Evening star., 1951-04-22

one Of the massive pieces Of the
Brooklyn Bridge at FranklinI
Square, corner Of Dover and
Cherry streets in New York City.
once stood one Of the most famous
landmarks of the country, the first
presidential mansion and the off,
Icial residence Of George Washing
ton while in New York. The first
Executive Mansion. at No. y
Cherry street. was considered one
of the finest houses in the city. It
was built by Walter Franklin. a
wealthy merchant. about ITO. It
was occupied at the time Of Wash
Iington's coming to New York by
Samuel Osgood, who afterward
became the first Postmaster Cen
eral. Upon the arrival Of the
President-elect the mansion was
Offered by Mr.. Osgood to the
President and was forthwith fur
Inished for his occupancy. Con-
gress appropriated $4,000 for this
purpose. Washington arrived in
New York on April %. one week
before his Inauguration, and was
escorted to the old mansion by a
grand procession.
| In 1890 the residence was
deemed inconvenient, on account
of its great distance out Of town. +"
Consequently, on February %,
l1790, the President moved to the
MaComb mansion, on Broadway, a
little below Trinity Church. From
that time up to 1856 the old build
ling stood intact, and was used for
various purposes. but was finally
torn down to make way for more
modern structures, which in turn
gave place to the great bridge.
Guests of the Washingtons
Among the habitues at the re-
ceptions of George and Mary
Washington in the first presiden-
tial mansion were some whose
descendants still hold a place in
New York society, among them
being Mrs. George Clinton. wife OF
the Governor of New York and her
daughter, Cornelia, who married
Citizen Genet, first Minister Of
France to the United States; Chief
Justice Jay and his beautiful wife
who was the leader Of fashion
among the New York women Of
that period; L. Temple, the Ameri'
Ican wife of the minister; Lady
Sterling and her daughter, Baron
less de Steuben; Mrs. Montgomer,
and Mrs. Greene, widows of Wash.
ington's faithful generals; Mrs
Robert Morris and Mrs. Schuyler
Later, and aside from this
Washington had every confidence
lin the Federal Capital and only
, little more than a year before hi
death purchased lot 16 (now 10
39) in square 634, it being on the
west side Of North Capitol stree
between B and c streets. Upor
this land he soon thereafter begar
the erection Of two houses, which
were not quite completed at thu
time of his death. Prior to this
lin September, 1893, he purchased
-four lots in what had been the
Itownsite of Carrollsburg, the loca.
Ition of which would be about from
Third street Southwest to First
street Southwest and from N street
south to the Eastern Branch. The
following year he bought the west
half of square 81, bounded bJ
Twenty fifth, Twenty-sixth. I
and e streets Northwest, and SUBJ
Isequently he also purchased the
remaining half Of this square.
Regarding this project he wrote
from Mount Vernon to DR.. vii.
liam Thornton under date o.
December 20, 1913:
Dear Sir: Inclosed is check
on the Bank of Alexandria for
$500 to enable Mr.. Blagden, by
your draft, to proceed in lay
ing in materials for carrying
on my buildings in the Federal
City.
81 saw a building in Phila-
delphia of about the same front
and elevation that are to be
given to my houses which
pleased me. It consisted also OF
two houses united-doors in the
center, a pediment in the roof
and dormer window on each
side of it in front, skylights in
the rear.
eff this is not incongruous
with rules of architecture, I
should be glad to have my two
houses executed in this style.
Let me request the favor Of you
to learn from Mr.. Blagden what
the additional cost will be. :"
When the British burned tn
Capitol in 1914 these two house