The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-01
SITE OF AMERICAN REPUBLICS BUILDING OF HISTORICAL INTEREST

brary. and conservatory. The upper
rooms Of the mansion" commanded a
beautiful view OF the Potomac and the
Virginia hills and in one southwest
chamber Marcia Van Ness spent the
happy hours of young motherhood. and
later wept out the sadder days Of her
life.
The costly interior decorations and fur
nlshings Of the Van Ness mansion; the
rare woodwork. the white marble man
tells. designed by Thorwaldsen and i'm
ported from Italy: the Spanish azulejos.
the Turkish carpets. and rich hangngs
were the wonder and the gossip OF their
day.
1t was also the first house in the Dis
trict TO be supplied with hot and cold
water pipes, and luxuries undreamed of
by their nelghbors were enjoyed by the
inmates Of the mansion and their guests.
And right royalty did they dispense a
hospitality as lavish as II was sumptuous
Gen. Van Ness, handsome and debonair.
was the prince Of bons vivants. and pop
ular as such men ever are. He seems
never 20 have borne Congress any grudge
because OF his expulsion. but entertained
It's members generously every year. These
annual dinners 70 Congress at the Van
Ness mansion are among the most spien-
did traditions in the social annals of the
capital, and 90 them Is due the well-at-
tested fact that moro or the distinguish
ed men Of the nation passed over the Van
Ness threshold and sat at its hospitable
board than IN any other private house in
Washington.
Make Ready for Girls Return.
Some discrepancies appear In the dates
given by the early chroniclers for the
erection OF the mauslOn-some placing il
in the first decade Of the century, others
fixing II later; but all agree that II was
ready FOR the only daughter, Ann Van
Ness when she returned from a Phila-
delphia boarding school in lS20-the pride
and JOY OF her parents.
Mrs Van Ness. who was very pious,
endeavored 20 impress upon her daugh-
ter's plastic mind the emptiness Of world
/ ly pleasures, and spent a portion Of each
day IN reading and expounding TO her
the Scriptures.
Whether the mothers precepts or the
! pleasure-lovIng instincts Of the father
would have been most potent I'm the
daughters life may never be known, for
within year Of her home coming she
was married 20 Arthur Middleton, OF
/ South Carolina. and at the end OF an
other year the young Eirl mother. Ann
/ Van Ness Middleton. was borne 10 the
| grave with her babe I'm her arms. and the
| hopes Of the Van Ness house persisted
/ with her
/ OF Arthur Middleton not much IS re-
| corded. save that he was a son OF one
! OF the signers OF the Declaration OF In
| dependence. and this appears TO have
/ been his only claim 10 distinction at tho
/ time Of his marriage though ten years
later Mrs Edward Livingston wrote her
! husband from New York that the mus
! tachios and velvet raiment OF this same
/ Arthur Middleton were attracting more
| attention IN Gotham than the quarrel be
/ tween President jackson and Calhoun.
Withdraws from Gay World.
| After the death OF her daughter. Mrs
| Van Ness withdrew from the gay worll
| whose glamour had become q mockery
and from this time on her life becam,
/ that Of a recluse and devotee. She ha.
one room In the old cottage fitted up as