Evening star., 1943-03-07
Acacia Mutual Built on Historic Terrain

the foregoing correspondence served IN
the Continental Codgress and afterward
in the House Of Representatives In the
First United States Congress - = mem
Der from Virginia, being . native Of
Rappahannock County. It was he who
voted for the Residence Act Of July 16.
17o0, which resulted in placing the Fed
eral Capital on its present site-though
he did 50 much against his will and
with = revulsion Of stomach almost
convulsive," 1t is stated. Later, in 1795,
he was appointed one Of the commits
sioners to carry on the work Of prepare
ing the new Federal seat for the recep-
ton Of the Government, and proved to
be quite an active and valuable member
Of tho group appointed for this and
other purposes.
The Mr.. Laws referred to was Thomas
Laws. who married the granddaughter
Of Martha Washington and who made
his home In Washington and died here.
Az every one knows, or should know.
George Washington died at Mount Yer.
non December II, 1899, before the build-
ings on North Capitol street were COM
pleted. However, on August II Of that
year we find him writing to, John
Francis, who, 1t would appear. was con-
sidering renting the houses for hotel
or boarding house purposes, and, 50 far
as known, he may have been the first
tenant after they were completed,
Of %I%nt kfnS~
seem doubtful is the one that when
Congress met here in 1900 these houses
were rented for boarding house pur-
poses by Mr. Frost, who continued to
do so for some years afterward.
II, however, Mr.. Frost was not tho
first tenant Of these houses he did
occupy them at an early date. and what
particularly lends color to this conclu-
sion Is the fact that John T. Frost and s.
Birch endeavored, In 1914, to save tho
archives Of the House Of Representa-
tives by storing them in s'the house
commonly called General Washington"
It would, indeed, seem quite logical that
Frost would have taken the records Of
his own home for safekeeping. Incl
dentally, John r. Frost remained for
many years Is = clerk In the ONCE OF
the House Of Representatives, and his
name appears In the city directory 1t
least until 1S43, when he was residing
on the east side Of New Jersey avenue.
between A and b streets south.
Sale of Property
In 1917 the ruins Of the Washington
houses were sold by George G. Washing
ton, grandnephew Of the first. Presi-
dent. q trustee, to David English and
w. 8. Nichols, and soon afterward the
former sold his interest to Peter Morte,
who used the same walls In rebuilding
the houses. IN 1919. the tax assessment
was made in the name Of Nichols alone,
and the assessment for 1924 appears
In the same name.
From this fact It would appear that
when Capt. Charles Le Compte Nevitte,
father Of Mrs. e. D. E. N. Southworth,
lived In one Of these houses, where the
celebrated novelist was born December -,
1919. that he was boarding there. al-
though the captain may have been
running the boarding house himself.
About this period Gen. Hea1y Deaf-
born made his home In this fashionable
boarding house. II may have heen even
earler, or when he was, froA 1So1 %
1900. Secretary Of War IA the cabinet
Of Thomas Jefferson. This distin-
guished American had served rs captain
in the Revolutionary War, and covered
the retreat Of the patriots ct the Battle
Of Bunker Hill. He later came to Com
gress and In 1912 was appointed senior
major general In the United States
Army, and rendered valuable service In
the second war with Great Britain.
In 1884 and again In 1850 this prop
erty was assessed In the name Of Charles
Wilkes, at that time commander in the
United States Navy. who resided here
according to the city directories, from
1s43 to 1850.
Many viii recall these buildings as the
ones incorporated into the Hillman
House, which, in 1878, was being con-
Quoted by N. T. Judd and from 1879, for
= decade or more by N. J. Hillman, who
In 1885, advertised:
"' One square from the Capitol
and Baltimore & Ohio Depot: terms, pei
day. $3.50, - and Il so, according to loca-
ton Of rooms; 236 N. Cap"
Later the Hillman House became "the