Evening star., 1942-05-17
Uncle Sans Guest House'-the Old Blair Home

excellent water in the yard, brick stable
and carriage house adjoining the alley.
flower and fruit garden tastefully laid
out and highly cultivated"
Evidently property was not selling rap
idly just about this time. for this "ad"
continued to be run daily up to March
%, 1887, and it is assumed that about
this time 1t became the property Of
Francis Preston Blair. At any rate, the
senior Blair was making his home here
in 1843, as evidenced by the city di-
rectory of that date, which gives his
address as IN. side Executive Way btw.
Lafayette So. and II n, nr. cent" Incl
dentally, this address sometimes also
appears as mo. Presidents square"
Francis Prestor Blair, the new own
er of this home and who is said to have
been a farmer and banker Of Frank
fort, KY, came to Washington at the
request of President Andrew jackson,
to establish a paper in "Old Hickory's"
interest, and this brought about the
establishing OF the Globe newspaper
in January, 1881, at first a weekly, but
a few years later becoming q daily.
Blair proved a vigorous editor, and, with
the able assistance of John G. Rives Of
Virginia, who resigned as q clerk in
the Treasury Department to become
associated with him as manager OF
the Globe, the paper became prosper
Gus. Being a picturesque writer, Rives
also contributed to the columns Of his
paper when not managing its affairs.
The Munsey Building. on the north
side of E street between Thirteenth and
Fourteenth streets, now occupies the
site Of the three buildings in which was
1880. This property was purchased
about five years later by the newspaper
firm, and the paper continued to be
published there for a number OF years.
Early Congressional Paper.
The Congressional Globe, as the Blair
& Rives paper later became known as.
as such began in 1888, and even after
the sale Of the paper. during the Polk
administration, for $4,000, the firm OF
Blair & Rives continued to print the
congressional proceedings. and for this
purpose a suitable building was erected
in 1s45 on the north side Of Pennsyl-
yania avenue between Third street and
John Marshall place. In the rear OF
the building was the printing ONCE, the
front being occupied by stores on the
first floor, and the upper floors being
devoted to bathrooms. This hall was
called jackson Hall" and it was here
that ball for the benefit Of the poor
was held on the occasion Of the inaugu-
ration Of President Zachary Taylor In
1849 The building. until removed In
recent years. was known as 339-341 Penn
sylvania avenue.
When Editor Blair purchased the Low
ell home, there was enough space in the
lots to allow the family to keep a COW.
some horses, and later to sell part OF
the land just to the west to w. w. Cor
coran-the site now being occupied by
the Court of Claims Building, which
was originally built for an art gallery
by Mr.. Corcoran.
Francis P. Blair knew how to enjoy
the money he made from editing and
printing the Globe. and a few years
after President Andrew Jackson's second
election. circumstance transpired that
caused him to buy large tract Of land
lying just to the north Of the District
1t happened in this way:
Upon one occasion when Mr.. Blair
was out horseback riding through the
country. on his horse Selim, an exer-
else he frequently indulged in. he was
thrown by the animal, spirited horse
he had purchased from Gen. William
Lingan Gather, after whose family
Gaithersburg, in Montgomery County
was named. The incident happened
just outside the boundary Of the Dis
trict, to the north, and the horse rar
away among the thick growth of pine,
in the valley to the west of the road
which is now known as Georgia avenue