Evening star., 1942-01-04

his home at 1923 (now site of 1929 H
street. across from the Davidge property.
The idea OF taking the west half Of
square l67 for public purposes is not
new one, and Just 40 years ago Mrs.
Nina Blair Richie daughter Of Mont
gomery P. Blair, ST, wrote to the then
Senator Charles A. Fairbanks on the
subject. saying:
Dear Sir: trust you will pardon the
liberty I take In addressing to you a
protest against the bill introduced by
you ip the Senate for the purpose Of
taking as q site for public buildings
square 167. in this city, upon which my
old home stands. If 1t were a public
necessity, or If the Government had
serious need of this location, the owners
Of the property would make the sacrifice
demanded without q murmur OF dissent,
but while the south side of PENNSYLVANIA
avenue from 18th street to the Capitol
presents an incongruous line of vacant
land and buildings, most Of the buildings
being OF little value and unSightly, for
which line Of public buildings could bs
substituted. greatly adding to the beauty
OF our Capital there would seem to me
to be no excuse for depriving q family
of their home Of four generations, sacred
with the associations Of parents and
grandparents, as well as with many
events which are now part Of history.
and for which in the future patriotic
societies may wish to preserve 1t.
W.
avenue. appears on the earliest maps Of
the city. After it was purchased by my
grandfather, the late Francis P. Blair,
who edited the Globe, the official news
paper and organ of Gen. Jackson's ad-
ministration, it was the rendezvous Of
Benton, Van Buren, Levi Woodbury.,
Silas Wright and other political leaders
of the day; it was at one time rented to
the Hon. George Bancroft, the historian.
who lived in it while he was Secretary
OF the Navy during President Polk's ad-
m1niStration. 1t was also rented to Hon.
Thomas Ewing, who was Secretary of
the Treasury, and Secretary of the In
terror under President Tyler. Gen,
Sherman was married in the drawing
room OF this house, and has often pointed
out to me the exact spot where he stood
during the ceremony. My father, the
late. Montgomery Blair, occupied the
house as his city residence from 1854
up to the time of his death, and it was
IN the dining room, at dinner given BY
him to Gen. Robert Lee that Gen. Lee
was told OF President Lincolns wish that
he should accept the command OF the
United States Army at the outbreak of
the Civil War, which he subsequently
declined.
During the Civil War our country
home at Silver Spring, Md, near Wash
ington. was burned in July, 1854, by the
Confederates under Gen. Early. who gave
as his reason that my father was men,
ber Of President Lincoln's cabinet, and
that the house was burned in reprisal
for similar acts by Federal troops in
Virginia. But in time of peace, and in
the absence of any apparent necessity
or great public benefit to be derived
1t Is cruel and unjust to de-
mand the sacrifice Of our home again,
as there are other localities
which would be much more suitable and
more directly in the interests of the
Government, and equally recommended
by the Park Commission. do not advo-
cate, under the existing circumstances,
taking property against the wishes Of its
ightful owners, but If such . course Is
10 Be followed, what influence should
govern it, selection7"