Evening star., 1928-03-04
By JOHN CLAGErr PROCTOR.

~ NE of the most conspicuous and
most central Of all the historic
buildings in Washington is the
old Decatur House. at the.
southwest corner of H stree:
and Jackson place. and within block
OF the White House grounds. Few
buildings are there in the city that have
more people pass In front Of 1t in tho
course of day than pass In front o.
this reminder of bygonc days, in a
ncighborlnood replete with American
history dating back for more than a
century
After the close of the war OF lSl2-15
many naval officers found themselves
possessed of considerable prize money
turned over to them by the Government
through the sale of captured enemy
vessels and their cargoes. Two OF these
In particular. Conmodorcs David Porter
and Stephen Decatur. invested their
money in local real estate, Porter pur-
chasing. with part Of his, the Meridian
Hill property. consisting of some 110
acres. and erecting there a pretentious
home. and Decatur purchasing. with
part Of his share, the Jackson place
property.
After the close Of the second war
With Great Britain Commodore Decatur
wss ordered TO duty III Washington As
q Navy commissioner and soon there
after it is said. moved into Kalorama
mansion. in the tomb connected with
which h. was later inferred. He coulo
not have lived there long, for soon after
arriving in thc city he purchased for
his residence one OF the seven build
inss This row is still standing on the
north side of Pennsylvania avenue be-
tween Nineteenth and Twentieth streets
northwest. the houses being numbered |
1901 to 1918. Some Of these houses
have been remcdeled, but otherwise they
constitute the same old seven build !
ings."
On March s. 1906. Decatur was
married. having been smitten with the !
fascinating Southern charms OF Miss
hnement and education. She was the !
daughter of a wealthy merchant OF !
that place. In addition to a command /
ing beauty. 1t Is said. this young lady ,
Possessed great superiority of intellect. J.
which careful education and the con- /
tact Of society had remarkably de- !
veloped: nor had the lighter graceS |
that embellish beauty and intellect |
been neglected In her training. She !
possessed many rare accomplishments. !
being in particular an admirable mu- |
the harp in singing with equal taste ,
and execution" If We can believe all /
We read then this statement is un- !
ooubtedly true. for ii has also been |
said that the hand of this fair maiden !
had been Intellectually sought by Je- !
rome Bonaparte before the great Ma
poleons brother had wooed and won !
the love of that famous Baltimore /
beauty. Miss Elizabeth Patterson. /
whom he succeeded in tying up to an |
unsatisfactory marriage. /
II Is. therefore. but natural that such /
Q hero as Decatur was-and being |
welded to a wife with such delightful /
accomplishments as were those of Mrs. !
Decatur-would want q home with !
better accommodations for entertain
ing his friends than were afforded by
their modest home in the Seven
Buildings"
For this reason he soon thereafter
rl-chased a building lot and erected
Inc old Jackson place building in
1919. just as you see it today. Though
an ordinary structure in appearance,
get 1t is from designs drawn by that
distinguished architect Benjamin H.
Latrobe. who early came here as one
o! the architects of the Capitol Build
ing and who used his spare time in
designing structures, among which were
ST. Johns Church. at Sixteenth and
II streets: the Van Ness mansion,
which formerly stood on Seventeenth
street between B and c streets north
eest, and the home of the first mayor 4
o. Washington. Robert Brent. at Brent
wood Latrobc also Is given credit by
sone as having suggested the erection
OF the north and south porticos OF
the White House. which add so much
to It's attracaveneSs.
II was the first residence to be erected
on what was originally called the Presi-
dents Square, but subsequently received
tss more familiar name Of Lafayette
Square. 81. Johns Church, in the form
Of Greek cross. with It's stucco walls,
nn!shsd with a lantern and cupola,
the first structure OF any description
erected on this sqaare, only preceded
Oh. Decatur house by four years, the
corner stone being laid September IA.
1915. However. the Decatur house was
only erected a few months in advance
Of the dwelling st IL Jackson place.