Evening star., 1948-03-14

Zoning Board to restrict q |
certain portion of George
town to residential area,
largely embracing that section Of
old Georgetown from Wisconsin ave-
nue., Thirty-seventh and p streets,
has considerable merit. as this old
town still has standing many homes
that date back for q considerable |
number Of years
Among the old homes which once
stood is Mrs. Southworth's cottage,
and there is still here Holy Trinity
Catholic Church. st. Johns Epis-
oopal Church, Forest Hall, Dr..
Worthington's home, known also as
the Kearney mansion; Count de
Bodisco residence. Thomas e. wag-
gaman's home at $500 o street,
where he had his private art gal
lery; Benjamin Stoddert's residence,
ut Prospect and Thirty-fourth
streets; residence Of William
Thornton, architect Of the Capitol,
3221 M street; the old Masonic
Hall, 1910 Wisconsin avenue, and
other noCaple lAndmaIkS.
Taking Georgetown as q whole,
the old city is not to be passed by
unnoticed, for, as q part Of Mont
gomery County, it was included in
the 10-miles-square by the act Of
Congress Of July 16. 1790. and has
since remained q part Of the Dis
trict Of Columbia, although in the
early days 1t was In favor of ret
recession and would have gone
back to Maryland-as Alexandria
did to Virginia in 1846.
Welcome to President Adams
Georgetown is not the same place
1t was In 1900 when President John
Adams first came to the new Cap
ital to look over the "city" and
later to take up his residence in the
now historic White House. George
town was then credited with a
population Of 1898 persons, which
by 1911 had increased to 4,948.
President Adams, on this occa-
sion, was met at the District line
by a delegation Of citizens on horse
back and escorted to the Union
Tavern, at the northeast corner of
Thirtieth and M streets, where he
remained that night. proceeding the
next day to Washington to view
what the poet Moore called squares
In morasses, obelisks in trees" Re-
turning also by way of Georgetown,
the second President was dined and
wined at the same hotel, run by q
Mr.. Mclaughlin until 1907, when
he was succeeded by William Craw-
ford.
Although the occasion was June
6, yet the hot weather does not
seem to have affected the festiv-
tiles, for it is said there was large
company present and "17 toasts
were drunk" and that "the Presi-
dent left the festive scene before
sunset"
The Union Hotel was at this time
comparatively new, the cornerstone
having been laid July 4, 1893. It
was destroyed by fire in 1882 and
the present building, which occu-
pies the site, was first opened for
business in March, 1886.
Famous Names Gathered
During the sessions of Congress
In "ye olden days" 1t was a COM
mon thing to see from 60 to sol
members mingling at gatherings
within its ample walls, including
among them such leading lights as
John Randolph, Rufus King, Gen.
Sumter, CASTOR and Pinckney of
South Carolina, Nelson of Virginia,
Aaron Burr when in his prime, the
great John Marshall of Virginia,
and whose many talents and repu-
tations will continue to live for
ages to come. Mr.. Clay often
stopped here, and Martin Van
Buren and Gen. Van Rensselaer, of
New York used to reside here when
In Washington.
For a while it was the general
residence of the foreign ministers,
the officers Of the Army, and, in
fact, a large number of the eminent
strangers whose business called
them to the seat of Government.
LID Cdl4y LlOOCl 10 uCoC11DCQ dS
having had complete units of pri-
vate apartments and bedrooms, nu-
merous drawing rooms, private par
lors, receiving rooms for company,
a large dining room and a splendid
ballroom, which was once the scene
of the brightest and gayest festiv-
ity ever witnessed in the District.
Other attractions were two large
refectories, housekeepers' and ser
wants apartments, private dwelling
house, wine cellar, dairy, meat and
ice houses, with stabling for 100
horses.
The lower part of this old tavern
was years ago converted into stores
and the upper floors divided into
apartments. Today, however, only
the northeast section of the build
ing remains, and the few who now