Evening star., 1940-05-19

time planned to make the District of
Columbia his permanent residence,
and even went so far as to pur-
cchase the tract of land, known as
Meridian Hill, from Washington
Bowie for $4,000. And here he
built a handsome residence from
plans by George Hadfeld, designer
Of our old City Hall, now known as
the Court House, and other struc-
lures in and around Washington
Reverses Came.
Reverses caused Commodore Por-
ter to dispose OF his property, and
in 1929 the mansions and grounds
were leased by John Quincy Adams.
upon his retiring from the White
House.
There are probably only a few
persons living who ever saw the old
Porter mansion. The late DR.. Benja-
min w. Sunny once told the writer
he saw it burn down in 1863. while
he was attending Columbian College
noW George Washington Univer-
sity), which was then on the tract
of land to the east of Meridian Hill.
Meridian Hill, where now reside
so many foreign diplomats, was
subdivided in 1867 into building lots
by Hall and Elvans for Isaac E.
Messmore, and it is understood
that there is a close connection be-
tween the president general, Mess
more Kendall, who is now a visitor
to the city, and this early District
land owner-in addition to his
other connection with the Kendall
family, before noted.
Washington is full of reminders of
the war of the American Revolution.
Indeed, President Washington was
largely responsible for selecting the
site for the Nations Capital, though
he died nearly a year before the
Federal Government moved here,
in 1900, and here Is the great white
shaft erected to his memory, the
corner stone being laid on July 4,
1848, with Robert c. Winthrop as
the orator of the day. An equestrian
stature of his, by Clark Mills, is
IN Washington Circle, Twenty third
street and Pennsylvania avenue.
History Recalled.
In the Capitol there are both
statues of Washington and remind
ers of the Revolutionary War, in
Guiding the Declaration of Inde-
pendence and the Constitution of
the United States, and nearby Is the
site of the buildings being erected
for the first President at the time
OF his death, and many statues and
memorials of him are to be found
throughout the city. Greenough's S
statue of the Father of his Coun-
try is in the Smithsonian Institution
Building.
Over in Georgetown, on the east
side of Wisconsin avenue, south Of
M street, is the site OF Suffers Tav-
ern where, on March 20, 1901, Presi-
dent Washington arrived on q visit.
The next day, accompanied by the
three Commissioners, with Mai.
Pierre Charles L,Enfant and
Andrew Ellicott, he rode over the
ground selected for the Federal
City. At this old tavern he met,
on the night of March 80, the
owners of the land, and the general
terms were then agreed upon and
signed by the 10 original proprietors.
Naturally, that part of the city
of Washington to the east of Rock
Creek, was not in existence during
revolutionary days, and there were
few troops that passed this way.
However, it is known that at least
one detachment of French soldiers,
when on their way to the South
to join the Continental or Ameri-
can Army. and who were encamped
near where the old Methodist meet
ing house in Georgetown once stood,
did cross Rock Creek near where
the old paper mill once stood, by
fording It ct Z point near p street.