The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-10-21

DANIEL WEBsTER's HOUSE.
verdure between the southrfront of the
white house and the Washington monu-;
ment.
Although this park was set aside in
of the great French patriot.
who came to America ndsaided Wash:
ington and the revolutionary forcfa-:
theirs in their struggle for liberty and
independence; it has been called hyt
many people Jackson square, and Isl
referred to by this name by many peo-t
pie even at this late day. This. dual
name of the park arose from the. fact
that in the center of the parallelogram
there is asplendid equestrian statue of
Andrew jackson, 'bypClark Mills. The
Jackson statue has been in place for
about 40 years; and that is long enough
to induce observant persons to. give the
name of the soldier. statesman and
president to the park.
Within the past few years, however.
at the southeast corner of the park,
there has been erected beautiful
bronze statue of Lafayette, and the peo-
pie are beginning to note from that fact
the historic fact that Lafayette park
is the proper name of the place.
At the time of the American revolu-
ton this was but an insignificant part
of great farm which was owned by
David Burns. In 1890, President Wash
ington selected this section of land for
the executive mansion, and stated that
it was his wish that the park opposite
the presidents house should be: named
after his friend, Marquis de Lafay-
cite. When Maj. L'Enfant prepared his
plans for the capital city of the new re-
public, he marked the name of Lafay-
cite on his drawings for that particular
spot, by direction of Gen. Washington,
himself. It was then believed that the
grand plateau east of the capitol would
be the ground on which the principal
part of the city would be built, but there
were many shrewd people then living
who realized the fact. that all future
official society would circle around the
president of the United States,s rather
than around the congress, and so they
bought their land and builded their
homes in the vicinity of Lafayette park.
Even when the British soldiers marched
past this place to sack and burn the
white house, there were many men of
note and women of distinction living
in homes of their own about this his
toric corner.
With every succeeding decade and
generation the senators, ex-senators,
cabinet ministers and ex-members of
the cabinet, as we'll as the officers of the
army and navy, and others of wealth
and note, have built their homes around
about and contiguous to this park, until
to-day it is the most famous place in
the city.
On the northwest corner there were
three stately residences. One was &C.
cupied by William L. Marcy, secretary
OF war under President Polk, and secre-
tary of state under President Pierce,
and when he retired he was succeeded
in this and the adjoining house by the
secretary of state under Buchanan,
Lewis Case, who, like Marcy, had previ-
ously held the war portfolio. In the
third mansion dwelt Reverdy johnson,
minister to England; and there Presi-
dents Buchanan and Harrison were en-
tertained prior to their inaugurations.
The great double mansion adjoining,
OIL II street, was built by Matthew st.
Clair Clarke, long clerk of the house of
representatives, and afterwards it be-
came the home of the British legation.
Here lived Sir Bulwer Lytton and his
not less famous son and secretary,
"Owen Meredith" who wrote here his
most celebrated poem, Lucille" In
later years the house was occupied by
Lord Ashburton, who, with Daniel Web
ster, assisted by Featherstonhaugh
drafted the "Ashburton treaty" which
defined our Canadian boundary. A still
later occupant was John Nelson, attor-
ney-general in Tyler's cabinet.
On the corner of Sixteenth street is
st. Johns Episcopal church-a famous.
landmark. It was built after the war of
1912, with the earnest encouragement
of President Madison, and for nearly
two generations it was the Court
church, attended by every president
before Lincoln. President Arthur was
also among it's parishioners.
Across Sixteenth street are residences
of two well-known productive authors,
Col. John Hay, Lincoln's secretary, and
his immediate neighbor, Henry Adams,
grandson of John Quincy Adams. In
the next house long lived Senator
Sl;dell, before he was confederate am
bassador to France.
The corner house Immediately ad-
Joining that of Slidell was owned and
occupied by Daniel Webster during the
whole period when he was secretary
of state, and it afterwards became the
home of the philanthropist, William
w. Corcoran, who, during the civil war,
rented it to M. Montholon, the French
minister to this capital. IL ,.,>
Facing the northwest corner of La
Fayette park, and diagohally opposite
to the residence of Daniel Webster, is
the antique solid double house which
Commodore Decatur built after the
war of 1912 and in which he died in
1870, on returning from his duel Ct