Evening star., 1941-03-30


erected on them a fine residence
and died there shortly afterWard
But, apparently, even this statement
is somewhat in error, for In Mrs
Eleanor Hills will, dated May 10
1921, she leaves to her daughter
Susan Graham, during her life, the
house and lot in this city which she
purchased from Col. George Bonn
ford, the same to be equally divided
at her death between her grandchil-
dren-George, John, Richard anc
Clement Graham.
The deed to Eleanor Hill for this
property from Col Bomford is dated
November ID, 1920. The consldera-
ton was 81 500 and the location is
given as lot 10 in square 222, which
is the Woodward Building corner
and the deed to the land carried
with it a two-story house lately
erected by the said Bomford"
In 1922 Mrs. j. G. Graham, widow
was. residing at this corner, accord
ing to the city directory of that date
Mrs. George Graham, widow, was
residing there in 1884; Mrs. Susan
Graham, widow, lived there in 1846
Later it was known as the Griswold
mansion and the Ripley residence
Sixty years ago a writer in the old
National Republican had this to say
of this famous residence, then still
standing:
Invaders Missing.
"On the southeast corner of
Fifteenth and H streets, facing with
vacant state Wormley's pretentious
precincts, there stands
AN OLD MANSION
OF brick, painted brown. Its tout
ensemble is diStreSSingly depressing
The glass panes in its windows
where the industrious small boy has
not SHE'D a stone or two-look
bleared and cloudy; the shutters
hang listlessly as though they
longed again for the touch of some
active domestic hand now vanished; +;
cobWebS have long atteSted across
sills and doorjambS the absence of
invaders, and over all and every
thing very dirty color denotes what
the cord in a front window does not
say, that the house is going to the
very 'demnition bowwows' for want
of tenant.
AN inviting annex at the rear,
for livery purposes once upon time,
whispers of worse things. SubStan-
tial enough in outward build, the un-
secured doors and windows have
rendered its interior partially ex-
posed these years past to the storm S
wild work. The flooring and other
wood work are sadly worn; a brick
partition has fallen, in measure,
away; an acute odor, not by any
means that of eau de cologne, per-
vades the atmosphere, while, to
crown all, warbling feline colony
has long made of this dismantled
stablng place an elegant abode. The
acres which in large degree sur
round the manse whose memories
will presently be noted are not smil-
ing acres. Not by any means. A
mad and matted growth of briars,
weeds and things make up its smaller
foliage; while paper leaf, pear, per-
simmon and other trees of several
heights-whereof a few have availed
them of elements to lie suddenly
down. from time to time, and die
complete the sylvan beauty of the
scene.
Foremost Tenants.
Followers of the immortal Guppy
will not here find salubrious back
yard-mois ce va sons dire The old
house has seen
SOME BRILLIANT SCENES
And sheltered some brilliant people,
as we'll as those with whom quiet
worth had precedence The Grahams
and the Buells were foremost ten
ants. AS typical families hereabouts
of an old ante-bellum regime they
were seclusive yet hospitable in rare
degree, if the forms may here be
merged. A niece of the aged Mrs.
Graham, is the wife of Maj. Lee,
whose spacious residence adjoins
the corner property on H street. Ira
T. Harris, Senator from New York,
portly bland-looking solon, whose
face something reminded of Henry
Ward Beecher's, next tenanted the
premises. His matronly wife and
daughters were the pinks of Episco-
pal propriety. One of the latter
married Col. Rathbun. of the Army,
who was with President Lincoln in
his box at Ford's Theater on that
fatal Good Friday night. M. Ber-
themy. the French Minister.
"AFTERWARD OCCUPIED
MANSION
"He was a bachelor Of cold, for
bidding countenance, but whom his
few intimates declared to be most
pleasant in social intercourse. More
than this, too-so hard is it, as
Shakespeare says, to find the minds
construction in the face'-there was
a kindliness, a humanity in the depth
of the gentleman's heart which
surged upward at sight of suffering
and revealed the true man. When
Provost Paradol, his predecessor,
who committed suicide, was buried,
the writer remembers seeing Berth
emy-to his youthful eyes a very
king among men
I'm THE CHURCH AISLE,
At the head of the flag-beshrouded
casket his face toward the altar, his
eyes cast down, his features set, his
arms sternly folded across his chest
and one end of the grey shawl or
plaid which he wore thrown over
his left shoulder. The impressive
ness of the scene was heightened by
a knowledge that in so standing the
Minister obeyed diplomatic cere-
monial in paying last respect to the
distinguished dead.
Anon the tears slowly gathered
in his eyes and one by one stole down
his face, but he moved not an inch,
remaining in this Napoleonic pose
until the last priestly echoes had
died away. The lonely representa-
ton of a gay Nation was doomed to
one more trial of his intense sympa-
thetic nature. During his residence
within these same walls, ministered
to only by a select body of servants,
rxyI, he act