The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-02
HOW WASHINGTON
PLACE WAS NAMED
The Patriotic Correspondence
Which Announced the
Name.

Secretary Lydecker of the Archives
Commission has recently made a very
interesting find in the records of the
Foreign Office. 1t is an account of the
circumstance under which the Queens
residence came to be named Wash
ington Place" and the account occurs
in the course of correspondence be-
tween United States Commissioner
Anthony Ten Eyck and Minister of
Foreign Affairs Wyllie, correspondence
that was written exactly sixty years
ago this year.
2 The house was built by Captain John
Dominis in 1S45 or As and just as he
completed it he sailed for China and
was never at erwards heard Of His
widow. Mrs. Dominis, mother of John
10. Dominis. leased the place to Com
missioner Ten E,yck. In the following
letter. primarily concerning other
matters, Commissioner Ten Eyck an
nounces the naming of the place:
Legation U. S. A.
Washington Place, 22nd February, 1S48.
I have much pleasure in making the
following semiofficial announcement to
you:
In honor of the day which gave birth
to him who was first in war. first in
peace, and first in the hearts of his
countrymen, the great, the good, the
illustrious WASHINGTON-the United
States Commissioner, with the consent
of it's much esteemed and hospitable
proprietress, has this day christened
the beautiful, substantial, and univer-
sally admired mansion of Mrs. Dominis,
WASHINGTON PLACE.
Thus let it hereafter be designated
in Hawaiian Annals, and long may it
remain, in this distant Isle of the Pa
eific, a memento of the eminent vir-
tues of the father of his country
and of the enterprise, and the dis
tinguished excellencies of its much
lamented protector.
1 remain; my dear sir.
Yours truly,
A TEN EYCK.
Minister Wyliie's reply is equally
courteous and in terms of the highest
praise of Washington. It is as follows:
rOlEiSH Il II 1910.
Sir: / have the honor to acknowl,
edge the receipt of your note of this
date informing me that you have
,christened the elegant mansion of Mrs.
Dominis by the name of washington
Place, and expressing the wish that it
may be permitted to retain that name
in commemoration Of the Great and
Good founder of American Independ-
ence
Your wish having been made known
to the King, it has pleased his Majesty
TO order accordingly; and | venture to
say that every one near His Majesty,
cordially concurs in His desire to do
every possible honor to the memory of
one of the Greatest and Best of men
that ever ennobled mankind.
With the highest respect and consid-
GRAFTON, | have the honor tc be, sir.
Your most obedient humble servant,
r. c. WILLIE.
A. Ten Eyck, u. S. Commissioner,
Washington Place.
Thus the occasion and the circum,
stance of the naming of the place are
established, and the patrio-
tic wish of Commissioner Ten F.yck
lhdt the pldce HllSht iohg De known
by that name, has been realized.
Commissioner Ten Eyck was appoint
ed year Tor two before this to succeed
United States Commissioner George
Brown with whom, in July 1915, the
Hawaiian government refused to hold
any further official intercourse. Brown
accompanied Captain John Dominis on
the voyage to China as a partner in
the venture, and like the Captain was
never heard 0f afterxya ride