The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-02-27

Five landmarks of Washington are CIV
| ing way 10 modern improvements. They
are old St. Matthew's Church. which is
fbeing demolished to make room for the
proposed Southern Building; the old Reiss
| house. at 1906 street northwest which
| is being removed for the new home OF the
District National Bank; the Academy of
the Visitation. at Connecticut avenue and
De sales street northwest. which will
give way to a manufacturing plant, and
the former Scottish Rite Cathedral, which
will be incorporated into the Palais Royal
Old st. Matthews Church was estab-
lished in 1871 and 1912, and the building
was consecrated May Is, 1872. The first
pastor OF the parish was Rev John p.
Donelan. who was chiefly instrumental
| in organizing the parish and erecting the
church. which at the time was regarded
as one OF the finest Catholic churches in
Washington. Succeeding pastors were
Rev John B. Byrne Rev. James b. Done
Ian. Rev. Charles White. Rev. Francis
Boyle Rev. p L. Chapelle, and Rev.
| Thomas L. Lee
| Dedicated in 1856.
In 1856 an addition to the church was
erected. and the structure was dedicated
in September Of that year by solemn high
mass, Rev. E. Lyman, OF Baltimore, being
the celebrant, and Mrs. c. Young, of Bal
timore. the soloist.
The old church was given up as a regu-
/ Il
ago, the new St Matthews having been
erected near Rhode Island and Connecti-
| cut avenues. The building has stool
empty and deserted for a decade. AMI
was sold last year TO the Southern Com
merciaI Congress. to be used as It's head
quarters in this city.
Since that time the Southern Building
Corporation has been formed. chiefly of
local men, who viii erect the building.
Plans for the new structure were pre-
pared by c. II. Burnham. architect. and
the Thompson Sterratt Company will con-
struct it,
The Southern Building will be a large
| office structure, square in form. the lot
having a frontage OF $50 feet on H street
and 100 feet on Fifteenth street northwest.
1t Will be ten stories high. with A central
space for light and Ventilation Il VIII
be constructed of stone brick. and terra
Gotta. sand will be ffted out for fine
Office building. The TIans call for stores
or large business rooms on the ground
floor and smaller suites above 1t is
likely that quarters viii be provided for
the proposed Southern club ana possibly
other organizations OF similar kind.
The Southern Commercial Congress may
have quarters in the building. according
TO circumstances, but that holy has no
pecuniary interest in the enterprise.
Reiss House Once Noted.
The removal of the Reiss house In C
street, to make room for the erection OF
the District National Bank, takes away
one OF the oldest landmarks in that part
Of the city. It was built in 1855 by the
late Benjamin Reiss. He had owned the
property since 1916. in that year building
a frame house on the site, which in 1858
was moved to 1903 NJ street where il
| stands to-day in fair state of preserva-
ton. The new and larger house was
built to provide members of Congress
and employees OF the government with
comfortable homes, which in the ffties
were not easily obtainable in Washing
ton.
The old building was in the later ffties
one of the popular rooming houses of
| Washington. It sheltered from time to
time some OF the most prominent per-
sons of that day. It was the scene of
many brilliant gatherings The elder
Riess was an accomplished musician and
made his living as an instructor In that
art. He had many friends among music
| lovers and the Reiss home was about 1850
a well-knOwn musical and social center.
According 10 a statement furnished by
Benjamin Reiss. son of the musician,
the house numbered among its patrons
Gen. Don Carlos Buell. and A Dudley
Mann, afterward commissioner at Rome.
representing the Confederate government
before the Pope. L. o B. Branch. mem.
Der of the House, from North Carolina.
| was a lodger with Mr. and Mrs. Reiss
| while he was In Washington to attend the
sessions of Congress. When his State
| seeded Representative Branch became
a general in the Confederate army, and
was killed in battle in 1862. Another ten
ant for a time was Gen. A P Hill, who
became one of Lees most trusted COM
manders, and who also was killed in ae-
ton in April. 1865.
Gen. Pickett stopped There.
Gen. Samuel Jones. afterward a leader
in the Confederacy, lived at 1906 G street
before the war, as did Gen. Pickett. whose
division made the celebrated charge at
/ Gettysburg, and Admiral John r. Rogers.
| Representative Alfred Ely, of Rochester
! n. Y. left the G street house with several
others on a sightseeing picnic to the
battle of Bull Run. and did not see the
! Northland again for months. because he
was among those captured and imprisoned
at Richmond. Leutze, the artist who
painted the picture Westward Ho!'
which hangs In the Capitol. performed
and it is said he Incorporated Mrs. Reiss
| and one of her daughters in the painting.
One OF the most picturesque characters
| who ever called the house his home was
Count Garowsky the irascible Pole.
whose diary caused his expulsion from
| the country. II was Count Garowsky
! that Abraham Lincoln is said to have
characterized as the only man he person.
| ally feared Other famous folks whom
the old house sheltered included Charles
| O'Neill. of Philadelphia. at one time Mes
tor of the House of Representatives, and
| Mary Clemmer Ames. who there wrote
her memoirs of the Carey sisters.
| After il ceased TO be a lodging house