The sun., 1897-11-07
ing is the line up:
To BE SOLD ON TUESDAY.
Riddle House to Pass Under the
Hammer.

Riddle House to Pass Under the
On Tuesday morning, November Is,
there will be sold at public vendue ono
Of the best known properties in the
state, the old Riddle mansion at Eleventh
and King streets.
The history OF fhe property is interest
ing. In 1s47, George Reade Riddle
bought from the city Of Wilmington tie
ground lying between Eleventh street
and the old Baptist Church on King
street and between King and French
streets. For nearly hundred years this
ground had been the Potter's Field and
the ground was filled with the graves of
the nameless dead. On the southern
boundary stood the old Baptist Church,
which was built in 1885, with its bury
ing ground in the rear, the white stones
overlooking the lowly graves in the city
graveyard.
George Reade Riddle was Virginian,
a civil engineer by profession, who came
to Delaware to take charge of the con-
struction of the Delaware and Chesa-
peake Canal. In 1850 he built on the
corner Of Eleventh and King streets,
from his own designs, the house which
has ever since been known as the Grid
die mansion" He took an active rart
in the affairs Of his adopted state and
served two terms in Congress as its repre-
sentative. He WAS afterwards appointed
by the governor Us senator, under the
old constitution, Which office he held at
the time of his death, which occurred in
1864, in the 94th year of his age.
After his death his widow, who was a
Nirginian also, Il Miss Margaret Opie, of
jefferson county, continued to reside in
the house her husband had built, and
which embodied SO many of his char
acteristic ideas. In addition to her love
for her home Mrs. Riddle was a strong
believer in spiritlalism, and she firmly
believed that the spirit OF her husband
yet trod the halls of what in life had
been his home. So strong was this
belief that it is said that from the time
of his death until her own, there was
not a meal eaten in the house at which a
Il cover was not laid for him.
Be this as it may, the place grad
ually acquired the name of being haun-
ted, and this: with the memory OF the
potters field, combined to make it an
ilnposs!bility to keep servants. Timid
people would 60 for squares to avoid
passing it after dark, and tho negroes
could not be hired to pass it at night.
Until 1894 Mrs. Riddle is said to have
lived her lonely life with no other COM
pany save her dead husbands spirit, and
when on Thanksgiving day Of that year
she joined her husband, the property
was without tenant. Nor, for some
reason, has there been one since. In
1895 the property was purchased by the
Catholic Church for the purpose of
building home, but there was flaw in
the title and the deal could not be con-
summated. At the last Legislature, how
ever, an act was passed confirming and
perfecting the title.
The heirs are Virginians, distant rela-
tions Of Mrs. Riddle, and the sentiment
which compelled Mrs. Riddle to cling to
her 3old home in its loneliness, though
offered $25, 900 for it, will have but little
weight with them.
George Reade Riddle was said to be
very wealthy and the estate he left ut his
death was large. He had no children,
though he and his wife are said to have
adopted two.
The William Penn Hotel property in
Christian hundred was sold yesterday by
the Security Trust and Safe Deposit Co.
The same company also negotiated the
sale Of the Rising Sun tavern. Many
bidders were present, as these properties
are among the most valuable hotel
properties in the State.
The wedding is announced of James T.
Knots to Lizzie Harrington at the CAL
vary NJ. +. Church at Sldlersville, Md,