The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-12
WASHINGTON LANDMARKS.
HISTORICAL HOUSES AT THE MA
TIONAL CAPITAL.

The Van Ness and Burns Places.
Facts Connected with the Site of
The Capitol BuiIdings-The Career
of IA Hard-Hended ScOtchman and
the Fate of His Great Fortune.
Homes of Statesmen and soldiers
who Long Ago Crossed Over the
River-Other Matters of General
Interest.
Washing ton Aug. 1870 very unlike is
modern Washir gton to the Capital of days
gone by, that l fancy our historical he
roes, who lived and died here would have
considerable difficulty in locating their
former homes, could they return to earth
once more. The Washington of Webster.
Clay, Madison, Monroe, hardly touched
upon the outskirts Of the fashionable
northwest" of to-day, but lay mostly In
the malarious and disreputable section
called South of the avenue" on level
with the Potomac, now given over almost
entirely to our Astounding colored popula-
ton, Hebrew junk and pawn-shops. Chi
natown and houses. black and white, of
not even questionable repute. Step out of
the west entrance of the beautiful state,
war 'and navy department building-and
only few rods to the southwark, fol-
lowing Seventeenth street toward the riv-
err you leave the modern city entirely be-
hind and enter quiet locality whose go-
den days were long before you and
were born But they were very golden"
while they lasted. The classic structure of
the new Corcoran Art Gallery. block be-
low the stae departmt mt, is the sole con-
Meeting link between past and present
Washing ton-and why it's builders put 1t
there has puzzled wiser heads than mine.
Opposite the art gallery one of the Oldest
mansions in Washington is now tottering
to decay-that Of Gel. Benjamin Taloe,
spoken of in these letters few weeks
ago among the so-ca led haunted houses
of the District of Columbia. 1t was built
about the year 1850, for Col. Taloe who
was a very wealthy man, owning vast es-
tates in Virginia and nearly thousand
slaves.
After the White House was burned by
the British in 1914, President Madison
rented his friends house for winter, aud
Mistress Dolly held here her elegant
drawirg rooms. From here, Mr.. Madison
Nineteenth street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue-the same in which Elbridge
Gerry lived while he was Vice
President; also James Monroe
short distance south from the
Taloe house are the famous Van Ness and
Burns places-sll thai remains of them
You know that when the District of Co
lunbia was laid out and the state Of
Maryland had dutifully coded ten square
miles Ct land, there arose no end of trou-
Bile with certain private iand-holders-
ca CHI of whom was as a lord on his own
domain, rich in slaves and tobacco.
One Of the richest and most famous of
these lords Of the manor was a Scotch
man. ramed David Burns His immense
estate OF 700 acres or more, beginning
where the White House now stands. ex-
tending east beyond the patent office and
south for several nils. is described in
the land patent OF 1881. which granted It
10 Burns as 1.-THE Widows NJ te. lying on
the east side OF the Anacostin river. on
the north side Of an inlet of The same
river. eaIlsd Tyber" Even for the sake
OF future capital its owner was not
willing to be disturbed, though his land
lay within tho territory Of Columbia ced-
ed by the act OF Maryland. After a violent
display OF Feasibility On Mr.. Burns part,
IL was concluded that no less a person
age than The Presid nj a. The United
STATES could move him; and therefore
Gen. Washington w5s delegated TO bring
the Scotchman to terms But even the
President found Il no easy matter.
When he was dwelling upon the advant-