Evening star., 1951-04-22
Woshington's Homes
First Executive Mansion in New York
And Property He Bought Here Later
By John cIoqett Proctor

9Ct atVSA0s
partly destroyed, the reason as
signed being that Government
property was stored there. This
seems to have been in a way true.
Fortunately, however. many Of
the records placed there for safe.
keeping were removed before the
houses were burned.
For many years these houses
were occupied as a residence by
Commodore Charles Wilkes, who
owned and lived there from about
1840 to 1850. Later they were
combined and used for hotel and
boarding house purposes. busi-
ness that for about 20 years, from
1876. was conducted by N. j. Hill
man under the name of Hillman
House. In 1899 and subsequent
dates it appears under the name
the Kenmore, a name associated
with the Washington family.
Other Washington Properties
Washington's relatives were
also early purchasers Of real
estate here at the beginning Of
the city, Thomas Law, who mar
ried one of Mrs. Washington's
granddaughters, Elizabeth Parke
Custis, having been very heavy
investor. He was the son Of the
Lord Bishop of Carlisle and the
nephew of Baron Ellenborough,
and prior to coming to sthis
country had been the ruler of a
populous district of East India,
where he had accumulated quite
a fortune. He built the house at
1852 Sixth street southwest, where
he was living in 1875. About 1898
he built a row of three houses at
the northwest corner of New Jer-
Isey avenue and c streets south
east. Later the corner house Of
the group became the boarding
house Of Conrad q McMunn. and
from it Thomas Jefferson walked
to the Capitol to take the oath Of
Office in 1901, instead Of riding
!, there in democratic fashion and
hitching his horse to the paling
| fence, as is so frequently stated.
I Indeed, Thomas Law and Daniel
Carroll of Duddington, and the
; syndicate including Robert Morris,
financier Of the American Revolu-
tion; John Nicholson and James
> Greenleaf, built about all the
! places which were in readiness
for the Government when it came
to Washington in 1900.
six Houses on K St.
Another granddaughter Of Mrs.
Washington, whose husband was
interested in property here during
the life Of the first President,
; was Martha Parke Curtis, who
married Thomas Peter. son Of
.. Robert Peter, first mayor of
Georgetown. According to Chris
: tian Hines, Robert Peter erected
! about 1897 or 1898, six houses in
!, the first ward for that many sons,
, namely. Thomas, Robert, David,
!, George, Sandy and James. The
houses were all on K street, and
in groups of two houses each.
|; Two between Twenty third and
; Twenty-fourth streets, two be-
tween Twenty-fifth and Twenty
sixth and two between Twenty
] sixth and Twenty-seventh, all on
! the south side of the street. The
! two between Twenty-fourth and
Twenty fifth streets were de-
, stroyed by fire before they were
!, ,lcompleted. One of the remain
!. ling groups is now numbered 2506
, and 2508 K street, and here lived,
in 1915, Anthony st. John Baker,
charge d'affaires of Great Britain,
and later G. C. Anthobus, who
succeeded him in that Office. At
I2618 and $500 lived Mr.. and Mrs.
Thomas Peter, and when Mr..
Peter built Tudor Place, at Thirty
first and o streets, he rented the
K street property to three British
Ministers. Anthony Merry, Francis
James Jackson and David Mon
tague Erskine, successfully. 1t was
while Mr.. Merry resided here that
tom" Moore, the Irish poet, was
his guest in 1904. ..
In Gen. Washington's diary for
November 8, 1899. he mentions
having visited here both Of these
granddaughters of Mrs. Washing
ton.
Washington's last birthday.
which was celebrated at Mount
Vernon nearly a year before he
died. was probably one Of the
happiest, for upon this occasion
his adopted daughter and his
wife's granddaughter. Eleanor
Parke CustiS, was married to
Washington's favorite nephew,
e Maj. Lawrence Lewis, the son Of
S his only sister and Col. Fielding
y Lewis.