Evening star., 1942-05-17

In an account recently published IN
The Star, we are told that the Blair
house at 1851 Pennsylvania avenue, just
opposite the old State, War and Navy
Building, is to be taken over for time
by the Government, through the cour-
tesy of the owner, and used as an official
"guest house for distinguished foreign
visitors who come to this country and
visit this city, and, assuming this state
ment to be accurate, 1t is certainly a
move in the right direction.
Up to the present time, certain num-
ber of visitors OF high rank, including
foreign potentates, diplomats and men
of rare distinction, have been invited
to stop at the White House, or have
been lodged In hotels where the &C
commodations were not always salts
factory, but undoubtedly the plan now
said to be under way will greatly re-
Neve the Executive Mansion from over
crowding, and at the same time will
house the notable visitors, when desir-
able, close to the President and the
State Department, and no place in this
city, indeed, has more fascinating
charm than this old residence which
has been the home of the Blair family
for more than q century and one Of
the historic sites OF the Federal Capital.
Though the old mansion is said to
have been built about 1910, yet there
Is some question about this statement,
since 1t was probably erected at a later
date. However, 1t was the home Of
Or. Joseph Lowell until his death, soon
after which 1T was bought by Francis
Preston Blair for $500. DR.. Lowell,
whose name Is connected with the
early history OF this house, and who
probably built 1t, was born in Boston,
Mass, December %, 1788, and received
his M. D. from Harvard in 1911. In 1912
he entered the Army as surgeon and
was assigned to the 9th Infantry, and
served on the Niagara frontier; was
hospital surgeon, 1914 to 1918, and be-
came surgeon general in 1918 and served
as such for the remainder of his life.
Once Home of DR.. Lowell.
While serving as surgeon general, DR..
Lowell also became interested in local
medical matters and in 1877 became one
of the founders and counsellor Of the
Medical Association Of the District of
Columbia, by which name 1t was early
known, and he furnished transcript
of the rules and regulations Of a similar
society in Boston as guide to the gov
erning of the original association. In
1877 he married Miss z. Mansfield.
Benjamin Ogle Tayloe, writing in his
"1n Memoriam," tells of the neglected
condition of the neighborhood in which
Is located the Blair residence during the
citys early days:
TO Lafayette Square and its resi-
dents" he says. II will now direct my
observations. AS late as the War of
1872, I recollect the entire square, from
Fifteenth to Seventeenth streets, as a
E neglected common, entirely denuded OF
trees The militia muster Of the period
was held therein. There was then but
one house on Pennsylvania avenue be-
tween this common and the Seven Build
ings, small frame still standing" (The
Seven Buildings included what in recent
years were residences 1901 to 1913 Penn
sylvania avenue0
Again the same author says:
The first private house erected on
{ the square has been known as the De-
catur house. 1t was built by Commo-
sf.dore Decatur, in 1919, almost simul-
Ataneous with st. Johns Church, it being
then contemplated by his associates on
the Navy Board, Commodores Rodgers
and Rigely, to build respectively some