Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-08-24
By Florence 5. Berrymun

By Florence 5. Berymon
The third effort in 40 years to
preserve as a historical monument,
the house long occupied by Francis
Scott Key, appears destined for sue
cess. Most Washingtonians are
doubtless acquainted with the build
ing at 3516-1S M street, just to the
right of the north end of Key Bridge,
which was the residence and law
Office of Key at the time he wit
messed the bombardment Of Fort
McHenry (September IA, 1910 and
wrote The Star Spangled Banner" u
More than year ago, the Co.
lumbia Historical Society formed a
committee of Government officials
and prominent Washington resi-
dents in it's membership to save
what remains of the Key house
from being demolished to make way
for the loop planned to connect
the K street elevated highway with
the bridge.
Senators Taft, of Ohio, and Tyd-
ings, Of Maryland introduced last
February resolution to authorize
5000 for the reconstruction of
the house. removing it to another
site east of the Key Bridge. where
it will provide an attractive ap-
proach to the city from Virginia.
Just last month, representatives of
the Columbia Historical Society
appeared before a Senate Public
Lands Subcommittee with regard to
the new placement of the Key house.
They won their fight for the site
east of the bridge rather than a
block or more to the west, as pro-
posed by the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission. The
resolution has passed the Senate
and is expected to pass the House at
the next session.
A comprehensive history Of the
Key mansion is the subject of
brochure published early this year
by F. Regis Noel. past president of
the society. which hopes to use the
restored house as it's official head
quarters.
Painter of Key House
demonstrations of its early ap-
pearance have engaged for several
years the attention and enthusiasm
of Col. Louis c. Pedlar. now chief
of the Graphics Division, Veterans
Administration. He has been a
newspaper illustrator and a COM
mercial artist; but now paints in his
spare time, as a hobby. He lives at
1909 Thirty-fifth street. the pic
turesque little block that rises
steeply above M street, and can see
the Key house site by looking out of
his south windows.
Col. Pedlar, born in San Francisco
lin 1884, began his study of art at the
california Fine Arts School, later at
tended the Art Students League of
New York and subsequently the
Corcoran School of Art. Coming to
Washington in 1906, he became an
illustrator first on the Times, later
on the Post and worked mostly for
the Sunday editions.
After World War I, he established
a commercial art service in New
York City, specialized in advertising
illustrations. This developed into
the advertising agency of Pedlar and
Ryan. Eventually he was able to
retire, with the expectation of de-
voting all of his time to painting.
However, in 1912, being a reserve
officer, he was recalled into service,
remaining until last year, when he
was retired as lieutenant colonel
in the A. G. o. While in the Army
he had found time off-duty to take
up his painting for recreation. In
the past three years or so. he has
completed about 100 canvases. One
of the larger and his works, depicting
the row of old houses in which he
lives, and entitled Our Neighbors
on Rocky Hill Road" was exhibited
at the Corcoran Gallery OF Art last
December in its first annual exhi-
bition by artists of Washington and
vicinity. :.
practically all of my work has
been within walking distance OF my
home" said Col. Pedlar. Il suspect
that an artist could reach Methu-
selaf1's age and never grow tired
painting the Georgetown kaleido-
scope. That's one reason I found
the relics of the old Francis Scott
Key house so fascinating. became
so involved in putting the missing
links together that I must have
made myself a nuisance at the Pea
body Library as well as a dozen
other places, including the court
house at Frederick, Md, the Library
of Congress and the National Park
Service.
From it all I acquired reason
ably intimate knowledge of the Key
family, their lives and activities in
the old residence that first welcomed
Francis Scott Key and his bride
more than 40 years ago."
For his imaginative reconstruc-
tons of the Key house. Col. Pedlar
became something of an archaeolo-
gist, read many books and examined
numerous pictures in an effort to
make every detail accurate. He
paints in a meticulous. naturalistic |
manner suited to his subject matter.
Primitives ut University
A small group Of primitive paint !
iros and sc1i1nt1fre IL currently on