Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-03
SITE FOR EMBASSYS HOME
FRENCH LOCATION ONCE REGARDED
AS BEYOND CITY LINE.
Now i'm Fashionable Quarter. With
Aristocrstic Surroundinsx-Ens-
lish Ambassador.a Preference

The site in this city recently prr,.h:. se.l
for the French government on which TO
erect the residence OF the ambassador from
that nation, though once regarded as in
the country being short distance be
yond THE street which binds I'm the city
known as Florida avenue in recent Years.
is now in a well-settled neighborhood and
IN the most fashionable quarter OF th,.
capital While once there was bat little
Improvement south Of the site and north II
street. and the principal thoroughfar.s
were winding roads along what are now
Goth street and Connecticut avenae. the
site was part of a historic place. where
were wont to gather the leading people Of
the day. They were entertained heaoRtn
the roof and shades OF Kalorama as tn.
guests of the distinguished diplomat and
poet. Joel Barlow; the Raldwns and in
later days. of Col. Bomford. long the head
OF the ordnance corps Of the armv sud y
most popular citizen. Fulton was a guest
mere when experimenting with his steam
boat. Rock creek. skirtinE the plar, "n th.,
west, afforded him convenient facilities for
the trials. The old mansion, built Nv Mir
Barlow early in the century. is a fine >l,.cl-
men OF the architecture of its dav. .,nd in
Its spacious halls Were often gathered ihe
society people of the nlGcn time. ana in
summer in the beautiful groves PARTIES
and picnics Were held. On a hill WIS tie
Tomb in which the remains of Decatur
Killed in a duel. were laid for many wears
prior to their removal to Philadelphia ,.boilt
thlrty years ago. The place. too. is Veil
remembered from the fact that Il was us,-i
as the location of the hospital for small
poN and other contagintis diseases duriu--
the war of the rebellion
The uninviting section 81 that .'.,y TOW
the most fashionable quarter of Wa ShFug-
ton. was a wild waste through which slash
run wendell its meandering course To- Rock
creek, with scarce half q dozen signs If
habitat;on north Of NJ street. o'Nral..'s
a raj Dr 1r3a-
cemetery, with few slaughter hoas,-s
were the most conspicuous places Now IL
IS thlckly built up. and there are tn b,.
found no more suitable locations for IA.
highest class of residences than arr. n, r..
Mosti. in Rented &uartcr.
In the early days the representatives .r
foreign countries in Washington lived
mostly in leased or rented premises AMI
some were content to live in hotels and
boarding houses. Less than sixty wears
ago Galabrun, on the avenue above Wil-
lard's housed ministers from ahrnad and
Mrs. Ilrich, on the site Of the Riggs House
entertained foreign lcgation-mirfst,
and attaches.
The location of the foreign legations clos.
to the residence of the President of the
nation was suggested before the govern
ment was located here in 1900 la having
out the city the Commissioners dceGe,! a
Iot IN the reservation for the President =
mouse to the Queen of Portugal and this
action was ratified by the President: hut
when the deed found to haN. been
unadvlsedly executed it was canceIod. EN-
Cepting by an act of Congress. land ia th.
7. reservation could not he decided though
the neighborhood of the Executive Maasinu
became the favored location for the dipin-
mats. and three-fourths of the CORPS n.r,
domiciled within square two OF the
Presidents house. 1t being also the pre-
forred location for cabinet members and
leading officials of the government they
IN h.. Il
The minister from France was located at
one time in a modest three-story brick
building on the southeast corner OF r and
18th streets. in which a grocery was olar-
ated. Next fine old frame building I'm
the center of grounds occupying near a
lourth OF the square, at the southeast cor
ner or l4th and @ streets. was the French
minister's residence. Subsequently a fine
three-story mansion on the site of the
hotel Fredonia, on III street between nth
and 14th streets, became the home of the
French legation. At present the house of
the late Admiral Porter on III street near
18th street, is the home of the ambassador
OF France.
English Preference
England's ministers have in the past ia
vored the immediate vicinity OF the Execu-
tive Mansion mostly but as the selection of
a site was with the head of the legation
other sections were sometimes preferred
One OF the most palatiaI of the establish
mcntS OF Britain here in the first half OF
the past century was that In which ihs
eccentric Henry Fox resided till his death.
in 1886. the house now occupied by 81.
AIMS Infant Asylum, on X street w.st II
Washington circle III street I'm the neigh
borhood of Lafayette Square was for long
time favored by the British minister, and
the incumbent Of the position the Grst
to establish the residence and embassy ~
the queens representative on ground held
In fee by the crown. This was about thirty
years ago, when but little Improvements had
been made in the neighborhood of Dupont
circle, and the erection OF commodious
mansion Connecticut avenue near y
street for the embassy was an incentive 10
the building UP Of the neighborhood.
Since the British government provided
permanent quarters for her ambassador
others have followed suit, fee simple titles
to the ground Occupied by, the diplomats
from Germany. Austria, Mexico and Japan
being held. and IT is not improbable that
the splendid structure for the French
ambassador is completed other nations viii
provide permanent quarters FOR their rep
resentatives.