The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-26
TN AMBIENT GEORGETOWN
Prominent Residents of the City in
Years Long Gene By.
The Marriage of tho Youthful Miss
knrsn B"disco-GenernI Tributes
TO Her Beauty-The RosednIe Es-
trte-fnciecnts of the Revolution.

Almost two centuries ago Dumharton
Rock. above Georgetown, was crowned
: with wigwam, in which dwelt Celtic
Bell and his Indian wife. The young
white settler had won the heart of the
Indian maiden. and thus they lived in pas
toral simplicity, founding the well-known
Georgetown family of the Beales. The
Heights" above the town were long known
as the Tudor estate. in memory of the
royal line of England.
Among the wellknown people who have
I lived in this beautiful locality were the
I Peters family, who were related to the
| WashiIgtons and the Lees. Protestant"
Thuldkill, who gave Archbishop Carroll, OF
Baltimore. the ground now occupied by
Georgetown College. also resided on the
Heights.
During the Administrations of Polk and
Buchanan Georgetown was adorned with
some fine mansions and became the scene
OF many elegant social affairs. There lived
in the town at this time a young lady of
great beauty and accomplishments, the
! daughter OF an obscure but highly re-
| spectacle gentleman, Mr.. Williams. At
| the age of sixteen she was married to the
somewhat elderly Russian Minister, BaIon
Bodisco, who was said to have been at
once the richest and ugliest man in the
| Capital. At this wedding there were eight
| bridesmaids Miss Jessie Benton the first,
! walking with President Buchanan. The
| bride wore a rich satin brocade with veil
! of Honiton lace, her jewelry merely con-
| sisting OF pearl sprig and pin. She was
| given away by Henry Clay.
Madame Bodisco's beauty was, for
| long time, a neyer-fail.lg subject of in
| terest and sensation to the people of
Washington and Georgetown. The Baron,
her husband. sent to his home in Russia
for the family Jewels. with which he in
tended to adorn his wife. These jewels,
as they appeared upon their fair wearer.
are described by Mrs. Tyler in a letter
written in 1912. Il very seldom" writes
Mrs. Tyler, go to parties but, of course
l could not refuse Madame Bodiscos in
vitation. Her ball was expected to be the
grandest affair of the season. Madame
Bodisco looked lovely and was attired in
pink satin with lace. flowers, and such
splendid Observation-Disclosures, earrings,
breastpin. bracelets never saw such
beautiful diamonds. Most of the furniture
was of European make. and the house was
filed with variety of curios, bric-a- brac,
and works of art: the china service I'M
surpassed, the plate magnificent"
The most sumptuous fete even given in
the District I'D to that time, it is said,
was held at the Bodisco mansion in honor
OF the birthday of the Emperor Nicholas
of Russia On this occasion 500 guests
were invited. all the foreign Ministers,
with their attaches. in court Dress being
present.
1t was an ordinary thing for people to
line the streets on the occasion of a Presi-
dents reception. principally for the pur-
pose of seeing Madame Bodisco pass from
her mansion to the White House. II the
weather was fine and warm she was Wis
ible to all in her open carriage, in her
favorite costume of creamy white satin
and rare old race. When adorned with
her jewels, which, in the aggregate, were
worth more than half million dollars,
an escort OF mounted policemen, at the
request Of the Baron. followed in her
train. The people used to say: "Old
Bodisco is afraid some one viii steal his
wife" but he was following a practice
customary in Russia
The estate of 'Rosedale," near George
town, was long one OF the hospitable man
sions which, if not in the town proper
was within easy distance of 1t. Tie
''Rosedale'' mansion was built by General
Forrest. veteran Of the Revolutionary
War. His wife (nee Rebecca Platter, OF
"Rousby Hail." Maryland) was famous |
belle in her dsy. having been once toasted |
in England as 'one Of Americas great |
beauties" General Forrest died at Rose |
dale" in 1906 One OF his daughters mar
ried John Green, of Maryland, who was (
for many years an efficient clerk in the |
Navy Department, and who with his wife, |
succeeded to the estate.
One of Mr.. Green's daughters married |
Don Angel de Iturbide, the son OF the ILL |
fated Emperor OF Mexico. Don Augustin |
l. When the partisans of the then deceas-
ed Emperor again came into power, Don |
Angel was appointed Secretary OF the Mex,
lean Legation QS56), and it was while
holding this position that he married Miss /
Green. They had a son, Don Augustin.
who was about seven or eight years Of age
when Macmillan, at the instigation of the
Emperor, Napoleon, made his disastrous
attempt upon the crown Of Mexico. Max
imilian, esteening 1t wise 10 make him
self popular with the people he was about
10 govern, resolved to adopt young Angus
tin Iturbide his heir. To this end the
Austrian Archduke made promises OF great
power and wealth to the parents OF the
boy and, upon their surrendering their
son under these conditions, they were. by
MaXiIdilian's order, banished from Mexico
They again returned to Washington. and
called upon William II. Seward then Sec
rotary of State. TO ask him to mediate be-
Mr.. Seward said, was impossible. as the
country was then at war, but he urged
Madame Iturbide to go to Paris, see Ma
poleoE himself, and lay her case before
him. She followed Mr.. Stewards advice,
but was refused personal interview with
the Emperor of the French. Even after
she had put her case before the Imperial
Potentate in writing. he refused 10 inter-
fere. and Madame Iturbide returned to her
residence at "Rosedale"
Aftc- Maximilian's failure and death,
Augustin and his parents were again uni
ted. and young Iturbide, after receiving a
good education in this country. returned to
Mexico. The "Rosedale" estate was pur-
chased n few years ago by ex-President
Cleveland. who changed the name Of the
to "Oak View
The beautiful estate of "Woodley" was
originally owned by Judge Philip Barton
Key, who, after distinguishing himself in
the English Army prior to the Revolution
airy war, refused to bear arms against tn
colonists. He afterward became celebrated
as a lawyer, and was the uncle of Fran is
Scott Key, author Of THE Star Spangled
Banner" circumstantial account OF the (
latter's writing that celebrated poem is
giveI by Mrs. Dorsey, grandnece OF DR..
Beans. Mrs Dorsey says:
Francis Key, in 1910, lived in George :
town. DR.. Beans Of Marlboro, a surgeon ,
in the United States Army, was attend
ing the disabled soldiers, when Commodore
Barneys fotilla was attacked or the Pa
tuxent. The British Army, on their march
to Washington, bivouacked on the planta
ton Of Dr. Beans, who, though detesting ,
them. treated the officers with true Mary :
land hospitality.
"A few days after their departure, while
le was at dinner with some friends, a