Evening star., 1934-07-08

of cherries, which resulted in an attack of
cholera morbus later developing into bilious
fever, which was given as the cause of DEATH"
On July 10. 1850. appeared the first public
announcement of the Presidents death. This
announcement was brief. and simply said:
weep, fellow citizens! The hand of death
has stricken down great and good man!
Zachary Taylor. our honored and beloved Presi-
dent, Is no more! A malignant and rapid dis
ease has swept him from the living. No longer
ago than Thursday last he was apparently in
the full enjoyment of health and strength,
participating In the patriotic ceremonies of
our Nations birthday, and now Is nur'oered
with the dead. He expired last night at 1890
o'clock, surrounded by his afflicted family.
He died with the composure which conscious
virtue, fortitude. and confidence in the good
of God alone impart. His last in
telligible words were: I am not afraid to die,
I have done my duty; my only regret is leaving
those who are near and dear to me-"
The funeral was held from the east room of
the White House July 13. and the public
was permitted to view the remains. Rev. DR..
Pyne of st. Johns Episcopal Church. assisted
by Rev. c. B. Butler and other clergymen.
conducted the religious services. and after an
imposing funeral parade the body was
temporarily placed in the public vault at
Congressional Cemetery. and later inferred in
the Taylor vault on what some years ago was
referred to as "a by-road leading into what
Is known the Brownsboro road" 1t Is on
the land that Col Richard Taylors father set
tied upon in TITS. The bodies of Col Taylor
and other members of the family are also
buried there.
For many years the tomb was suffered to
remain neglected. and was rapidly falling into
decay when Richard H. Taylor, nephew Of
President Taylor, put it in proper repair.
CEvERAL years ago the writer gave a par
- tial history of an early District residence
known as Red Wood. which stood the site
of the Cathedral Mansions, opposite the Con-
nectieut avenue entrance to the Geological Park
and recently he received interesting letter
from Mrs. Evelyn Weems French, wife of Col.
w. E. p. French, U. S. A., retired in which she
gave additional information. Col French's
father. Capt Edmund French. Sd. having been
owner of this old home and surrounding tract
OF land many years ago.
1t is difhcult definitely to set the date Of the
erection of this house. Back In 1889 The Star
printed the following brief account of the place.
but even this leaves much to conjecture.
The item reads
THE RED WOOD FARM HOUSE"
''The old Red Wood farm house. one of the
uniquely picturesque landmarks Of the District
Is observed to the westward. This old house
Is of curious construction, being fashioned after
the notions of the different persons who have
occupied it, The east wing the original
building, and. will be seen, was very un-
pretentious structure but it has been added
to from time to time, SO that now, although
somewhat dilapidated, the house presents an
imposing. castle-hke appearance. The original
part was built by DR.. Boyle of Washington
some 20 years ago, but the property changed
hands several times since then. During
the administration of James Buchanan it
a fashionable resort. of the members of
the Presidents official family being the occu-
o,,k zx,I -
rooms, that once saw so much gayety, are we'll
preserved to this day. A splendid, farrreaching
view is presented from the cupola. The place
is now occupied as dairy farm by Mr.. Charles
Francis Hamilton. Connecticut avenue ex-
tended passes by the east end of the house"
Seventy years ago. would make this house
built in 1919, but the writer has been unable
to identify, in connection with the property the
Dr. Boyle said to have lived there at that
time.
rRASUMS MIDDLETON owned it at and
l. prior to 1910. the date he is said to have
sold to Henry Naylor. J. c. Turner and John
Boyle. In 1850 Charles E. D. Wood bought
the property from Naylor and Turner and
Capt. Edmund French bought the estate con-
sisting OF 125 acres. from Wood for $6.500 on
February IL, 1853. Subsequently 80 acres of
this land became part of the Geological
Park. Another reference to this property, be-
fore the writer, says that L. j. Middleton once
owned the place. He was the grandfather of
Miss Sophie 3. Middleton, whose father was
Frank e. Middleton, ST. Mrs. Frank E. Mid
dleton still resides in this city and recalls when
"Aunt Nora and Grandmother Middleton died
at Oak HILL" or Red Wood.
Capt. Edmund French lived there until his
death in 1850, when he was inferred in the
Kalorama family vault, next to the grave of
Commodore Stephen Decatur, and his body re-
NAMED there until 1892 Col w z 2 French