The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15
OLD time LANDOWNERS
Men Upon Whose Grounds the
Capital Was Built.
The Acres of Daniel Carroll, of Dud-
David Burncs-When Tiber Creek
Flowed Across Pennsylvania
Avenue The Van Ness Mansion.

at seems strange" remarked an oil
resident of Washington recently. "ho'
few people now know anything of tn
original landowners upon whose propert
the city is built. Their memory has grad
ually faded away. and their descendants
II any be living have been lost sight 0
amidst the tide of modern inhabitants"
The entire area upon which is nov
located the seat OF Government belonged
1t would appear. to few proprietors-or
rather. perhaps this should be said O.
that portion now constituting the District
north of the Potomac. First among these
patriarchs of our Capital City was Daniel
| Carroll, of Duddington. He is said to have
been a fine gentleman OF the old school
pure. patriotic, hospitable, and kind. He
| was a delegate from Maryland to the Con-
| tinental Congress from 1850 to 1874, being
first elected when only thirty years OF
age, and was signer of the Articles of
Confederation. and also of the Constitu-
ton of the United States. From 1889 to
1871 he was a representative in Congress
from Maryland. and was appointed by
General Washington one Of the commits
sioners for surveying and limiting the
site of the Federal District. and entered
upon the duties of that Office Immediately
upon the expiration of his term as Repre-
sentative. His property. comprised within
the limits of the present District. was
allotted to him in the partition of large
tract belonging to the historical Carroll
family. and known as Carroll Manor.
Daniel Carroli's residence was notable
one for those days. and regarded as almost
palatial by the farmers of the surrounding
country, but it would probably be con-
sidered quite an ordinary structure at the
present time. Its owner proved a hos
pitable host to the first officials OF the
general Government to arrive in the newly
selected capital. and his house is spoken
of by them as being truly comfortable in
all respects.
Daniel Carroll owned all that portion OF
the present District bordering upon the
Anacostia or Eastern Branch Of the Po-
tomac. and embracing within its limits the
hill upon which the Capitol building was
afterwards erected, stretching out beyond
the boundary of the city in an easterly
direction. His possessions included the
town of Carrollsburg, so named from the
project of forming a town in the neighbor-
hood but which plan was, Of course, swai-
lowed up in the greater one OF the estab-
iishment OF the National Capital. The
smaller town site had however, been
already determined upon and a few houses
built, the project being as old as 1770. it
being attested by the land records Of
Prince George County, Nd, that at that
early day the town was sub-divided into
village lots, and the owners of the town
site were authorized by said deeds to es-
- h oh h. Cnr
rollsburg. they themselves being known
as grantees Of Duddington, Monroe, and
Duddington Pasture. These grantees were
Charles Carroll, jr.. Henry Rozer, Daniel
Carroll. and Motley Young.
The manor OF Duddington owned by
Daniel Carroll. was beautifully situated
upon the high table land that skirted the
low grounds between Georgetown and
Anacostia. They included. as above stated,
the present site of Capitol Hill, at the
foot of which flowed at that time the creek
known as the Tiber. which many years
ago was converted into a sewer.
1t was supposed by Mr. Carroll that the
superior situation OF his property would
ensure his getting very large sums FOR
building sites. but the price asked By him
drove spectators to other portions OF the
District. thus leaving his land almost un-
settled, while the taxes levied upon this
waste property involved its owner in finan-
cial difficulties which he never entirely
overcame.
Another OF the original proprietors of the
lands within the limits OF the Federal Dis
trict was David. Familiarity called "Davy,"
Burnes, a simple farmer. who with the !
of his slaves, titled the soil for |
his daily bread He evidently objected to ]
the foundation Of a capital city, or, in /
fact, anything else. upon his land except
ing the cabbages and potatoes which he /
himself had planted. and which belonged
to him by right. He held on to his pos /
sessions with sucn tenacity that 1t was (
only when he was told that the power of |
the Government would be used to dispos-
sess him that he yielded and parted with /
his beloved farm for a reasonable COM
oensation.
His lands were very considerable in ex-
ent, embracing the site of the Presidents |
house, and. in fact, the greater part OF the |
'ity which now lies nearest Georgetown.
rhe several department buildings now
stand on what was once David Burnes' es-
ate or patrimony. These included like
wise the grounds south OF the Presidents
House. the White Lot. and the land Dor
iering upon the river, as well as the Mall.
The southern border OF the Burnes planta-
ion was south of Tiber Creek. including
hat stream and extending north beyond
Avenue. This became. with
IL a short period the most important part
Il the city Besides being a planter and
,wning numerous slaves David Burnes was
justice of the peace. He lived in a small
ottage which stood little back from the
liver on the square now lying between
seventeenth and Eighteenth Streets.
David Burnes' daughter Marcia became
ne OF the wealthiest. as she was one OF
he most beautiful. women in the country,
nd after the death OF her father married.
n the 9th OF May. 1902. John p. Van Ness,
fterward known as General Van Ness.
hen member OF Congress from New York.
;eneral Van Ness erected the fine house
nown as the Van Ness mansion near to
he cabin of "Davy" Burnes, which was
llowed to stand at the request of Mrs.
AN Ness until her death. The Van Ness
lanson was the first residence in the city
o have hot and cold water carried to all
he chambers. The architect OF the man.
ion vas Latrobe, the same who designed
he Capitol. Beneath the ground at the
AN Ness mansion were built the largest
nd coolest wine vaults in the country
here was a rumor, after the killing of
resident Lincoln. that the conspirators
ad intended to capture their victim alive
nd conceal him in these vaults.
Motley Young, also one of the early set
Iers at the time Washington was pro-
scted owned that portion of thes city
Duth and southeast Of the possessions of
avid Burnes. ioung's ground bordered
n the Potomac. extending to the union of
he latter with the Eastern Branch All
hat is now known OF Mr. Young is that .
the time of the selection of his estate
S a portion of the Federal City he lived