The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-12-10
THE WHITE HOUSE.

October, 1892, the ceremonies being
in accordance with the rites of Ma
sonry. To those who were interested
in the embryo capital it was a most
important event; several thousand
persons witnessed the ceremony.
President Washington, the commits
sioners, the architect, the Masons and
others formed a procession and
marched solemnly to the spot, and
there held formal and impressive ex-
ercises. The work of construction
was begun without delay, but owing
to some difficulty in raising money,
the building was not entirely COM
pleted until 1899.
Up to 1874, when the interior was
partially burned by the British troops,
the total cost of construction was
Coco 1asz --t:-~--
furnishing after the FIRE cost about
$1,000 and since then many thou-
sands of dollars have been expended
in various improvements and in the
LAYING out and ornamenting the spa
cious grounds. When the house was
reopened on the Ist of January, 1873,
it was pronounced "a grand edifce,"
and has always remained an object
of admiration.
The White House is situated on
the government reservation called
The Presidents grounds" and
fronts on Pennsylvania avenue, at
Lafayette Square. 1t stands in the
centre of an enclosed plot of twenty
acres, and the main entrance is reach
ed by two broad semi-circular drive
ways lined with magnificent trees.
The etiquette regulating the social
intercourse of the President and his
family with officials and the public
has been in vogue ever since the adj
ministration of Washington, modified
more or less by the different Presi-
dents, but retaining always the sal
lent points. Courtly ceremonials
were known to the early days OF the
White House, when powdered wigs,
lace ruffs and all the ancient style of
dress ruled. Tradition paints glow
ing pictures of grand old ceremony,
elegance and style foreign to the
present.
During the two official terms OF
the first President he resided in plain,
comfortable, but not over-large hous-
&c in New York and Philadelphia,
which were rented by the govern
ment. In these houses Washington
and his wife held what has been de-
scribed as a Republican Court" and
established the official ceremony
which in part has been handed down
to this age.
When the Government removed to
the Capital City in October, 1900, the
White House was ready for occu-
pancy, and President John Adams
and family Immediately took up their
residence in it.
The first public reception was CIV
en- on the first of January, 1901, and
. the first marriage which ever took
place in the White House was during
the administration of President Jas.
Madison. 1t was that of Mrs. Todd,
a relative of Mr.. Madison, who in
1871, married Congressman Jackson,
of Virginia. When the British troops
entered Washington and fired the
Capitol, the inmates of the White
House made hasty fight. Presi-
dent Madison with his Cabinet had
retired from the city after the battle
of Bladensburg, but he had lett his
wife and her companions to follow.
The British soldiers when they
marched into the Yankee palace"
found to their surprise grand din
ner all spread with thirty covers for
guests. A good meal was made be-
fore the White House was fired.
The restoration of the building
was authorized by Congress in 1915,
and Hoban, the architect, completed
the work in the early part of James
Monroe's administration.
When Congress agreed by law to
rest at Philadelphia ten years, the
Legislature of Pennsylvania voted a
large edifce for General Washing
ton as President, in South Ninth
street afterwards the site of the
University of Pennsylvania, and now
that of the post office) but the Presi-
dent when he saw it, would not oc-
cupy it, because of the great expense
to furnish it at his own cost; tor
then the nation never thought OF that
charge to their account.
Washington's dinner parties were
given every Thursday at a O'Clock
precisely, never waiting for guests
his company usually assembled nj
teen to twenty minutes before dinner
in the drawing room. He always
dressed in a suit of black, sword BY
his side and hair powdered. Mrs
Washington often, but not always
dined with the company, and If there
were ladies present they sat on eacr
side of her. Mr.. Lear, his private
secretary sat at the foot of the table
and was expected to be specially at
tentive to all the guests. The Presi'
dent himself sat half way from tht
head to the foot of the table and or
the side which would place Mrs
Washington, though distant from
him, on his right hand.
He always asked a blessing at his
own table and in a standing position
if a clergyman was present he asked
him to do it. The dishes were always
without covers; small roll of breac
enclosed in a napkin was on the sid'
of each plate. The President gener
allv dined on one dish, and that OF
very simple kind. He avoided tn
first or second course as too ricf
for mep He had a silver pint cul
or mug of beer placed by his plate
of which he drank; he took but ON
oIaee of wine at dinner, and usually