The Washington times., 1925-03-20
WESTWAR HOI
IS FASHIONS
SLOGAN
March of Society Passes
BY Historic Lafayette
Square
sEkWYY EASTWARD the course Of
fashion takes its way
80. ss1,-o.y.f,yoSa q Inland

-
9tol should be the center OF gravity
social as well-as political, with the
residences Of the leaders OF OFFICIAL
and resident society lining the
streets radiating from its beautiful
plaza. But fashion would have
none of il and has moved steadily
Westward ever SINCE, pausing now
here, now there ana centering Tor
4. long time about picturesque and
5 historic Lafayette square.
The march is continuing with
Sixteenth street, the Massachusetts,
avenue region and those pleasant
streets linking up Connecticut ave-
nue. with Massachusetts, and per-
haps the most popular detectives.
And Lafayette square, with Its
record of history and tragedy con-
nected with every house fronting
on its green, tile shaded sWard,
exists as a center of social activity
only in the memories OF those who
knew Washington a generation
ago.
Business has claimed the square
for its own and soon the White
House will be the only landmark
left. Even now the home Of Mr.
5 and Mrs. Truxtun Beale-where
Admiral Decatur was living when
s his career was cut short in that
tragic duel with Barron-and the
big gray stone house where Miss
isabel Freeman and her sister, Mrs.
BENJAMIN n. Buckingham, make
their home. stand as the last rem
nants of a glory that is past.
True. the Brazilian embassy IS
Sin established in the old home Of
Henry Adams, but that mansion
vas involved in the deal when
Senator and Mrs. James w. Wads-
worth,s big house next door was
sold. And as I understand 1t, the
two houses win stand or fall to-
gether-either being torn down to
make way for an office building or
hotel or being converted into a
home for the National Republican
Club. That is the latest PROPOSE
ton to be discussed, and those OF
Us who resent the passing Of dear
familiar landmarks are hoping that
It win go through. It would at
least preserve the home of the late
John Hay-Mrs. Wad swort his
father-for another generation and
there would be a certain fitness IN
its selection as headquarters for
the Republican cohorts.
household goods being carried has
less to resist the relentless. march
OF BIZ mess: and they have been
fortunate in securing as a new
home that delightful house in Wood
land drive, which was formerly
owned and occupied by Mrs. Charles
W. Wetmore
Fine Old Homes Go Down
Before the March Of Progress.
The path. 70 the Destward mi
grafton may eatsily be followed by
marking the fine old houses. once
th escene Of generous hospitality,
the faces of which have been torn
off In process Of remodelling into
business premises.
But a shell of the old home Of
the late Senator Brandegee-a
house of many tragic memories BEL
fore his suicide there-now stands
at the corner Of Connecticut ave.
nue. and I street; and the fine old
Legare house just over the way Is
being torn down to make way for
an office building.
The "old Wallach house" fur
kher along in street is also in
process OF remodeling; and the big
house at the corner of K and Six
tenth, long the home OF the late
Mrs. Nicholas Anderson. is repre-
scented now but by a house hole.
Another great hotel-wonder how
Washington can support another?-
Is to rise phoneix like from its
rent.
Happily the home Of Mrs. Benja.
min H. Warder, across K street,
which was torn down when the
giant Investment Building was
erected a year or two ago, will be
preserved to posterity through the
interest of Major George Oakley
Totten, jr., who bought up the MA
terials of the house, had its COM
ponent parts marked as they were
taken down and is now having iL
re-e4ected on part of his Sixteenth
street property, with the Intention
Of having the interior made into
apartments.
Although belonging to a period
which is no longer admired, the
house was designed by Richardson,
one Of the greatest architechts OF
his day, who also built the John
Hay house, and it's preservation as
a first rate example Of the archi-
lecture of an interesting time OF our
history il certainly to. be COM
mended
The passing of the British EN-.
bassy. when the new proposed home
of the Ambassador in Massach
usetts avenue extended is COM
pleted will change the familiar face
OF Connecticut avenue In this
connection it is interesting to re-
member that when the present
embassy building was put up the
whole region round about was
practically country.
The story is told that when the
British envoy of that time was
shopping around for new home,
he looked at a house in Grant Row,
I on Capitol Hill. then the center
of polite sOciety-two houses i in
fact-and announced that he would
buy them both IL certain changes
were made.
The builder, being an independent
freshman with small enthusiasm for
the British, refused. Whereupor
the minister-Great Britain was then
represented by legation-an-
nounced that he would build his
home in the country, secure in the
knowledge that fashion would fol-
low the legation. That 1t did-and
then passed it over-is now history.
MRS. Otis TO Re
GUEST OF KELLOGGS.
Mrs. Francis j. Otis will arrive
from. I,ar. hnY1ae. in