The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-05-10
PHiLADELPHlA's WHITE HOUSE"
History of the 500, 90 Marsion Built for
the Presidents Which Proved to be
White Elephant.

- 'NAS uS1OU,VV MANSION BUTT Tor
the Presidents Which Proved to be
White Elephant.
"hen the capital was removd from New
YORK to Philadelphia in 1890, chiefly
through the influence of Robert Morris,
provision was made for the sessions of
congress in the building then recently
erected at tho southeast corner of Sixth
and Chestnut streets, and for the Federal
courts in the building at the southwest
corner of Fifth ana Chestnut streets, says
a writer in the Philadelphia Evening
Bulletin. 1t was not quite SO easy to find
suitable house or executive mansion for
the President. When Washington heard
that house ON the south side of Market
street, between Fifth and Sixth. owned
and occupied by Robert Morris, had be en-
selected by City Council for the new
official residence he was inclined to ex-
press some dissatisfaction over the want of
proper accommodations. The mansion
had been the abode of a variety of inter-
esting characteristic home of Richard
Penn, the headquarters of General Howe
and Benedict Arnold, and seat of
French diplomacy when Holker lived
there AS the consul general of France. 1t
had also been partly rebuilt by Morris
after fire, and was considered as the
best single one in the city. But it does
not seem to have contained more than
fourteen rooms, all told, at the time it
was turned over to Washington for ocou-
patton with the assurance that additions
would be made to it Immediately. Indeed.
SO cramped was he with his family for
necessary room that Lis private secretary
Major Lear. and wife haa their lodging
apartments in one room on the third fioor
while the Major had his public office on
the same floor.
| Ninth street ut this time was in a semi
rural portion of the city ripening for sim.
provement. On the site now occupied nv
the post office it was proposed that the
State of Pennsylvania should erect n
building for the President, which should
be in accord with the dignity of his high
office. There is record of an act of the
Legislature, passed September 80. 1871,
| by which 100000 was appropriated for
such a building. This was very large
appropriation for the time. No other
editice of the character Of residence had
cost ESQ much Thus the value of the
Presidents house ON Market street when
sold in 1895 was s37, 900. When Morris
started to build his celebrated Folly it
was thought that $50, 600 to $50, OO0 would
amply cover the cost of whnt was intend
ed to be the finest private mansion in
Philadelphia, 1t will thus be seen that
the outlay which the Pennsylvania Legis-
lature ordered WAS an unusually heavy
one, and in proportion to resources and
to the value of money was hardly less than
equivalent to million dollars at the
| present time.
| In May, 1893, the corner stone of the
mansion was laid. and in the winter of
| 1862 it had almost reached completion.
Nearly simultaneously with it's construc-
ton, the famous architect and engineer,
Major L'Enfant, who laid out the origi-
nality of Washington, was building Nor
ris's Folly on Chestnut street. 1t would
| seem that with the downfall of Morris
the house on Ninth street shared the same
failure of it's purpose that overlook all
| the ventures in which he had been con-
cerned. 1t was thought that in time it
| would be occupied by Washington. But
he declined third term just before it
was finished, and both his official and
personal disposition while he lived here
| was to discountenance extravaganza and
to avoid anything like ostentation at the
! public expense beyond his ceremonial
visits to Congress. Thus he paid for the
| Market street house at the rate of $3.50 a
month; he insisted on paying it punotilli-
ously, and, indeed, was unwilling to
move into it until the rent had been
named, SO that he would not be under the
| enc rininn of N, 0hiaat of a fa
| itism. 1t is not probable that he gave any
particular encouragement to the Ninth
street house, and it is certain that he
never occupied 1t in his capacity as Pres1.
dent, for when he went out of office he
was still tenant of the Market-street
| house.
| The Ninth street house was, however,
rendered to John Adams on the eve of his
entrance into the presidential office.
Governor Miff1in addressed him note, in
| forming him that Gin the year 1871 the
| Legislature of Pennsylvania directed
house to be built for the accommodation
of the President of the United States.
Permit me to tender 1t for your accom-
| mediation and to inform you that, al
though l reglet the necessity of making
any stipulation on the subject, shall
consider the rent for which you might OBJ
| tain any other suitable house in Philadel
phia (and which you will be pleased to
mention) as sufficient compensation for
the use OF the one now offered"
But Adams declined to have anything
to do with the house. So far as it exhibit.
ed repect on the part of the State for the
U MON, it was, he thought, worthy Of ac-
acknowledgement. His tone was crisply
courteous. He declared that he enter
tanned great doubts whether by candid
construction of the Constitution of the
United States he was at liberty to accept
it, and that as there was no time for APP
plication to Congress, whose authority
and Intervention he regarded as indespen-
sable, he would ask the legislature to ao-
cept his apology for declining their OTTER.
Adams, of course, having lived in the
city as Vice President, was familiar with
the circumstances of the construction of
the building. He was probably living at
| this time, or Just before he became Presi-
dent, at the Indian Queen Hotel: After
his Inauguration be followed Washington
| as tenant of the Market-street house, and
remained there until just before the close
of his term he went to Washington, occu-
| pied the new presidential mansion IN the
xviIdorpoec IF tha potomac. and waited for