Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-05-13
homogeneous Landscapes. Therefore
the two lower stories were added.

the two lower stories were added.
The house originally was surmounted
with garnet, a tall, sloping roof and
dcrmer windows. Some vandal, to mod
ernize the appearance of this most sa-
cred relic. replaced the garnet roof and
dormer windows with mansard roof,
which deprived the building of the ap.
pearance of antiquity to which it was
| entitled. It is known that the resi-
dence originally stood upon beautiful
terrace. 'ascended by stone steps; but
there is no picture of the original build
Ing extant. The house originally stood
alone and was surrounded with hedge
fences. similar tn those which adorn
the beautiful Mount Vernon home of
Washington even until this day. A
great deal of the best property on capt.
tol hill was purchased by Washington,
Jefferson, Carroll and other prominent
men, who believed that great city
would rapidly grow around the capitol
and other federal buildings. In this
they were mistaken, because the city
has grown away off to the northwest,
and property on capitol hill is not even
yet of great value.
George Washington's Federal City
residence was built after the masonic
idea, facing east. 1t stands upon a par
allel with the capitol building, upon
what is now North Capitol street. In
that early day, looking from the front
of the house, the eye rested upon a
| plateau of meadow land, which was
bounded by the horizon-tipped hills of
Maryland. To-day, looking from the
front windows of the house, the view is
| INSTRUCTED by rows of brick houses;
and all around the place there have
been builded residences, houses of
merchandise, factories and public
buildings, while the original village has
grown into cityhood. There are more
than three hundred thousand people
now residing within the District of Co.
| ]umbia.
For many years the celebrated house
has been used as third-rate or fourth
rate hotel. The local newspapers have,
from time to time, suggested to con-
gress the ACCESSIBILITY of purchasing
this building and preserving it for its
historic associations. The congress,
however, is not sentimental, but prac-
teal; and there seems no likelihood
that anything will be done in that d.
rection. For many years the house in
which Abraham Lincoln died was used
as boarding house, and only in the last
few years has an association been
formed to preserve it. Nothing has been
done, and nothing now seems likely to be
done, to purchase or perpetuate this
historic place.
| The old roof line is plainly visible,
although the modern mansard sets in
on both sides, and forms an obtuse angle
where it joins the original line of COW
ering. An additional building has been
erected on the north side Of the house,
but the bricks used are SO different that
no amount of painting can obliterate
the line of demarkation. Viewed from
the back yard, some of the original
| foundation stones can be seen at the top
of the second story. The house now
contains 10 rooms, but originally there
were only 30 apartments.
If George Washington could come
hack on earth to-day, he would un-
doubtedly be surprised to find his orig.
inal palatial residence converted into
boarding house, with the big recep.
tion-room fixed up as a hotel office;
fire escapes along the south front, and
q balcony clear across the second story,
where his foundation stones were laid.
He would find no bronze knocker on the