the weather remains so cold" Its last
tenant before the civil war was Judah p.
BENJAMIN; then Senator from Louisiana:
Of war, and finally, secretary Of state to the
confederacy.
During the civil war this house was rent
ed by the government and used for Offces
At the close Of the war Gen. Edward Fttz-
gerald Beale bought 1t. but still rented IT
to the government not moving into II I'M
til early In President Grants second term
IN 1873. In 1876 he went as minister to AUS
tria. and on his return the next year MS
house became the center Of all that was
best in Washington society He was a
grandson Of Commodore Truxton. under
whom Decatur. the builder Of this house.
had served as a midshipman. Gen. Beale
died on April % Of this year. and thus the
doors that have onened to nearly every
President from Madison to Cleveland and
to all the greatest men and most beautiful
women Of America and Europe for three
quarters ~ century. are for the present
closed to the public