Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-10

one of the leading nurserymen OF his
day. Indeed he conducted the first gen.
eral nursery In the District. The Rock
Greek property, containing 80 acres he
received from his father, Isaac Pierce,
the deed being acknowledged october 10,
1928, and recorded october II, 1928,
the consideration being natural love
and affection" and the accompanying
description places the beginning at the
mouth of Piney Branch and running
north
Joshua Pierce also owned consider
able property in the northern part of
Washington. said at one time to amount
TO about 81 acres, and for many years
conducted his nurseries on squares be-
tween r and S and Fourteenth and
Sixteenth streets northwest. The
Washington Hospital for Foundlings in
Fifteenth street, marks about the center
Of his city property, and exists today
as a monument to his beneficence, His
birthplace Is given as Philadelphia, Pa,
and the date about l795. He is buried
In Rock Greek Cemetery, and on his
vault is inscribed: Joshua Peirce, April
IL, 1859. aged "a years; Susan A. Peirce,
January 10, 1851, aged 81 years"
u n 4
WHETHER the Pearces who were
W buried In the graveyard which
once stood opposite the White House
were of this same family the writer IS
unable to say, though he assumes they
were not. However Christian Hines
remarks on the subject are at least
interesting. He tells us that 1t was
situated ON the north side of Pennsyl-
vania avenue opposite the Presidents
house, between the southwest corner
and south gate of Lafayette Square.
Part of it, think, is covered by the
brick pavement that lies along the
south side of the square. This yard
family. who we're the proprietors of the
land in that vicinity. There was an
apple orchard attached. which covered
nearly the whole of the square, and
which may allude to hereafter"
Continuing, Mr.. Hines says:
"Pearce's graveyard, above noticed. at
Lafayette Square, was situated on toler-
ably high ground-perhaps three feet
higher than at present, and the graves
were all placed IN regular order It
appeared to me, when first saw 1t, to
have been formerly inclosed with a
railing I have passed oyer it hundreds
of times, and believe it was about 30
feet square. The farmhouse somewhere
near the northeast corner OF Lafayette
Square. and Commodore Decatur s
house--an old barn or tobacco house
weather-boarded with clapboardS-stood
a little east of Gen McComb's residence.
This remember WELL Previous to put
ting an iron railing around the square,
Mr. Hardness. Commissioner OF the first
ward. received orders to graduate and
level the square, street. etc.
mfr, Pearce, one of the family. then
lived In Georgetown. / was well ac-
quainted with him and his family from
the time was boy, having lived In a
house adjoining his residence, and, as
soon as / understood they intended to
| level the square, went over ana IN
formed the family of the fact. Mr..
Pearce was at that time from home,
engaged in teaching a school on the
other side of the Eastern Branch, and
would not return until Saturday. Mrs.
Pearce. therefore, requested me to see
| the remains taken up and inferred in
another graveyard. and promised her
| would. I communicated her desire to
the Commissioner, and he had case
made sufficiently large to contain the
remains. After the earth had been
| removed from over the remains 1t was
ascertained that there was little else to
take up but a few bones and little
black dust, besides, believe, a piece
of haircomb some plated hair, etc.
After gathering the remains together
and putting them into the case we had
them placed in a cart and proceeded
to Holmead burying ground, where we
deposited them. They had, doubtless,
been inferred in what is now Lafayette
Square long before the Presidents
house was thought of. I marked the
spot where these sacred emblems were
placed last so that I could point 1t out