Evening star., 1934-06-23

was Bushrod who gave him q climbing
rose for the Bellevue garden and
the great lockwood planted in front
of the house.
Joseph Whitall, member OF the
then famous Aspinwall firm of New
York and a stepson of Mrs. Samuel
Whitall, bought Bellevue few years
after his father moved in and pre-
sented it to his stepmother to whom
he was devoted.
1t was at Bellevue that the young
est Whitall child, Sarah Matilda
Whitall, was born in 1922. In 184l
she married Charles Edwin Ritten-
house, grandnephew of David Ritten-
house, the famous astronomer and
the first director OF the mint In Phila-
delphia. Charles Edwin Rittenhouse
was connected with the Bank of the
riage and later became president of
the Bank of Commerce in George
town. He was one of Washington's
best known residents of that period.
The marriage ceremony was per-
formed in the southwest parlor of
Bellevue, one of the most attractive
rooms in the house.
Upon the death of her mother,
Mrs. Rittenhouse inherited Bellevue
and before it was sold to Howard
Hinckley Of Boston 1t had been In
the Whitall and Rittenhouse families
for more than 100 years. Charles
Rittenhouse had made extensive
changes in the old house, spending
more than $1,000 to bring it up to
date" and make it more comfortable.
House Is Enlarged.
He is said to have enlarged the
northeast part of the house, adding
another pantry. a laundry, another
hall. bath room, linen closets and a
new stairway to the attic. These were
practically the first improvements
since the house was built.
Almost Immediately after Hinckley
acquired the property it passed to
John Newbold, because the Bostonian
did not care to assume the expense
of moving the house to make way
for @ street, which then was to be
cut through.
Newbold, brother of Fleming New
bold and a great nephew OF Mfs.
Samuel Whitall, moved the house
back to its present location. In doing
so, he lowered the mansion so the
basement windows were below ground
level. This so altered the proportions
of the house that 1t was necessary to
reduce the size of the wings.
Although the Rittenhouse family
had given several thousand square
feet of property to the District to
enable @ street to be cut through, the
family was assessed $4,000 for the ex-
tension under terms of the Borland
act. whose repeal the Commissioners
have sought repeatedly.
Colonial Danes Purchase Home.
Upon the death of John Newbold
several years ago. Bellevue passed to
his widow and son. John Newbold, jr.,
who sold the place to the Colonial
Danes.
In their brochure describing the
property. the Danes say the house
was carefully restored under the ad-
vice of Fiske Kimball of the PennSyl-
vania Museum Of Art, who is one of
the leading authorities on Colonial
architecture, and who says the Dunn
barton House is one of the most beau
tiful houses OF its kind in the United
States"
"Dumbarton House. as 1t stands to-
day." the brochure continues, lis an
excellent example of a dignif1ed resi-
dence Of what is known as the early
Federal period. The general style OF
the building, floor plan and architec-
tural details of the period from 1870
to 1910 has been closely followed in
its furnishings. The society Is filling
the house with fine examples of early
furniture. approved by Mr.. Luke Vim
cent Lockwood, one of the recognized
authorities on period furniture in
America"