Evening star., 1924-05-21
HISTORY OF LAFAYETTE SQUARE
OUTLINED BY MAJ. GIST BLAIR
Sketches of Liues of Prominent Men Liring BOr.
der of Plot Given Before
Historical Society.

History of Lafayette square, the
early buildings surrounding it and
sketches of many persons who played
prominent parts in the history of the
nation while dwelling on the border of
that historic landmark in front of the
White House, were outlined by Maj.
Gist Blair before the Columbia His
torical Society in the Cosmos Club last
night.
This historic square of Washington,
which was named after the famous
French general after his visit to this
city in 1924, was a part of patents
issued to John Pearce, September %,
1855, when he obtained two tracts of
land of 500 acres in that vicinity, Maj.
Blair explained.
From the date of the Pearce
patents to the time when the Com
missioners, appointed to establish the
city, entered into their agreement
with the proprietors, the land de-
scended through several generations
of that family and was owned by
them when President Washington on
February 3, 1871, wrote William
asking them to assist him in acquir-
ing land for the purpose of the
town" The plot of ground, which
included Lafayette Square, was then
owned by Edward Pearce.
Mr. Pearce. the speaker continued,
was successful farmer and at that
time owned farmhouse at the north
east corner of the square. The graves
of the Pearce family were on the
north side of Pennsylvania avenue
opposite the Presidents house, and
an apple orchard nearly covered the
square.
Was Presidents Square.
The square first became known as
Presidents Square and up to the year
1900 graves Of the Pearce family re-
matned in the square undisturbed
and surrounded by small wooden
fence. he said. Quoting from "Recol-
lections of Christian Hines" he said
that at the time OF the removal of
the graves 'all that was found
and piece of comb"
Following the establishment of
presidents Square" there were no
houses or buildings on it's borders.
Buildings in the White House
grounds, he said, were the first
boundary lines"
The second house to be built on
the square was the old Decatur house,
designed e by Latrobe, the architect
Commodore Stephen Decatur from
prize money won in the wars with
the pirates of Tripoli." "The house
was erected in 1919" he said.
Square LeveIed and Fenced.
In 1926 the square was leveled
and fenced in with d paline fence.
ThlS wooden fence was replaced by
an iron one in 1853. when the statue
to Gen. Jackson was erected" con-
. 1oy
IN 1858 the streets on the east
and west sides of the square were
named by the city council Madison
Place Ihls ian and ia Jackson place; Before
the whim of the people" he said
PREVIOUS to that time. in 1845
lafayette Square was the lobby of the
White House, and Congress proposed
to use the land for five residences for
the members of the Presidents cabi-
net. Lafayette Square had been
layed off in walks, completely in
closed and had pavement put
around it, and in 1888 the grounds
were further improved and a drain
age system installed. The square was
more extensively improved in 1874
Telling of the early buildings
erected along the square. he recalled
the building of the ST. Johns Church.
which was ready for occupancy in
1916. The Rev. DR.. Wilmer of Alex
andrIa, Va, was its first pastor He
nection with this ancient landmark
and place of worship. Among the
attendants at this church have been
Presidents Madison, Monroe, Adams.
Jackson, Van Buren,, Harrison Tyler
Taylor, Fillmore, Buchanan and Ar
thur.
Describes Madison Home,
The residence of Dolly Madison,
now the Cosmos Club, was described
after it's occupancy by former Pres
ldent and Mrs. Madison. Recalling
that he was standing on a platform
practically on the spot on which
many of the great social events of
many great statesmen that had
gathered in the Madison home and
the prominent position that Mrs.
Madison occupied in the social life of
this city: After leaving the White
House, Mrs. Madison resided in the
home there most of the time until her
death in 1910.
The large brownstone building fac
ing the square on H street be-
tween the st. Johns Church and the
Der of Commerce building, was built
by Matthew st. Clair Clark, clerk of
the House of Representatives in 1922,
he said. This house was at one time
the YnOHe Oh Joseph Gdle, eQltOr of
the National Intelligencer, a news
paper of the day, and was later re-
sided in by Lord Ashburton, when he
negotiated treaty with Daniel
Webster. Secretary of State.
At this point Mr.. Blair outlined the
many things that had been done to
bring about pan-American tranquil
lity by those who had resided on the
borders of the square. On the north
west corner of 18th and H streets
was the home of John Hay, private
secretary to President Lincoln. Next