The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-22
an RASGIBLB EHGlBHBR
Points in the Career Of the Cele.
brated Major EEnfant
He Allowed Nothing to Stand In the
Way Of HIS Plans fer Laying Out
the National Capitai-The Destrac-
tioa 81 the Carroll Manaion In New
Jersey Asea.e-Aia Peaceful End.

nccted with the early history Of this city
and many extraordinary characters VIII,
rendered these incidents possible" Thu
spoke an old Washingtonian, who livei
more in the past than in the present, ant
who unconsciously regards modern changes
J in the light Of needless Innovations.
1T would be difhcult to fnd," continued
he, Tin the history Of any community {
more eccentric parsonage than Aajol
Pierre Charles LEnfant. of whom 30 little
Is known nowadays. In fact, the little
know Of the man who designed the city Il
gathered from tradition. as no printed Liz
of the distinguished Frenchman exists.
''One circumstance which displays the
4 peculiar temperament OF L'Enfant also in.
wolves a no less celebrated person in his
day. mean Daniel Carroll of budding
ton,' as he was called, from the name Of
his manor seat. Carroll wns o man Of
cultureA and Of high social standing in
MARYLAND. He was member Of the ia:
nous Carroll family which embraced
amcng its members the Ri. Rev. John Car
roll first Bishop Of Baltimore, who found
ed Georgetown College. and the venerable
Charles Carroll Of Carrollton. Daniel was
| a brother Of the former and cousin Of the
! latter. His residence was known tar and
! wide as .'Duddington House," and shortly
after the streets had been marked out. in
I accordance with L'Enfant's plan, Mr.. Car
i rob, who was one of tho Commissioners,
! assumed and asserted the right to erect
ais house in the middle OF New Jersey
Avenue, near the Capitol grounds. Len
FAINT vigorously protested against this pro-
] tect. He said it would close up the avenue
and destroy the symmetry of his plan.
| Mr.. Carroll paid no attention to the pro-
! tests OF the major, who quietly gave or
| ders to his assistants one morning to de-
molish the structure. On the same morn
ing L'Enfant went down to Aqua Creek.
| When the workmen began to tear down
his residence 1t may be easily imagined that
Mr.. Carroll became rather wroth. He
went Immediately to the nearest magis-
| trate. procured a warrant, and put stop
to the destruction Of his house. That
night, when L'Enfant returned from
Aqua Creek he found his orders un-
fulfilled. He at once organized gang Of
laborcrs, and set out in the darkness for
Mr.. CAROLS house. The men worked
with will all night. under the orders Of
the imperative Frenchmen. and by sunrise
next morning not one brick was left upon
another. When Mr.. Carroll learned of this
latest action on the part Of LEnfant he
referred the matter to the Commissioners.
Major L'Enfant also wrote to those
municipal authorities, explaining his
reasons for following the course pursued.
The question was under consideration q
long time and considerable interest was
taken in it by other proprietors. On De-
cember q, a memorandum was received
from some Of them as follows: Gents:
Understanding that Daniel Carroll Esq,
Of nu1dirOfoU hus lDdOad n claim With
you for the full value Of his house. lately
taken down by order OF Major L'Enfant,
We hope and request that you will not
apply any money granted for the improve
ment of the city Of Washington to the
payment thereof.
by this. however. we do not mean to
reflect on Major L'Enfant-s conduct, but,
zeal, activity. and good judgment In the
affairs of the city merit the thanks Of the
proprietors. and well deserve the appro-
baton Of the public etc.
This memorandum was signed by Robert
Peter. Overton Carr. William King. for
himself and also for William Prout;
George Walker. Uriah Forrest, for himself
and for p. R. Fendall; Samuel Davidson
and David Burns.
..As final settlement of the matter
President Washington sought the advice
OIL the AllDTuey Ncuctdl, anu at teHRIu
ordered the reconstruction of the 'Dud-
dington House precisely as 1t existed be-
fore but not in the same location.
"On December %, 1871. L'Enfant inform
ed the Commissioners that Motley Young's
house was In the middle of a street, and
suggested that it be at once removed.
Washington wrote gentle remonstrance,
addressed to the Commissioners, saying he
hoped the major did not mean to proceed
to the demolition Of Mr.. Young's house
also until he was authorized and instructed
to do sa.''
The selection of Major L,Enfant to plan
the Capital City was due to President
Washington, who recognizing his genius
experienced considerable diff
fculty in controlling his irascible temper
L'Enfant remained with Washington
week to discuss and fully mature the plan
he had prepared. This plan, copies Of which
were published some years ago by gen.
tleman Of the name of Boogher. was fully
set forth upon map finely executed. The
plan Of the park of Versailles, outside
Paris. Is said to have suggested to
L'Enfant the broad transverse streets and
avenues, numerous open squares, circles,
and triangular reservations and parks, all
of which were designed to be SO drawn !
that from the intersection Ut any two or
more streets and avenues the horizon
would be visible.
Thomas Jefferson. then Secretary Of |
State. took an intense interest in the plan
says:
81 received last night from Major |
L'Enfant a request to furnish him any |
plans of towns could for his examination. |
I accordingly sent him by this post plans OF |
the Main, Carisruhe. Amster- |
dam, Strasburg, Paris, Orleans, Bordeaux. |
Lyons, Montpelier. Marseilles. Turin. and
Milan, on large and accurate scales, which
I procured while in those towns respect
lively. They are none Of them comparable
to the old Babylon. revived in Philadelphia
and exemplified. While in Europe l Sc
lected about a dozen or two Of the hand
soonest parts of private buildings, Of which
| have the plates. Perhaps it might decide
the taste Of the new town, were they to |
be engraved and distributed gratis among
the inhabitants Of Georgetown. The ex-
pense would be trifing"
The following letter from the Commits
sioners Of the District to Mayor L'Enfant
contains the first mention of the city and
District under their present. title:
Georgetown, Sept. 9. 1871.
sir: We have agreed that the Federal
District shall be called The Territory
~ OOiumpid, uhU INC eQtfdl Clly fQ0 1
CITY of Washington. The title Of the mao
win therefore be. "A Map Of the City Of
Washington in the Territory Of Columbia
1--WE have also agreed that the streets
be named alphabetically one way ard
the other. the former to b.
divided into north and south and the lat
er into east and vest. numbers from the
Capitol. Major Ellicott, with proper as
Iistance, will Immediately take and soon
4