Evening star., 1961-04-25
House With a History on Tour
BY MARY L. VAUGHAN
Star Staff Writer

About Is miles from the
White House, following along
the winding Potomac, near
Seneca, Md. lies an enclosure
of transplanted early Wash
ington history.
In a wind-sWept stubble
field, an old iron fence sur
rounds the burying ground of
Martha WaShington's direct
descendants. Inferred there is
a prominent portion of the
Peter family of old George
Town and the new Federal
City.
A 10-foot red sandstone
obelisk marks the grave of
John Parke CuStis Peter,
great-grandson of Martha
Washington, while red sand
tone slabs distinguish those
of four others. Martha
Washington's granddaughter,
Martha CuStis Peter and her
husband Thomas (parents of
john are buried there along
with their daughter, Colum-
bia Washington Peter and
Johns infant son, David
Peter, who was born July II,
1887, and died August is in
the same year.
Summer Outings
All were residents of the
new Federal City and George
Town who spent their sum-
mer outings at homes in the
Maryland countryside.
An exceptionally lovely
manor house, Montevideo,
that was a summer home for
the family, sits few hun
dred yards to the south of
the burial ground. Restored
and enlarged in the last two
years by the Austin Kiplin-
gers, the home commands a
view of Montgomery County
from a plateau approximate
ly 800 feet above the river,
a few miles west of Seneca,
Md. The view to the north
is a sweeping panorama of
the distant Blue Ridge with
Sugar Loaf Mountain rising
in the foreground.
The house and grounds will
be open to the public next
Sunday and Monday on the
annual Potomac House Tour.
The exact building date of
the home is vague. and the
Kiplingers. thus far, have
been unable to authenticate
whether John Peter was the
original owner and builder, or
whether it was a home in
herited from the father,
Thomas, who inherited the
land from his father, Robert.
Or when it was named
Mountain View"
In trying to unravel the
mystery, the writer looked
into old land records, ink
faded wills of the Peter fam
lily, private journals Of orig
inal Federal City residents
plus a host of reference
books. Many Of the latter
proved to have more false
leads and motley dates than
one might anticipate.
Around the turn of the 18th
century. when the Federal
City was being built and
Thomas jefferson was occu-
pying the Presidents House,
Martha Washington's grand
daughter was residing here,
establishing a large family.
Martha Parke Gusts mar
ried. Cin 1889, at the age
of Is, a 27-year-old George
Town resident, Thomas Peter.
eldest Of six sons Of Robert
Peter. The latter was the
principal merchant of George
Town. served as Mayor and
was an original proprietor of
the Federal Ciky as we'll as
a land speculator along with
his friends Gen. Uriah For
rest and Benjamin Stoddert.
He owned many lots and
properties in George Town,
and the Federal City plus
plantations in Montgomery
County. Md, which at one
time was part of Frederick
County.
Roberts will shows he gave
lands and lots to his eldest
son, Thomas, upon the lat
ter's marriage to Miss Custis.
The young couple lived on
K street between Twenty
sixth street and the river.
The house, No. 2618-20, is
still standing.
Family Grew
The John Peter family en-
tered into the life of the
bustling new city as their
family grew. Within a year
after their marriage in 1875,
their first child, Martha
Eliza Eleanor Peter, was
born.
Another daughter, Colum-
bia Washington Peter was
born the next year and is
buried in the little grave
yard. The first son, John
Parke Custis Peter was born
in 1899, followed by another
son, George Washington
Peter in 1901 and a daughter,
America Pickney Peter in
1903. Robert Thomas Peter
was born in 1906 and died
the following year. Martha
Gusts Castania Peter was
born in 1903 and died a year
later. The youngest child,
Brittania Wellington Peter,
uyoc horn January % 1919