Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-23
HOME Of FRANCIS SCOTT KEY
MEMORIAL TO AUTHOR OF "THE
STAR SPANGLED BANNER"
Impressive Dedicatory Ceremonies in
M Street Structure-Substanc
of Addresses.

With simple yet impressive ceremonies
the old Francis Scott Key house. M
street near Both street northwest which
it is proposed to restore .to.its former con-
dition as a permanent memorial to the
author of THE Star Spangled Banner,
was formally thrown open to the public
yesterday. Hundreds of men. women and
children. interested in the project
crowded every room and corridor in the
historic mansion and entered heartily into
the spirit of the affair. The exercises,
occurring on Washington's birthday ami
versary, also related materially to the
observance of the holiday. and through
out the entire morning the one-time domi-
cle of one of the country's greatest early
lawyers and poets was fairly redolent Of
patriotism.
The stairway leading to the second floor
of the old house served as a rostrum for
the speakers. Rev. DR.. Fred Il. HOwden
opened the exercises with prayer at II
o'clock am, and double quartet sang
a hymn written by Francis Scott Key
Lord. With Glowing Heart l Praise
Thee The singers were: Sopranos.
Misses Blanche Thyson and Virginia Rob
insOn: altos, Miss Power and Mrs. Olive
r. McCabe: tenors. T. l.. Mead and Jo-
seph +. Matthew; basso. l.. H. Atkinson
accompanist. II. II. Freeman, organist Of
St Johns Church.
Mr.. Mcfarland Speaks.
Commissioner Macfarland presided and
after the opening hymn was sung he
called the meeting to order, saying:
I'VE open a new opportunity for the ex-
preston Of patriotism, in opening this
memorial house today. This was the
home of Francis Scott Key when he
wrote the national anthem. That i'm
mortal song during the century that has
passed has been carried all over the
country and all over the world. At every
army post, on every naval ship, The Star
Spangled Banner is played for the cOlors
and literally its music now encircles the
globe. That mighty fleet. greatest ever
sent around the world. proudly bears the
stars and stripes and The Star Spangled
Banner through ocean after ocean. from
nation to nation. messenger of peace, a
defender of right, a minister of justice.
1t is well that on the birthday OF George
Washington. without whom there would
have been no American flag. and in the
portion of the National capital in which he
was most at home we should begin to
properly honor the memory of Francis
Scott Key.
Every patriotic American will want to
join in this undertaking. / am sure 1t
of the American people to the men who
made possible our marvellous success and
gave us the gates of the future. 1t ought
to inspirit us of Washington in our en-
deavor to have other historic buildings
preserved or at least marked with proper
tablets. so that no intelligent man can
walk our streets without reading the
noble history of the heroic past. The
Commissioners have asked and Congress
has granted appropriations for marking
s-%~ -. hat ,0ry-vr
shortly be begun, to the qualification Of
all our patriotic citizens and Of all our
visitors. On this day. filled with splendid
and sacred memories, we renew our
patriotism as We remind ourselves of the
fathers of the republic and of the gen.
erations of their sons who have been
faithful to their country and loyal to the
faith of their fathers
Mr.. Macfarland also paid eloquent
tribute to the memories of Mr.. COSBY S.
terlee, Bishop of Washington. and he laid
particular emphasis upon the loss suf-
fered by the community in the closely
succeeding. deaths: Of two such valuable
citizens.
Remarks by Admiral Schley.
Admiral Schley was the next speaker.
He referred to the everlasting influence
on history Of certain tombs and pieces Of
added. had played a more important part
in shaping the destiny of this then young
republic than THE Star Spangied Ban
ner.,' The double quartet sang Mary
\and. My Maryland. Key having been a
native of that state.
Introduced as the orator of the occa-
sion, Francis S. Key-Smith. great-grand-
son of Francis Scott Key, read the CODY
nf a nodo l,A
tunda Of the Capitol July 4. 1881, by his
famous ancestor. All united in singing
the Star Spangled Banner" and the
ceremony was closed as Master Charles
Vexil Domus Weisgerber,. the tiny son Of
Charles II. Weisgerber. raised a flag to
to the top of the staff on the roof of the
house and recited the poem: when Uncle
Sam His First Flag Made The little
lads peculiar name, written entirely in
English. would read. Charles Flag House
Weisgerber For several years his father
has been in charge of the Betsy Ross
house in Philadelphia. and the boy was
born there. For his part in the celebra-
ton yesterday Master Weisgerber was
dressed as miniature Uncle Sam.
Contains an Exhibit.
Special attractiveness was added to the
formal opening of the old Key mansion by
the exhibition in it's rooms of various
pieces of work by Mr.. Weisgerber. One
of these was tableau of wax figures rep
resenting the exhibition of the first
American flag by Betsy Ross to the COM
mittee from Congress, including George
Washington. Robert Morris and Col.
George Ross. All the figures are life size,
and they are seated in a room which is
an exact reproduction. in size and every
detail, of the famous flag room in the
Betsy Ross house in Philadelphia.
Another exhibit is a reproduction in min
iature of the Ross house. and still another
a painting by Weisgerber entitled THE
Inspiration and it depicts Key on the
deck of his ship, while through the mists
in the distance is shown the stars and
stripes still bravely waving from the walls
of Fort Henry despite the bombardment
by the British.
Every week day of each succeeding
month the Key mansion will be open to
the public. and the plan to secure it's final
restoration just as it was in the lifetime
OF its original owner by the sale OF indi-
vidual certificates at 10 cents each will
be actively prosecuted.
Flowers Are at Their Best.