Evening star., 1934-10-16
11S WHITE HOUSE
ATTRAcTEDBR|TON
Rare Book Describes Visit
to New. U. S. Capital
1873 Years Ago.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

y
With the White House undergoing
extensive alterations and additions,
some details Of what Il looked IKE
when It was still under construction
IN 1876 are OF interest. These details
are contained In the diary Of an Eng
Nsh traveller. Thomas Chapman. who
stopped In Washington for three days
IN January Of that year. .
Chapmans Journal b contained IN
Q rare book now in the library Of the
Bureau Of American Ethnology and Is
one Of the least known travelers' &C.
counts of the early United States.
On January 40, 1896. Mr.. Chapman,
after partaking Of . "hole Of milk
and whiskey," left Winchester In .
heavy snowstoEm and entered into
old Virginia"
Rode to "LeeGburgh."
"But the roads being bad and not
hard enuf to bear my horse I rode
only "a miles to Leesburgh, containing
about 100 houses on one street. set
on early next morning and rode along
q rough road a. miles to Capt. Whit
ley's tavern which Is the only decent
house . travellar win ind all the way
from Leesburgh to Georgetown, q dis
tas1ce Of near 40 miles, where arrived
ut four O'Clock in the evening and put
up ut the Green Tree Tavern Of Mr..
Eymes. After getting five or six miles
from Leesburgh the country appears
poor Of timber and soil al the way
to the Potomaek.
Georgetown stands on the banks Of
the river on the Maryland side and
contains near 500 houses, some Of
which are very large, handsome brick
edifices. This town Is built on hilly,
broken ground and commands an
extensive prospect down the Potomaek
and over all the ground where the
Federal city u laid out and building.
Friday, January AZ. After paying Mr..
Symes and extravagant charge OF
nine shillings sterling for my supper
and the horses hay and oats ! set
out for the Federal city and the Presi-
dents house was the first object that
attracted my notice. The workmen
have nearly completed the second
story. ! was informed the dimensions
Of this elegant building are ITS by
155 feet. It Is plain structure Of
free stone without any other orna-
ment than the pediments, ETC.. above
the windows and the window cases
curiously carved. The principal front
has . semi-circular projection In the
center Of one-third Of its extent where
the principal entrance Is to be. There
Is o square Of 10 acres Of ground
round the house for gardens. walks,
etc.
Finds Little Work Done.
"From the Presidents house to the
eminence where the Capitol Is build
ing is about q mile, and as the street
from one end to the other Is 160 feet
wide they viii appear the each other
grand objects.
There Is. so little done to the Capt.
tol as yet that to Q person who has
not seen the plan can form very
imperfect idea what the building will
be. It covers about one acre OF
ground. In one wing Is q large oval
room for the Senate and In the other
another for the Lower House. exclusive
of which there is o large circular
room for holding conferences. There
Is also to be . variety Of other rooms
for offices In every department under
the Federal Government. There Is
four acres Of ground allotted to the
Capitol for . pleasure garden. With
the Capitol upon an eminence It Will
command . view Of the whole city
and OF the Potomaek River.
"The Grand Hotel, which stands
on the street half way between the
Presidents house and the Capitol Is
o large, handsome brick building, ex-
cept the space that three windows
occupy in the center which Is Of free
stone. There Is not above so private
houses IN this city In any great fore
wardness, but understand vast prog
ress win be made next year."