The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-18
IN LAFAYETTE CIRCLE.
VICE PRESIDENT HOBART HAS
TAKEN A RESIDENCE THERE.

The Duel Between Decatur and
Barron-SOme OId-TIme ROmances
and Tragedies.
| Washington, April 15.-It was announced
some weeks ago that Vice President 10
bart had leased "Belmont"-the hand
some gray-stone house standing in ex-
tensive grounds at the head of Four
teenth street; but it seems that some hitch
| occurred in the final arrangements and
the nearly completed bargain was de-
| clared Off There is no doubt about this
present arrangement, however, for the
lease has just been signed, which puts
| the Hobarts in possession for a term of
years Of ex-senator Cameron's longtime
residence on Lafayette square
No house in Washington is better adapt
| ed to the needs of the Vice Presidents
| family and the great amount of entertaiu~
ing which naturally devolves upon them.
Within a stones throw of the white house
and almost exactly in the center of the
| city it is much more conveniently sltuat-
ed than Belmont" and equally desirable
| as a residence, the beautiful, well-kapt
park in front amply compensating for its
lack of grounds" For eighty years the
| Cameron house has been famous in the
social annals of the capital Built soon
after the war of 1912 by the late Ogle Tay.
loe who occupied high positions under
the government and whose wife was
| leader in society in the days of Dolly Mad
| ison, its reputation as a center of all that
is brightest and best in the highest circle
| of Washingtons society has never been
| dimmed. In the half-century between the
days of the Tayloes and the CameroIs
many brave men and beautiful women
| have found home under its roof. The love-
| ly Lily Hammersley, now Lady Church
| i'll and formerly Duchess of Marlborough
was born in it, and Commodore Price Of
| the navy during his years of residence
| there gave many banquets as astonish-
| ing in their way as the Bradley-Martin
| ball.
! The Camerons have always been lavish
| entertainers, the second Mrs Cameron
| having been belle, both before and after
her marriage to the senator from Penn
| sylvania. She is a daughter of the late
| Judge Charles Sherman of Cleveland, and
| niece of the two more celebrated broth
| ers, Gen. w. Y. Sherman and the new
| Secretary of State Much of her girl
| hood was spent in the Washington home
| of the latter, and there she met Don Cam
/
marriage some twenty years ago, was one
| of the most brilliant events of the time
! BY the way, it is said that the senator's
| retirement from public life is a great dis
appointment to his wife. as it removes
her from the life she loves to the stock
| farm near Lochiel Pa, where they are
! going to reside.
The house they have leased to the IIo-
barts is large and light-colored with big
rooms and plenty of them, where large
| functions may be given without crowdins.
| Close by on one side of it, the elegant
| new opera house occupies the cite of the
old Blaine mansion; and in the old-fash-
| toned red brick on the other side Col.
| Robert G. Ingersoll lived for several years,
| where his weekly Saturday evening re-
ceptions were the largest and most inter-
esting ever held by an unofficial resident
| of Washington.
Indeed. every inch of Lafayette square
| is historic grounds and most of its dwell
| ings are among the oldest in the district
| No doubt visitors wonder at the antique
| structures in this ultra-fas hionable local
| ity without guessing the traditions that
| Turk in their shadows. 1t was right here
| that the pioneers of Washington aristoc-
| racy laid the cornerstone of their grand
| eur and nearly everybody who was great
or distinguished in the early political or
| social circles has at some time been
| numbered among its residents. One whole
walks and grand old trees, is faced by
the white house and its grounds; in fact
| IL originally belonged to the executive
| mansion domain, or was so intended by
| the munificent designer Tradition says
| that the matter came to the notice of Mr.
| Jefferson, the second President. who oc-
cupied the white house, and according to
| his notion of republican simplicity sucn
| a vast stretch of door-yard was unpar-
donable extravaganza. So the portion
which now comprises Lafayette SQUARE
named from the equestrian statue of La
| fayette in the middle-was cut off from
| the presidential enclosure and became The
| nucleus OF an ultra questionable neighbor-
| hood as well as a most delightful retreat
| in the heart of the city. just 100 years
| ago G79O an oval-shaped race course oc-
| cupied the west angle Of the square and
thence proceeded across the avenue.
| where the magnificent state, war ana
| navy building now stands, to Twentieth
| street Late In 1912 the square was an
| unsightly common, given over to cows ana
| militia musters. The white house, the
| first building ia the neighborhood. had
then been standing dozen years or more,
| and Mr. Tayloe was making up his mind
| whether TO build in that comparatively
lonely spot. or over In more fashionable
| Georgetown.
During the administrations Of Adams.
! jefferson and Madison up TO the period
/ utlve mansion remained unfinished.
! fence of wooden posts and rails enclosing
| the grounds, the whole establishment
looking as II q were the outgrowth OF
great expectations and limited means.
/ Happily. British incendiarism swept it ont
| Of sight. and with its rebuilding. other
! edifces more fitting the aspiring burg
4 spraug up around the square. The ievO-
| tionai element OF the new community
shaped itself Ia the little brown church at
| the northwest corner Of the park. that
stretched les spiro far above the ordinary
| architecture OF the day. 10 is known 7s
/ 81. Johns. ana Is stir the most fash'ona-
/ bly, exclusive church la District Of Co.
mmhia. from which Christ himself woull
! surely be- excluded II he came IN the
| clothes he used 20 wear. Here the ray.
| loes. the Madisons. the Monroes w0r-
| shiped-but none OF the later Presidents.
! believe. except that accident OF fate.
/ Chester a. Arthur
Biun Old Commodore Decatur the naval
hero whose residence. across me square