St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-22

luSSd uttdllo pdIblCuldl ~
taken to meet the wants and require
ments of little Baby Ruth.
An interesting history attaches to The
old house that is to be honored thus as
the summer executive mansion. The
estate was owned originally by John
Platter and Philip Barton Key, brothers
in-Iaw, who finished building it in 1900.
Previously, shortly before the site or
the capitol was chosen, President
Washington stood on the front steps OF
the mansion and remarked that the tut
ure capitol ought to be built either upon
that identical spot or upon the Slte
that was afterward adopted on Gap
itol Hill. During Philip Barton Keys
residence there, Francis Scott key.
author of "The Star-Spangled Banner"
spent much of his youth on the place.
and his name may still be seen carved
on one of the window panes in the front
hall. Several of the oldtime presidents.
among them Van Buren,. Tyler and
Buchanan, passed some of their summer
leisure there In l947 the house was
occupied by Baron Gerault. the German
minister to the United States. Gen.
Scott selected 1t as the site for the
soldiers home of the regular army, but
owing to misunderstanding with the
owner as to terms the property was not
taken for that purpose. Likewise, the
commission appointed to locate site
for the new naval observatory decided
upon this property, but their decision
was reconsidered, and the observatory
was erected on the Barber estate, 10 the
westward. Shortly before the war,
Robert J. Walker. secretary of the treas
ury, secured the ownership of the man
sion and made some additions to IT, and
his beirs held it until 1878. when IL
passed into the possession of the Mid
dleton family, the present owners, In
connection with Congressman +. u.
Newlands, of Nevada, recently elected.
President Cleveland unWittingly ere
ated great boom for property III tnat
neighDorhood during his former admin
istration by purchasing Oak View FOR
his summer residence, and the effects
of that boom are still visible about there
on every hand. Real estate men at once
Saw the advantage and enhanced value
which the presidents habitation would
give to property III its vicinity, ana
the pressure they brought to bear
forced the then ruling district CON-
misSioners to open up streets ana
improve sidewalks in that section. Doz-
ems OF fine houses and elaborate cottages
and splendid villas sprang up like magic
on the west side Of Oak View, and it
was thought that the boom had come to
stay. But since then. despite the highly
improved roads and their macadamlzed
cutters and brick footwalks beside
them, and the pioneer" streets that
transact the grassy fields thereabout at
regular intervals, the market has been
a steadily falling one, particularly to
the east anu south of Oak View.
The large and attractive signboards
Lots for Sale, Cleveland Heights"
that meet the eye there at every turn,
seem so far to have been passed by
disregarded by the purchasing public,
and comparatively few new residences
have been built on that side nearest the
city. People say in explanation that
the real estate men overreached them
selves by putting their prices too high.
President Cleveland paid only $4,000
for Oak View when he bought 1t, shortly
after his marriage In 1886, but then it
was simply square-sided, block-shaped
stone house, uninviting and ordinary IN
appearance. With the aid of skillful
architects he completely transformed. it
into strikingly handsome place. He
gave its fiat roof tremendous pitch i'll
the center and had it painted red
whence the name, RED Top" At the
end of his term he disposed of it for
cash, realizing in addition 10 his two
years occupancy, neat and clean prott
of 100000. 4.
Since that time tie Tenallytown cleo
trio railway has been built QS90), which
Iunsfrom Georgetown up Thirty-second
street. past Oak View, to the end OF the
District line, and by means of it stran-
gers can now ride at ease out to the eX-
summer mansion in few minutes.
Last fall another electric railway was
put in operation the Chevy Chase or
Rock Creek road-abOut a mile and
half to the southeast, and now the
pilgrim or officeseeker may take MS
choice between these TWO roads
in going to "Belvoir" to coll
suit the president after office
hours. The first, by dropping him off at
Woodley Lane road-a fine thorough
fare-wll take him within three
quarters of mile OF his political Mecca.
while the second will land him on a
winding, hilly, sandy road only half
mile distant to the southeast. From
next month forward, therefore. the
wealthy residents of the Rock Creek
region, in driving their spanking
turnouts along the country roads about
there at eventide, may confidently
expect to encountet droyes and shoals
of tired, perspirlng travellers i'll linen
busters and with gripSacks OIL their
arms, footing their way painfully
through the dust and sand toward
"Belvoir," in search of a private
interview with the president.