Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-19
OLD WASHINGTON.
LAFAYETTE SQUARE.
BY James croggon.

When President Adams and the govern
ment officials moved here in 1900 the
surroundings of the Presidents house
were in an unfinished, untidy condition,
and. indeed. the interior Of the house was
| in the same plight, the east room of
which was used by the household as a
drying room on wash days Looking
north. what is now the beautiful Lafayette
Square. in the center Of which is the
statue Of Jackson was a plain unsightly
area, covered with wild growth. The
square had not then been leveled and
about it were few hajbitations. This
square, indeed, came near being a semi
circle, for L'Enfant in his first plan of
Washington. depicting the streets and
squares in the neighborhood. included
semicircle which had its base on the
present Avenue. crcling around to the
south side of II street This arrange
ment. however. did not stand. although
the original proprietor Samuel Davidson,
strenuously objected to the adoption of
the changes suggested by Eulicott, which
became effective in the plan approved
by Washington.
This space now bounded by Madison
place on the east and Jackson place on
the west, south OF II street, laid long in
the open before designated by no other
name than President Square. and since
the thirtfes called Lafayette Square In
the appropriation bills
Was Once Graveyard.
Christian Hines. in his "reminiscences,
refers to graves being in the southwest
corner of the square about 1900 and an
old resident states that in his boyhood,
about 1870 there We're evidences Of a
graveyard found in the northeast part
skulls bones. etc.-and common report
was that 1t had been the burial place for
slaves in the preceding century. and part
of a pear orchard encroached the north
ern border. There had been erected a
fence of three narrow planks prior to
1854, when 81 900 was appropriated to re-
pair it and plant trees. At each corner
of the square a stile prevented the in
trusion Of horses and cattle. and the
paths made were well worn. the center
especially, by the department people.
Down to 1850 it was playground for the,
boys. and not infrequently were snakes
the White House, 1s4o-1S5O, his war
horse Old Whitley. often browsed there
as we'll as the cows of cabinet officer.
Improvements on Square.
In the early part of the century the
only Improvement bordering the square
was a large house on the northwest cor
ner of Vermont avenue and H street,
erected for Mrs. Anne Cazanave, the
daughter of Motley Young, who resided
there few years after the death Of her
husband about 1896. In 1876 st. Johns
Episcopal Church was erected ON its
present site, and on the west side Of the
square the house in which Commodore
Decatur died, and a house south was
erected about 1919 by DR.. Ewell. the lat
ter establishing a drug store there. but
there were distances between the habita-
tons. On the east side Of the square were
the residences first built by B. Ogle Tay-
loe and Richard Cults, the Madison house
being erected on the corner of II street,
in which Mrs. Madison lived for time
In 1881 Commodore Rodgers erected a
three-story residence. which after his
death, in 1886, became the popular board
ing house of Mrs Kelaar and Mrs. Lati-
mer, which was afterWard known as the
Theater. About 1880 Dr. Gunnell erected
a large brick house at the corner below,
which later became the home Of Col
Manydier, DR.. Van Patten and others.
Settlement Was Slow.
1t will be seen that the settlement was
very slow. and until about 1850, when
We're being made for placing
the statue of Jackson In Lafayette
Square no attempt was made to beautify
this square. In that year $1,000 was ex-
pended in improving and laying out the
ground. and in the following years prep
arations were completed for locating the
statue of Gen. Andrew Jackson in the
center. The general impression is that
this statue was erected by the govern
ment, but the fact is that in 1874 meas
ures were taken by the old Democratic
of this city to collect money
to erect statue to the hero of New Or
leans
John c. Rives. then an active member
of the association, took a prominent part,
and with the help of democrats elsewhere
$4,000 was raised. 1t was seriously