Evening star., 1951-11-25
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some years ago as the house was
far too large for one person. II
was in this house that she was
presented by her parents, Gen
and Mrs. William F. Draper, who
gave one of the really brilliant
entertainments of the season OF
1909-10. Gen. Draper bought his
family to Washington when he was
a member of Congress from
Massachusetts,, but it was not un-
til after he had served as United
States Ambassador to Italy that
he purchased the house at 1705
K street. The house was the
property OF Washington Mclean
grandfather of Edward Beale Nc
Lean. and had been occupied by
the Russian Ambassador George
Bakhmeteff and Nine. Bakhme-
teff, the latter a sister of Mrs.
John r. Mclean.
Gen. Draper had his office on
the ground floor and the draw
ing rooms were one flight up with
the bedrooms on the two upper
floors. Every room had fireplace
and through the winter fires usu-
ally burned there from early
morning until night. There was
a heating plant but of the model
of those early years of the Goth
century and it was not too sat
isfactory.
Decorations Handsome
The fireplaces in the drawing
rooms had handsome marble fac
tngs and shelves, or elaborately
carved wood. all left in the house
until its demolishing. The hand
some crystal chandeliers in the
drawing rooms also were left
there until recent years. In fact,
the house was bought by former
Representative and the late Mrs.
Joseph H. Hines mostly because
Of those chandeliers.
Gen. Draper built the ballroom
which in more recent years was
the scene of the Troika night club.
It was in this ballroom, all ivory
and gold with crystal chandeliers,
that the Diapers presented their
daughter Margaret and here also
she was married to Prince Andrea
Boncompagni.
OF the elaborate and glamorous
debut The Evening Star of De-
cember "a. 1909, said, Gen. and
Mrs. Draper's debut ball last night
for their young daughter, Mar
garet Preston Draper, warranted
all the advance enthusiasm which
the younger set and others of
their friends have been indulging
in since it was first mentioned.
The company was the distin-
guiShed one which is only possible
at the Capital and the occasion
established precedent in the
way of ball giving for the season.
Lovely flowers. many of which
were sent the debutante from
among the wealthiest of resident
families, adorned the house. The
holiday spirit was in evidence in
the mistletoe and holly sprays.
THE cotillion favors, of which
there were five sets. all Paris in
ventions and conceits, included
fans and silver bonbon boxes, sill
yer desk furnishings, fancy and
most artistic hats of paper with
small banners decorated in mar
guerites and the debutantes name
in gold, parasols and canes and
fairy wands and stats, made al
bewildering mass of color ar
ranged on screen in the ballroom.
There was general dancing in
the ballroom from 10 o'clock un-
til after the first supper was
served at midnight. The cotillion
began at o'clock, Col. John Cur
tis Gilmore, U. S. A., leading with
Miss Draper.
THE hostess wore a splendid
gown of green satin and velvet
on which there wass braided a
pattern of morning glories, which
were outlined with tiny rhine
stones.
THE debutante wore a Paris
gown of white satin nearly COW
cred with a white illusion over
dress which had border of mar
guerites of silver and crystal
beads. Her necklace string of
pearls was the souvenir of the
occasion given her by her par
ents. She wore her name-hower
(marguerites) in a corsage bou-
quet and had a half garland of
marguerites in her hair"
The guests included Miss Helen
Taft, daughter of the president
and Mrs. William Howard Taft
who had Joined her parents I'M
the White House for the Christ
mas holidays from Bryn MawrI
College. Her brother, Senator