Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-25
HELPED BUILD CITY
CAPT. AMBROSE L. WHITE AND
REV. HENRY FoxHALL.
They Were Sturdy Citizens and Jealous
Patriots-Some Remi-
niscences.
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star
At the foot OF New Jersey avenue. south
Of the Capitol. stood solid one-arched
brick and stone bridge. spanning the ca
nal, which have good reason to remember
from my earliest childhood In the thirties
until it's demolition by order of Gov Shep-
herd. preliminary to filling up that death
trap and contagion producer. the Washing,
ton canal. This bridge was as obstinate.
sturdy and well built as It's designer Capt.
Ambrose l.. White. an EnSlishman.
capt. White was my maternal grand
ia'her. Many were his "reminiscences. mora
interesting by far than any can relate.
The old bridge successfully resisted all
the men and weapons. pickaXes spades and
crowbars with which it was asSailed Dyna-
mite cartridges were rosortcd tn. and tina
explosions. which shook the. foundations "
the Capitol. brought down the bridge. i'm A
sitting cloud of smoke and dust. The old
bridge died hard and bravcly. but II WIS
used to war. Had II not seen the yictn-
rious HesSians OF King George march down
from the burning and looted White Hous,
and Capitol and cross over IT, fired upon low
the Americans In their triumphant r"treatp
Capt. Ambrose l.. White came from Ian
caShire. England. along with or shortly
after the Rev. Henry FuXhalI. a fellow
countryman and brother Methodist They
became contractors and were. both zeal
Gus Wesleyan Methodists. FoXhlll Was
an all-around iron founder and mulIer
lie had established gun factory in Wash
ington under a contract with the United
states government. 1t WIS between tha
canal mule drive ard the Potomac river
about 10Th street west. near Georgetown
The building had been was subsequently
a glass manufactory. for often [ rcrncm-
fner being present there at the weird spec
tacle of glass blowing, sight never likely
TO leave the minds eye of marveling boy
hood.
FpSban nd
tracts with our benevolent Uncle Sam
Mr.. White built bridges over every gutter
guiley and watershed to which lie could
obtain access on lawful invitation
During the connection of these two re-
markable early citizens of Washington they
found time and money to carry out with
out bankrupting themselves. certain little
fadS and fancieS of their own, which hurt
nobody if they did not. perchanca benefit
and from which they never wished or ex-
pected to derive the least return this side
of the grave.
Henry FoXhall built and established tina
Foundry Methodist Church in obedience 10
a vow-of response to his prayers that I'm.
foundry should be spared destruction by
the British, who Were invading Washing
ton city.
Built Chapel.
Ambrose L. White. not to be behind him.
Joined forces with another good man A
printer. James c. Dunn. and gave half a
square of ground In 9th street northwest
and built thereon a beautiful Methodist
church These are the things which give
US glory Ambrose Whites son John who
had powerful and meodious voice, led i,
choir there for some years until he went 10
New York to live. Then Prof Daniel took
charge and his reputation grew and grew
lherc We're other Just as good men who
We're linked with that endless chain of
benevolence. charity and godliness which
broke all other claims as King George
found out 1t was the good men AS well
as the great men who saved the country
Not more than n block or two above and
nearer to the Capitol. on the northeast
corner of New Jersey avenue In "A large
lnclpsure of three-uuarters of the square
at least Ambrose l.. White had built his
own simple yet spacious brick home and
here he resided until his death. Here his
&C mrade of the battle of Blatensburg who
eventually won the heart OF his first born
and favorite child. was married to her
Shortly after Ambrose l.. White had .s-
tablished his home this spot he reached
his door flying from Gen. Ross and th,
red coats from the last feeble stand of the
Americans at Bladensburg and only en-
tered il to emerge with his trusty rifle I'm
hand and his undaunted unconuuer.d
patriot spirit within him to take "A few
parting shots at the triumphant jeering
enemy as they marched past his house on
their way over the old bridge to next assail
Baltimore.
Coolly. deliberately as any minute man
OF the revolut on. this old Cromwellian hero
diiieu. discharged ana reloaded his trusty
rifle and banged away again. \ command
was given and a force of men was detailed
and the swamp fox was traced and hunted
to his lair. He flung down his gun and
knowing of a place of safety, the hounds
soon lost all trace of him
After prGdding with their bayonets every
suspected spot. the soldiers resumed the
march, but not until they had set fire to
the premises. White had been face down
ward in the narrow space beneath the bake
ovens contrived for his family and numer-
Gus hands employed in his various enter
priSeS.
There was a Methodist colony crystailiz-
ing In the new national capital these days
James c. Dunn and VIM. H. Edes and
Joseph Radcliffe and Rev. DR. Gurley. Rev.
Henry Slcer. Rev. Geo. q. Cookman. Rev.
DR. Justin. Ulysses Ward Thomas Purcell
William Woodward and host of we'll
known and highly esteemed and honored
names were one by one added to the list Of
enterprising citizens who, in varying in
tained their own fortunes and firmly estab-
lshed the new national capital.
But let us go back to the days of the old
brick bridge and the burning and looting
OF Washington city The Presidents house.
and the 1ntelligencer office were r.fied and
burning in the West End and two consid-
cradle fires We're under fun blast on New
Jersey avenue southeast. One was the
United States Capitol and the other tho
residence of Ambrose L. White.
Years passed on and White. approaching
his 1oOth year, became totally blind He
enjoyed having read to him the columns OF
the National lntelligencer his political
bible, in which he most devGutly believed
'ha oil a 1rayNt ~ III.