Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-30

Facts In the Life Of L'EnEant,
= the Author of the City's Plan.

A NEGLECTED GENIUS.
Interesting Facts In the Life Of L'Enkant,
= the Author of the City's Plan.
4 THE HISTORICAL RESEARCHES OF MIR. HUGH T.
| TA0GARr THROW A FLOOD OF LIGHT UPON
THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF A MAN WHO
OUGHT TO BE BETTBR KNOWN IN THIS CITY.
! The members Of the Brotherhood Of st.
Andrew Of Christ Church, Georgetown. had the
pleasure last evening of listening to an inter-
esting paper on the early history of the Dis
trict, and especially of Georgetown. It was
read by Mr.. Hugh T. Taggart. the assistant
district attorney, whose researches into the
early colonial history Of this vicinity has made
him an authority. Mr.. Taggart has perhaps the
most valuable collection of books and documents
on this subject that is now in the private
library Of any individual. He is not only well
informed, but his antiquarian enthusiasm
makes him an interesting talker as well as
writer. He displays great literary skill in pre-
senting the facts. which he has dug out from
the musty records OF the past, and introduces
many incidents which relieve the bare recital
of the facts. II is impossible to do Justice to
the paper which he read last evening by any
mere summary. There was one portion which
related to Maj. L'Enfant, who was the author
gave many facts heretofore unknown about the
career of this eccentric man Of genius On
this subject Mr.. Taggart spoke as follows:
THE SITE on THE POTOMAC.
ain the year 1889 the subject of location
for the permanent seat Of the government of
the United States largely occupied the atten-
ton of Congress, and various places were
active in competition for the honor of being
selected. among them Baltimore. Annapolis,
Philadelphia, New York, Wrights Ferry. on
the Susquehanna; Yorktown, west of the Sus-
quehanna: Harrisburg. on the Susquehanna
Reading: on the Schuylkill; Germantown, in the
neighborhood of Philadelphia; Wilmington,
Del. and Georgetown, on the Potomac. On
Tuesday, September s. 1889, petition was pre-
scented TO the House of Representatives from
sundry Inhabitants of Georgetown. contain
ing an offer to place themselves and
fortunes under the exclusive jurisdiction of
Congress in that town should be selected
as the permanent seat of the government of the
United States. and in the Senate on Monday
June rs. 1890, representation of Robert Peter lin
behalf of himself and other inhabitants ofGeorge-
town. stating that the town to be exceedingly COM
modious and eligible for the seat of government
was read. The act finally establishing the per-
manent seat of government of the United
States at some place on the Potomac between
the mouth of the Eastern branch and Conogo-
chegue passed July IL, 1890. The act au-
missioners. who under his direction should
survey and by proper metes and bounds de-
fine and limit a district or territory not exceed
ing ten miles square within said limits.
The newspapers of October e. 1880, chron-
icle tine fact of the arrival at Georgetown on
the previous Friday of President Washing
ton. and that in company with the principal
gentlemen of the town he set out to view the
adjacent country in order to fix upon a future
situation for 1.-The Grand Columbian Federal
City" and that he left on Saturday for the
Great Falls and Conococheague; the papers
also state that since the visit of the President
bets run high in favor of Georgetown.
THE SURVEYORS ARRIVE.
The Georgetown Weekly Record of March p,
1871, contained the following items: "Some
time last month arrived in this town Mai. An
drew Ellicott. gentleman of superior astro-
nom. al abilities. He was appointed by the
President of the United States to Law off tract
Of land ten miles square on the Potomsc for
the use of Congress. He is now engaged in
this business and hopes soon to accomplish the
object OF his mission. He is attended by Ben
jamin Banniker. an Ethiopian, whose abilities
a surveyor and astronomer clearly prove that
Mr.. Jefferson's concluding that race of men
were void of mental endowments was without
foundation"
"wednesday evening arrived in this town
Major Longfont French gentleman employed
by the President Of the United States to survey
the lands contiguous to Georgetown, where the
federal city is to be built. His skill in matters
of this kind is justly extoled by all disposed to
give merit its proper tribute of praise. He is
earnest in the business and hopes to be able to
lay plat of that parcel Of land before the
President upon his arrival in this town.
Both of these gentlemen, J. 'Enfant and Eli
which attended the founding of the city of
Washington The original plan of the city was
prepared by L'Enfant and submitted in 1871 by
President Washington to Congress, which was
then in session in Philadelphia, where the plan
was greatly admired Ellicott assisted LEN
FAINT in making surveys in the city and thus be-
came familiar with the details Of the plan.
L'ENFANT FEELS sLIGHTED.
The appointment of L'Enfant in the first in
stance directly by the President led him to
suppose that he was accountable to no other
authority. He refused to recognize the right
of the Commissioners Of the city to control his
actions, and this disagreement led to his with
drawal from connection with its AFFAIRS he
took his plat with him, and the Commissioners
were left without plan. He was succeeded as
surveyor of the city by Ellcott. who was di-
rected by the President to prepare plan. As
L'Enfant refused the use Of the original it
could not be exactly reproduced Ellicott.
however. was able from his knowledge of it to
prepare a plan. which. though somewhat variant
from the original. substantially In accord
ance with its design, and became the plan of
the city.
Maj. L'Enfant always felt that lie had been
robbed of the credit to which he was entitled as
the protector OF the plan. and although Ellicott
is not to blame in the matter, it is impossible
to read the memorials of the time without .
feeling that upon the whole L'Enfant, who
had entered upon his duties with zeal and
enthusiasm which was remarkable, was not
fairly treated.
The plan upon which the capital has de-
veloped and grown within the past 100 years
into a marvelouslv beautiful city, whose at
fractions are increasing every year, Is I'M
doubtedly his The majors memory has been
too long neglected when we consider the double
claim which he has on the American people,
especially those of the city Of Washington, as
gallant soldier of the revolution and as the de-
signer of this plan. 1t prepared with the
idea and with the expectation on the part of
the founders of the city that the ma
tional government would devote the same
and attention to the Identification
of its capital that other nations displayed with
respect to theirs. 1t was projected upon a
scale of magnifcence in the width of the
streets which made it impossible for the NUM-
cipality unaided to make provision for the
paving and keeping in repair of sidewalks and
carriageways of the extraordinary width con-
templated. yet for upward of three-quarters of
a century the corporation of the city Of WASH
ington exhausted its funds in a hopeless effort
to do So 1t was not until several years after