The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-05-26
davenport House Main Street. Benjarnns Richmond Home
lice

and
lowering in Richmond. Above. suiler
sktes; un6erfcot, pools OF water and
dhshes OF rain rendered "Aprirs tears
an additional burden, amid general
heaviness and an atmosphere OF i'm
pending disaster.
There was one place, however, from
ghich blazing fires and an absolutely
immaculete Interior banished surface
gloom and dependency, and that was
the Richmond home of the Confederate
Secretary OF State, the Hon. Judah
Philip Benjamin, called by Mr.. Davis
tho brains of the Confederacy," a man
who kept his own counsel between his
firmly closed lips, whose inscrutable
smile held at arms length those who
knew him best and those who know
him least.
A personality like that of Mr. Ben
jarnin has always aroused Interest and
excited curiosity. During his residence
among the circle brought together by
the official life OF the Confedcracy ne
fnterposed between himself and his
associates a wall of reserve. beyond
therefore, connecting Mr.. Benjamin
with the years between OIL ana SIS arc
facts of unusual Importance
The house. then, of his occupancy
In this city, was 4 house built by Isaac
Davenport l. and given TO his son.
I'i!.ii' pa'ie! davenport. II VAS NO.
West Main street. and is now the
property Of Thomas u. Neal. Jr.
Isaac Davenport l. the founder of
the Davenport family in Richmond,
was the grandfather of Isaac Daven-
port H., OF $40 West Franklin Street
and was himself most active and in
fluental figure in the early nineteenth
Nchmond period. His home. built IN
the midst OF spacious and beautiful
grounds. stood Mt the corner of Main
and Foushee Streets, where Mr. Frank
T. Glasgow has lived for many years
Mr. Davenport was the first president
of Hollywood Association, president of
the Virginia Fire and Marine Associa-
ton, and founder of the Volunteer Fir.
Brigade, his salvage bag, with his name
on ii remaining as souvenir of his
service IN the last mentioned organ
ization.
This memento and many others are
to be seen in the delightful library
at $40 West Franklin street Here ,
arc grouped beautiful examples Of the
tirst Isaac Davenport's old mahogany
china of an earlier generations; massive
mirrors. candelabra and chandeliers |
n mahogany chair with a reading rest !
is reminder of the venerable citizens |
scholarly tastes. \ writing desk has. |
lung above IT. the Davenport and Bar
drawers lies a wallet a beautiful speci- |
faen of hand craft. fashioned of various
colored silks in cross-stitch. and hav-
Ing quaint silver clasps inscribed with |
the date. 1867. and the names: Sarah /
Hazard to Griffin Barney" These were
the quality folk of New Bedford. Mass,
and ancestors OF Isaac Davenport l..
who came from Massachusetts to Vir-
Einia very early in the nineteenth
century.
tax receipt among Mr.. Daven
ports papers gives in tre year 1917
the names OF the sheriff of Richmond
and his deputy as William ). Smith
and r. Burton. y check drawn on the |
Rank Of the United States for four
hundred dollars is payable to Echols
and Settle and dated September %, |
1917. Another to Philip Haxall and |
Co, is for eight hundred and ninety
dollars. More valuable than these, as
an index TO characters, arc letters
from Samuel Andrews. secretary of st
Johns sunday School, thanking Mr..
Davenport for liberal benefactions to
same. and showing that. as late as
1881 and 1882. numerous prominent
Richmonders living Mt distance from
the Church on the Hill. still continued
10 hold membership in it.
Like many men of his car.ful and
systematic type. Mr.. Davenport kept
ii uldTy. An extract from the record
OF July 90, 1861. says: "The Congress
of the Confederate States met this day
in Richmond" There is a second mem
lion on February 16, 1852, as follows:
"A cold morning, snow on the ground.
Next Tuesday. the lith, the Congress OF
The Confederate states Will meet in this
city, Tho President. Davis will be duly
4naugurated on Saturday. ED
On Thursday. March 80, 1865. occurs
Al oil
of the Exaprns.. died this morning
Severe lighting in Petersburg last
night
y note appended states the price Of
four 10 be one thousand dollars per
barrel and butter sixteen dollars a
pound, with other articles of provisional
coal and wood, equally high.
Tha tragic prelude to the horrors
OF Evacuation Day sounds in these /
words which ,ands Mr. Davenport's con-
nection with the record: general Lee !
sends notice April .. lS65, that the
enemy has broken through his lines