Evening star., 1939-05-28
Fifty Years Ago
In the Stur
An almost forgotten literary land
mark of the region around Washington


Birthplace The Star of May 25, 1889,
of an telling Of the association of
ImmortoI John Howard Payne, au-
Song uon. .nU, = % nth hone' .s a~ses rhv
estate:
Some things there are which by
common instinct mankind hold sacred.
Among these are the scenes of heroic
deeds, the precincts of patriotic graves
and the birthplace of sublime thoughts,
in proof of which need only be men
toned such names as Lexington, Mount
Vernon and Independence Hall And
within the District of Columbia there is
a spot which the American people. If
familiar with its associations, would not
deem unworthy of mention in connec-
ton with those named.
Half a century ago George W. Tai
burtt, then young and unmarried, was
the owner by inheritance of a planta-
ton of 231 acres, lying just across the
east branch of the Potomac from WASH
ington. his fee simple domain touching
the river at a point opposite the Navy
Yard. Here he lived in elegant leisure,
having about 100 slaves, and, to digress
for moment, the visitor may still see
near his home row of graves, from
which are pointed out the particular
resting places of some most distinguished
than their companions for humble vir-
tues. One is remembered as the col
ored nanny Of a person since raised
to some eminence. while another is re-
vered for an intimacy with several fam
lily generations. This young man, pos
sessed of ease and af1luence, was a boon
companion of John Howard Payne,
whose dust has since become so sacred.
THE old home still stands, as it then
stood, in an eden bower on the bank of
the river and here. under a venerable
chestnut tree, sitting on a rustic seat
that encircled its front. Payne and Tai
burtt used to drink their mint julep sing
their merry songs and talk of the lives
they were to lead. Talburtt had PROM
ised Payne that whenever he wanted
home it should be built for him on the
plantation and they would spend their
bachelor lives together.
Much Of the old plantation is now
within the modern suburban village of
Anacostia and on an elevation that COM
mands view Of the National Capital
and its surroundings which quite raw
1shes the eye with its beauty, stands the
house, now owned and occupied by Mr..
H. A. Griswold, built in fulfillment of
this promise. The site was selected by
Payne himself before departing on his
foreign mission, but he never returned
to enjoy the home of which he sung:
and thus absolved from his vow Of cell
bacy, Mr.. Talburtt afterward married
and himself occupied the new house, in
which children were born to him, one of
whom, still resident of the village, Is
the mother of ]. Harry Shannon, widely
known as the juvenile orator
But the chief point of interest is yet
to be told, for Notwithstanding the claim
that Home, Sweet Home was written in
Tunis or in London garret the origi-
nal manuscript, in the handwriting of
the illustrious author himself, and bear
Ing his own interlineations, is still IN
the possession of the family-Mr. Tall
burtt having died in 1865-and it was on
the rustic seat under the chestnut tree.
on the bank of the east branch of the
Potomac so near the mouth as to be
practically on the main river, and q
little more than a mile east Of south
from the Capitol Building, that John
Howard Payne, with his own inspired
genius, and an aide de camp mint julep,
drafted this immortal composition. The
rustic seat, held as precious heirloom,
Is preserved in the attic of the old home,
and the chestnut tree, now partly dead,
and much OF its bark picked of as me-
mentos, still marks the birthplace of this
song that will live while the English
tongue Is spoken or a thatched roof cov-
ers the head Of an humble inhabitant of
earth