Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-05
CATAWBA'S ORIGIN
This Grape Was Named Here in the
District Of Columbia.
INTERESTING STORY OF JOHN ALBUM
How He Developed the Best of
Native Vines.
A FRIEND OF JEFFERSON'S

Few of the thousands of people who pass
| to and fro on the Chevy Chase road know
| that within a few rods of the point where
they cross Pierce's Mill road is ground of
quite as much historic interest as any bat
tleffeld could be. 1t is the spot where the
CataWba grape was originated and dissem-
mated throughout the western continent.
Here was the home for quarter of a CEN
fury of Maj. John Album, a prominent fig
ure in the history of American horticu-
ture.
For two hundred years the early settlers
in this country had been trying with sue
cessive failures, to introduce and acclima-
tie the grapes of Europe 1t remained for
Maj. Album, in the District of Columbia
to develop the grape-growing industry ex-
perimentally and spread throughout the
country a knowledge of the first native
American grape that could be cultivated
successfully both for the table and the pro-
duction of wine.
Three other native American grapes have
up to this time been discovered-the Con-
cord, the Delaware and the Niagara. All
OF them are valuable, each for different
qualities and characteristics, but none OF
them combine all the advantages of flavor
color quality and ability to keep and ship
as the CataWba does. while the after is
an excellent grape for the production of
wine.
The spot where Maj Album had his vine
yard lies to the west of the Chevy Chase
road, distance of perhaps thirty or forty
rods, and on the south side of Pierce's Mill
road. The name of the place, which orig
inally embraced several hundred acres, has
for nearly a hundred years been The Vine
yard" The old house in which Mai Ad-
lum lived stands upon hi near the road
commanding magnificent view to the
south and east over the wooded slopes that
descend to Rock Creek valley.
Some Old Trees.
a few steps from the door stands chest
nut tree, a grand old monarch of the for
est, which grew from a Spanish chestnut
which George Washington gave to Maj.
Album. Every fall it bears load of
splendid large chestnuts, e5ual to those
which are imported in such large quanti-
ties from France and Italy. Not far away
stands probably the largest English holly
to be found in the District. 1t is fully
foot through at the trunk and stretches up
thirty-five or forty feet.
The terraces of the vineyard are still to
be seen where Maj Album for so many
years pursued his labor of love in the cul-
ture of grapes. There are ten acres of land
in the tract and it slopes abruptly to the
south. The soil is a stony, mellow clay
loan. and does not have the appearance of
excessive fertility. Around on all sides
tower the magnificent white oaks growing
thriftily in the soil that seems too barren to
utilized q choice place on which to raise
corn ard potatoes, which it does without
any special fertilization from year to year.
Not ii vestige is to be found in the vineyard
Of the thousands of vines which once grew
there. All have long since died and rotted
away. The Vineyard is now the property
of a syndicate, and in a few years will
doubtless be covered with suburban resi-
dences.
OF Maj Album himself the American pub
lie cannot think too well. He was a of
great dignity of character, having high
ideals for himself and a benevolent desire
to contribute to the welfare of his country.
A Revolutionary Soldier.
He was a native of York. Pa, and en-
listed in the revolutionary war at the age
of seventeen, serving bravely through that
struggle Early in life he came under the
influence of DR.. Joseph Priestly. from whom
he acquired knowledge of chemistry
which of special service to him in
his agricultural operations He made one of
the first maps of the state of Pennsylvania
and was general in the state militia and
associate judge of Lycoming county. In
1I9S Maj. Album moved to Maryland to
| make his home near Georgetown. In 1873
| he married his cousin, Miss Margaret Ad-
| lum. daughter of John Album of Frederick
| Md. Two children We're born of this union.
| Mrs. Cornelius Barber and Mrs. Hatch
| Dent. Mrs. Adlumia Sterrett, the wife of
| Prof. j. McBird Sterrett of Columbian Uni
NtlSitS, JoHlI ftuiuNl DdTDeT OF 81. Mary 8
| county Md, and Mrs. J. w. Henry of
| Georgetown are grandchildren of Maj. John
| Album. The beautiful Allegheny vine, or
| smoke vine of the Appalachian fora, was
named Adlumia after Maj. Album.
Major Album spent the last years of his
| life at The Vineyard" where he died
| March 3. 1896 Major Album was a hand
| some and is described by those who
] saw him in life very tall powerfully
| built, with a f1orid complexion. light hair
| and blue eyes and smooth-shaven face
| Mrs. Henry has a fine oil portrait of Major
| Album painted by Rembrandt Peale not long
after the close of the revolutionary war
| Joseph Barnes. who is now in his eighty
| sixth year and living with relatives on the
Broad Branch road not far from Rock
Creek Park is probably the only person llv-
| Ing in the District who remembers John
Album living. He says he worked for him
and Joshua Pierce many day. Major Adj
lum, notwithstanding his size was very
1nfi nrnal md