Evening star., 1933-04-30
PIONEER CHURCHES IN NATIONAL CAPITAL

Trinity. Amen. The first stone OF q small
Roman Catholic Church is laid in the city
Of Washington In the year Of our Lord and
Savior. Jesus Christ, 1905, and dedicated to
the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title and
name Of st. Mary's. Gloria in Excelsis Deo.
Erected by and at the charge Of James Barry"
James Barry-as his name indicates-was an
Irishman, as were a great many Of the first
residents Of the Capital Cty-James Hoban.
who designed and twice built the White House.
being one Of the most important. Indeed, Is
early as 1902, there were enough sons Of
Hbernia" here to form st. Patrick's day
parade, which they did, wearing shamrocks In
their hats.
4 Ar. BARRY came to New York before 1890
W. and to Washington prior to 1795. He
was of family Of some distinction and before
coming to this city conducted an extensive
commercial business with England and France.
In New York he met Thomas Law, Americas
first rich man. and soon after coming here
established, In connection with Mr.. Law, an
agency for the East India trade. He was
partial to the Eastern Branch and said that
the Commissioners should have been obliged
to settle near the Capitol.
BY 1895 his wharf at the foot Of New jersey
avenue was well under way, for it was here
that he anticipated extensive foreign trade
would be centered, and he also conducted .
store at this point But in this his opinion Is
to location failed him, as it did others, and
soon we find him serving as trustee for the
sale Of the sugar refinery at Greenleaf Point,
the first and largest enterpriee in the city up TO
that time.
Even the chapel erected by Mr.. Barry was
soon abandoned, together with the bodies which
were entounbed beneath the church For many
years, we are told the interior was pretty well
preserved, though the trapdoor had beeh re-
nv Intruder deSecratOr OF the
dead. A pair Of steps, we are told, led down
to the tomb where the door had been removed
and the bones were found floating in the water,
which had seeped through the walls, or other
wise strewn over the pavement. These mortal
parts Of man, here exposed to view, belonged
principally to the Barron family, regarding
which a sad but interesting story is told
Mr.. Barron, the head of the family, was an
Irishman and q man, it is said, Of some dis
tinction, but the gentleman who first told the
story in the New York Knickerbocker nearly
a hundred years ago cid not give us his
Christian name, and the writer cannot give
it to you. However, he came to this country
in 1888, settled IN New York and conducted
there an extensive commercial business with
England and France.
sons The daughter, just blooming into woman
hood was the reigning belle in New York City.
Her exquisite beauty of person" we are told,
land sound good sense attracting the admira-
ton of all the gentlemen, while her perfect
simplicity of manners, unaffected modesty and
obliging disposition dsarmed all envy on the
part of her own sex"
There were rivals for her hand One was an
English gentleman who had been acting as
diplomatic agent for his government, the other
a young merchant in New York and one OF
her fathers partners. The story designates the
former as Mr.. Welden and the latter as Mr..
Carlton. Both were good wooers, but because
Mr.. Carlton was engaged in kindred pursuits
with the ladys father and would remain in
this country. he was preferred by Mr.. and Mrs.
Barron but not so with Miss Adele--which
happened to be the ladys name-for she had
other ideas and had her heart set upon the
polished and intellectual Mr.. Welden the
British agent
She did not encourage Mr.. Carlton, though
she always treated him politely and as q
friend when he visited her fathers home. He
realized he was not the lady's preference but
even after he was made aware that she had
pledged her heart and hand to his rival he
still cherished hopes
Barron like q few other unwise spectators,
bought q large tract of land in the Federal
Capital "on the waste fields of Carrollsburg
and Hamburg" and at a considerable cost put
q part Of It under cultivation, taking up his
residence in Georgtown until his plans could
be completed and q suitable residence built on
Capitol Hill.
THOUGH Mr. Barron might not have been In
l reality Mr.. Barry, yet in some respects the
details 1it him very closely At any rate, Mr..
Barrons name Except that Of Commodore
Barron), does not figure in early local history
and the name Of Mr.. Barry does. Mr.. Barron,
we are told, was . Roman Catholic; 30 was
Mr. Barry. Mr. Barron Is said to have COM
menced . small edifice for worship for himself,
"and the few of that persuasion who were then
living in that part Of the paper city" OF this
there IS no record while we do know that Mr..
Barry did build and dedicate to his faith Barry
Chapel Nevertheless, We shall for uniformity