Evening star., 1948-08-22
Homes Of Vice Presidents
Dy John Claaett Proctor

4hS QuCctlOu Ok tklC NfOvGIumeut
providing living quarters for the
Vice Presidents Of the United States
at the Nations Capital Is an old
one, and seems to bob up especially
during the presidential campaigns,
but never seems to get very far In
Congress, because the Speaker of
the House Of Representatives prob
ably feels that he should always be
shown the same courtesies Is shown
the President Of the Senate. And
then, OF course, If this oficial of
the Government is included, the
Secretary Of State and the other
cabinet omcers would want to be
included In this generous way. as
well as the Chief Justice Of the
Supreme Court Of the United States.
And just where the housing Of pub
lie ofdcials would end no one can
tell. !
However, what seemed on It's face
. generous offer came from Mrs.
John B. Henderson early in 1891,
when she sent q letter to Repre-
sentative Richard Elliott, chairman
Of the House Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds, saying in
part: Il offer, In the interest Of my
Government. to give to the United
States my home 1T 3437 Fifteenth
street, free and clear Of any in
cumbrance, to be used - q home
for the Vice President"
But Congress did not accept Mrs.
Henderson's offer, nor did It build
another White House where is now
Meridian Park. Is she suggested
1t Is not to be denied that Mrs.
Henderson was . shrewd woman,
and shortly after Mr.. Coolidge be-
came Vice President, in 1921, she
offered him q mansion on Meridian
Hill to reside in. But this he de-
clined, rs the upkeep was too ex-
pensive, and 20 he preferred to
take quarters Ut the New willard.
Few Had Homes
Few, If any, Of the Vice Presidents
resided in their own homes In WASH
ington. and when Thomas Jefferson
came here in 1900 he stopped at
the boarding house of Conrad N
McMunns, then at the northwest
corner Of New Jersey avenue and C
street Sc, and from here, on March
4, 1901, Mr.. Jefferson was escorted
to the Capitol to take the oath of
ONCE as President by the WASH
ington Artillery and the Alexandria
Company Of Ritlemen. Aaron Burr,
the Vice President. is believed to
have resided in the rear OF what
now would be the site Of 1886 1888
F street. Life has its mysteries, and
during his vice presidency Burr
killed Alexander Hamilton in q duel
on July II, 1904, and on May 10.
1907. he was brought to Washington
under guard as a state prisoner, was
tried for treason at Richmond and
acquitted.
George Clinton, Jefferson's Vice
President from 1905 to 1909, re-
sided at the Franklin Hotel. kept by
William O'Neale. When MI. Clin-
ton was later serving with Presi-
dent Madison. he died at this ho-
tel on April 20, 1872. and was bu-
ried here in the Congressional
Cemetery. Later he was leintcrred
in the First Dutch Reformed
Church Cemetery, Kingston, N. Y,
in May. 1908.
Elbridee Gerry, Vice President
during President Madison's second
administration, died In his carriage
when on his way to the Capitol,
2S. 1914. He was a signer
of the Declaration OF Independ-
ence and. naturally sincere pa
triot. Before his ,'eath he is re-
corded as saying: 1T Is the duty
OF every citizen, though he may
have but one day to live, to devote
that day to the good of his coun-
try" He resided at 1901 Pensyl-
vania avenue, the corner house OF
the Seven Buildings" His re-
mains lie in Congressional Gene
terry, marked with an attractive
.
Hotels Were Cheap
John c. Calhoun, Vice President
to John Quincy Adams, boarded
with Mrs Eliza Peyton, nearly op-
posite the National Hotel. then
generally referred to as Gadsby's
Hotel, John Gadsby being the pro-
prietor, and who, in 1928, called
attention to his superior wines and
liquors available at from 81 to 81
per bottle; meals at 81 day and
rooms SIPS q day. As Vice Presi-
dent to Andrew jackson. Mr.. CAL
houn boarded at Mrs. Letournos
on Pennsylvania avenue. Jack
sons second Vice President, Mar
tin Van Burin, resided in one of
the Seven Buildings" also, at Mrs.
on E street, south side,
between Ninth and Tenth streets,
and again In the Decatur House
Richard M johnson, who fol-
lowed Van Buren, was chosen Vice
President by the Senate February
8, 1887, no candidate having re-
ceived majority Of the electoral
vote. He resided on Maryland ave-
nue., east Of the Capitol. John
Tyler, William Henry Harrison's
Vice President, for brief while,
made his home at 467 Missouri ave-