Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05

trict government, numerous historic
buildings along the Avenue-as we
Washingtonians call Pennsylvania
avenue-and on nearby streets, will have to
give way to off,, buildings to be used mainly
for administrative purposes.
Though the District, according to present
plans, will take only from Third to Sixth
streets - running back to approximately D
Street-yet the chances seem good that the
National or local governments will eventually
take the entire northern stretch to the Capitol
and, since nearly all of the buildings in these
blocks have some historic significance, any or
all of them are well worth speaking of.
Just a little to the east of the Civic Center
as at present proposed, at 235 Pennsylvania
avenue, is the birthplace of that famous Ken
lucky editor and orator, Henry Watterson-
"Marse Henry" he was affectionately called.
Though we are proud of the fact that we
ourselves were born here. yet Henry, like all of
us. did not actually select Washington as the
place in which to be born. Indeed as matter
of fact, this was left entirely to the good
judgment of his mother, and that she acted
wisely no doubt those whose mothers did like
wise will only gladly testify.
It so happened that when the great journal
est first saw the light of day, his father-Harvey
Magee Watterson-was serving in Congress
from the State OF Tennessee.
On February 16, 1910, the date of Henry's
birth, the father living at what is now 235
Pennsylvania avenue. He soon tired of con-
for reelection in 1872 President Tyler sent him
on diplomatic mission to Buenos Aires and
he later served Speaker of the Tennessee
State Senate and held other political positions
but, after all, he really seems to have had nk-
ing for Washington, since he subsequently en-
gagged here in newspaper work and besides
practiced law here for 16 years before taking
up his residence in Kentucky and becoming a
member of the editorial staff of the Louisville
Courier Journal
Woff he
newspaper work in this city on the Washington
States Democratic paper printed from 1858
to 1861. From here he went to edit the Repub-
hcan Banner in Nashville Tenn. (quite an I'M
usual thing for so ardent Democrat to do.
THE beginning of the Civil War found the
WatterSon family somewhat divided in its
sympathieS between the warning sections of the
country. Henry Watterson entered the Con-
federate service, becoming an aide on the staff
OF N. B. Forrest and later aide to Gen.
Leonidas Polk, and chief of scouts in the army
of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, while, quite to
the contrary, his uncle, Stanley Matthews who
was appointed United States Supreme Court
Justice by President Garfield in 1884, served as
a lieutenant colonel of the 23d Regiment Ohio
Volunteers and later colonel of the 57th Regi-
ment, Ohio Volunteers. He, too, served in Con-
gress, succeeding John Sherman in the Senate
Henry WatterSon's connection with the Louis
vile Courier journal began in 1867 when he
purchased the Louisville Journal, which he con-
solidated with the Courier becoming its edi-
tor and continuing as such up to within few
years Of his death. Like his father and uncle
he too served in Congress, being a member of
the House of Representatives from 1876 to 1877.
He died at jacksonville, Fla, December %,
1921. and was buried in Cave Hill Cemetery,
Louisville, KY.
AS an editor and politician he stood with the
best.
little to the west of the Watterson house,
at the southwest corner of Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and Four-and-a-half street. is a building
that has considerably more than mere passing
significance, for here was the headquarters Of
the American Colonization Society," which was
responsible for the founding the west coast
of Africa, in 1920, of what in 1847 became the
Republic of Liberia.
THOUGH this organization for the COLOMBIA
ton of colored people was national and
even international in its character, yet from its
foundation and throughout its entire subsequent
existence it was largely Offered and assisted
by Westinghouse or persons residing here.
One of the first men to lend his support TO
the colonization movement, and of the
leading spirits in organizing the American
Colonization Society, which took place in this
city, December 81, 1916, Elias Bondinot
Caldwell, clerk Of the United States Supreme
Court from 1900 to 1925.
OF course, Mr.. Caldwell had the cooperation,
support and encouragement OF such men as
Charles Fenton Mercer. member of the State
Legislature of Virginia; Francis Scott Key,
author of THE Star Spangled Banner; Rev. DIR.
Robert Finley Samuel J. Mills, Charles Marsh.
member of Congress from Vermont; Judge
Bushrod Washington and others.
The first public meeting for forming the
society was held here on December 81, 1916.
and in the absence of Judge Washington Henry
lad tn no phoir Hyanf Col