Evening star., 1946-05-26

~ ST. AIMS Infant Asylum and
Maternity Hospital from its old
home, at 2300 K street, just off WASH
ington Circle, because that building has
been condemned, prompts the writer to
refer not only to the history of this most
worthy institution, but also to give some
account of the structure itself and of
the early general neighborhood.
AS viewed from the K street side, the
asylum building, erected in 1920 by John
H. Kuhn, paymaster of the United
States Marine Corps, seems to have been
constructed in three sections The two
sections to the east are manifestly
older, while the part to the west seems
more modern. After the residence was
vacated by Capt. Kuhn, it seems to have
been occupied by Gen. Charles Cratiot,
chief of the Corps of Engineers U. S. A.
Then during the term of Office of British
Minister Henry S. Fox, from 1886 to
1874, and until his death in 1886, that
diplomat resided here. His successor
Right Hon. Richard Pakenham, who
served Great Britain from 1846 to about
1850, apparently did not reside in the
Kuhn home at any time, as has been
said, since the city directory for 1846
gives his abode as on the north side of
Lafayette Square between Fifteenth and
Sixteenth streets.
This Lafayette Square home of Min
lister Pakenham, known as the Matthew
st. Clair Clarke house, still stands at
1925 H street, and is of considerable
historic interest. 1t was built by Mat
thew st. Claire Clarke, clerk of the
House of Representatives 1822-1834 We
are told John C. Harkness rebuilt the
house, then on the ground, for him. 1t
was the eighth house built on Lafayette
Square and Mr.. Clarke had planned
erecting a pretentious $4,000 marble
portlco. But due to the loss of a for
tune of S200000 the stone ordered was
left in the marble yard in Baltimore
Mr.. Clarke resided here at least until
1846.
The Clarke house subsequently be-
came the home of Joseph Gales, editor
Of the National Intelligencer, and later
OF Lord Alexander Barring Ashburton, at
the time when the Webster -Ashburton
treaty was drafted, defining the present
Canadian boundary. This treaty was
later signed IN the old State Depart
ment which stood at the north end
of the Treasury Building, the site of
which was marked a decade ago with
bronze tablet by the Kiwanis Club
under the auspices of the Permanent
Committee on Marking Points of His
toric Interest in the District of Colum-
bia.
Henry Bulwer-Lytton
Lafayette Square Resident
The house was also the home of the
British Legation while Lord Dalling,
otherwise known as Sir Henry BulWer-
Lytton, was Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary to the United
States, 1849-1852. There his talented
nephew and secretary, Edward Robert
BulWer-Lytton, later Lord Lytton, whose
pen name was "Owen Meredith" began
his celebrated poem, Lucille"
1t was during Lord Dallings term of
office that the Bulwer- Clayton treaty
was negotiated between Great Britain
and America, in which j. NJ Clayton
represented our country, and which
pledged the two countries to respect the
neutrality of the proposed ship canal
across Central America.
John Nelson, Attorney General under
President Tyler, resided in this house
after 1t was vacated by Mr.. Clarke
The walls of this house were veneered
with stucco, painted with remarkably
close resemblance to brownstone, and
it seems to be in a good state of pres
ervation, though erected more than
century ago.
Toward the close of the Civil War, the
property went into the hands of Col
William G. Freeman, then the assist
ant adjutant general United States
Army, who was born in Virginia and
died in Cornwall, in Lebanon County,
Pa, November IL, 1866. Mrs. Freeman
continued to occupy the residence to-
gether with Mrs. Sarah H. Coleman
until her death. Mrs. Margaret c. Buck
widow of Benjamin H. Buck
naval officer, now resides
there.
1t appears that John F. Champion,
appointed British Minister in 1853, also
resided in the Kuhn dwelling, but did
not create the same impression as Mr..
Fox, who was addicted to gambling and
OF whom writer of the times says:
He was an inveterate gambler. His
nights were spent at faro and ecarte.
He was solitary man, entertained but
very little, and indeed, during the time
he remained at Washington the Lega-
ton was as solitary as himself. 1t was
currently reported that his losses were
heavy, and eventually he was replaced
to save a scandal it was said He never
went to any gambling house, but Town
ley, who in those days was the head OF
the profession, used to go to the Lega-
tlon, and there spread his faro and
turned his roulette to considerable profit.
Mr.. Fox was, as 1 said, a solitary
man, and his familiar figure on Penn
sylvania avenue, always alone, attracted
attention-a thin, delicate looking man.
don't remember ever seeing him speak
to any one in his walks. He went little
INTO society, though admjrahlv ftted