Evening star., 1935-10-06
Many Noted
Figures in Po-
HHCak, Social
and Military
LHeofCouut,y
Made Home in
Lafayette Park
Ar9a..

lived Walter D. Davidge, lawyer.
OF course, the historian looked out
upon the old Decatur or Beale house
many, many times, for it was not
only there subsequent to 1875, when
he moved into the neighborhood, but
was standing on the corner Of jackson
place and H street for more than half
a century before that date. Few
houses IN Washington have been more
written about than has this one. and
particularly so because of the tragedy
which ended the life of Commodore
Stephen Decatur. who erected the
building in 1919 with prize money
turned over to him by the Govern
ment at the close of the second war
with England.
Sometime shortly after 1915, Deca-
tur came to Washington and briefly
resided at Kalorama, soon afterward
he purchased for his residence one Of
the Seven Buildings, an early row Of
houses occupying much of the north
side of Pennsylvania avenue between
Nineteenth and Twentieth streets.
On March 8, 1906. Decatur was
married, succumbing to the fascina-
ting Southern charms of Miss Susan
Wheeler, a Norfolk belle of refinement
and education. She was the daughter
of a wealthy merchant. In addition
to a commanding beauty, it is said,
this young lady possessed great
superiority Of, intellect, which care
full education and the contact OF
society had remarkably developed; nor
had the lighter graces that embellish
beauty and intellect been neglected in
her training. She possessed many
rare accomplishments, being IN par
ticular an admirable musician, and
accompanying herself on the harp in
singing with equal taste and execu-
ton" If We can believe all we read,
then this statement is undoubtedly
true, for it has also been said that
the hand of this fair maiden had
been Intellectually sought by Jerome
Bonaparte before the great Napoleon's
brother had wooed and won the love
of that famous Baltimore beauty, MISS
Elizabeth Patterson.
IT Is, therefore, but natural that
such a hero as Decatur married to
a wife with such delightful accom-
plishments would want a home with
better accommodations for entertain
ing than were afforded by their modest
home in the Seven Buildings"
For this reason he soon thereafter
purchased a building lot and erected
the old Jackson place building In 1919.
Just as it is today.
Decatur had only short while to
live in his new home, for 1t was des-
tined he should be carried from here
a corpse but one year later, following
the fatal duel at Bladensburg with
Comdr James Barron, March %, 1920.
When it was found that Decatur
had but short while to live, he was
hurriedly driven back to his home in
jackson place, but before he would
permit himself to be taken inside he
directed that Mrs. Decatur and his
two pieces be removed to the upper
part of the house. He gave positive
orders that Mrs. Decatur should not
see him. He had "too often," he said.
faced death to be awed by its terrors,
but he could not bear to give her so
much pain as his condition must
awaken or to see her endure it,
He had his will witnessed by Comdr.
Rodgers, DR.. Trevitt and DR.. Sim. and
shortly after 1890 pm. that same day
breathed his last. And so passed into
the great beyond one Of Americas
greatest naval heroes. In time, his
deeds may be forgotten, but his toast
will live forever: Our countryi In
her intercourse with foreign nations,
may she always be in the right; but
OUR country, right or wrong"
After Mrs. Decatur moved elsewhere,
the old home was occupied by such
distinguished men as Henry Clay,
Martin Van Buren, Edward Livingston,
George M. Dallas, Judah p Benjamin
and Gen. e. F. Beale. and here the
latter had as his frequent guests Gen.
and Mrs. Grant.
On the Seventeenth street side Of
the block, in which Bancroft resided.
at the southeast corner of I street,
lived Judge Walter S. Cox, one Of
Washington's best known jurists, who
presided at many famous trials while
he was on the bench of the District
Supreme Court.
ON THE Connecticut avenue side of
the block, were the homes OF Alex
ander Bliss, DR.. Harvey Lindsly and
others. There were also a number
of literary minds living in the neigh
borhood. including John Hay. at the
corner of Sixteenth and H streets:
Henry Adams, who resided Just one
door to the west Of Mr.. Hay,