Evening star., 1935-07-28
John QumcyAdams Once Oc-
CubiedMey1diau HUMansion,
Later a Picnic Place, During
.CiUI Var Concerted Into n
Hospital for Soldiers old
.WaylmdSeminmymaCo,n Corner
of Meridian HiU-EarIy
.C0ndiH0nsmdPioneerReyideuS
ReCulled.'

SdbkS1lGu VI ODt4Al u 6fll1A
rent sufhcient to pay the taxes On the
property, and willing to wait with
patience until the ground increased in
value-and it did require some pa
tience, for the increase was far from
rapid.
IN 1887 ground could be bought in
= this subdivision for less than Is
cents a square foot, and a number of
white families moved there and built
modest homes. However, it was many
years before such conveniences as
sewer, water and gas were available
for the residents, and nearly every
body had to depend upon wells and
the spring down on Quarry road for
drinking water and for cooking pur-
poses, and the rain barrel helped out
for the Monday wash and the Sat
urday bath. But with many this was
the kind of pioneering and sacrifice
that laid the foundation for a better
home later on, while those who were
not willing to make the sacrifice, but
preferred to remain in town and enjoy
conveniences-and pay rent, of course
may be still paying rent, and, per-
haps-for it Is within the range of
possibility-drawing dole and praying
for the enactment Of q share-the-
wealth law, so that everybody will
eventually be poor together.
There Is substantially no history
connected with Meridian Hill prior
to 1915 when Comdr. David Porter.
q. s. ~, purchased it from Washing
ton Bowie, who obtained title from
Robert Peter, jr., who inherited it
from his father. The price paid for
the tract Of land was $13 900, and to
date it has cost around a half mill
lion dollars for purchasing and beauti-
flying Meridian Hill Park alone.
ON THE brow of the hill, at about
~ the center Of Sixteenth street,
Comdr. Porter erected o handsome
residence from plans drawn by George
Hadfield, designer Of our Court House
and other structures IN and around
Washington.
Admiral David D. Porter, son of the
commodore, IN his Memoir Of Com
modore David Porter" says the tract
Of land purchased by the commodore
consisted of 157 acres, though ITO
acres is probably correct. However,
what the admiral tells us about this
area is interesting reading. He says:
considerable prize money had fallen
to the lot of Rodgers, Decatur and
Porter and they determined to build
residences in the District Of Columbia.
Capt. Porter, accordingly, purchased
farm of 157 acres on the heights about
1 mile due north of the Presidents
house, which, being directly on the
meridian of Washington, he called
Meridial Hill. Here he erected a large
and elegant mansion overlooking the
City Of Washington and the broad
Potomac. The chain Of hills, on which
the house was built, forms an ampi-
theater around the city, and the hills
were, at the time, covered with q fine
growth Of forest, the whole forming
an extensive landscape which, to this
day, has lost little of its beauty. Here
was to be found everything that money
could procure to make the time pass
pleasantly after the life of toll and
warfare through which Capt. Porter
had passed, and here he delighted to
dispense that hospitality which made
his house q place of reunion for some
Of the wisest and greatest in the
land. 80
"DURING his residence at Meridian
Hill Capt. Porter became much
interested in farming. His friend, Mr..
John Skinner, was the editor Of an
agricultural paper and the various
hints I'm regard 10 the proper cultiva-
ton of the soil the captain endeayored
to put in practice on his gravelly land.
where crops did not seem to thrive.
In truth, though an excellent sailor,
he was no Judge Of land for farming
purposes, though, II he had suspected
the existence Of that deposit Of white
sand under his estate, which since the