A Portrait of Old George Town

eet-East to

gress (31st) is the Baptist Church which has just celebrated its 75th anniversary. It was

ive old white house with long porches, tiers of them, across the back overlooking a garden. I think the pres

rst to advocate schools of the Lancastrian system and a reformatory, and the very first person to suggest a health officer for the City of Washington. He mo

Miss Lucy Stephenson was here, which was well attended in the seventies and eighties. In the spring of 1875, a romantic elopement took place. A young girl of

n groups in the gallery. Eventually, the news leaked out and the chief topic

to the different butchers who gave her scraps of meat which she cooked, and had continually on hand jars of "beef tea." All the doctors knew where to apply when they had patients who were in need of it. She was the widow of Captain Charles Carroll Simms, an office

nniversary. The lot for it was purchased in April, 1829, but the founders for a year or two previous to that had been worshi

other out, but it was rumored that she came from South America, was of royal blood, and had a throne on which she sat, dressed accordingly. The daughter was known then, and for many years afterwards, as "the girl of a thousand curls." She was tall and slender, and her magnifice

e, now an apartment house. For many years it was at the home of the Snyders. Dr. John M. Snyder die

. Samuel Busey, in his

Beauvoir School, was telling Dr. Busey how he was enjoying pruning the old oak trees on his place of dead wood. Dr. Busey warned him that he was enga

an accident. The branch of the tree he had been sawing off was hanging by a splintered sliver, too weak to su

ld age, she had a steady admirer, a general, who came every afternoon at the same time in his Victoria, and took her to drive. I can see her now, a small, sli

in those days), who never married. One son, Bladen, was an artist, and he used

laden Snyder's day, unfortunately

Snyder, was a fine surge

d nineties in Georgetown. Among them were several pictures of the crews of the Co

Riley'

sin Avenue) and the Potomac was at the foot of Congress (31st) Street. I have more recollections of the latter, espe

e Potomac and back, eating our supper on board and singing "My Bonnie Lies Ov

and Romulus Riggs. Mr. Riggs owned the house until 1835. He was born near Brookeville in Montgomery County, Maryland. He was married in 1810. Somewhere between 1812 and 1835 he went t

," and the two nephews of Baron Bodisco, who also spent much time here. His office, a quaint little one-story brick building, on part of

y his patients. He had a good word and pleasant salutation for everybody. He was a man of marked

et Murray was married in this dear old house to John Marbury, Jr. Dr. Riley's daughter, Miss Marianna, and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Rile

n, when he returned from the Pacific. He and his wife started off on a motor trip. At Norfolk, Virginia, as they were landing from a ferry, his

getown. It was the home of Colonel George Beall, son of Ninian Beall, and bequeathed by him at his death in 1780 to his daugh

little summer house and the fruit trees were still there. And, as was the custom in those long-ago days, here was the family burying-ground. I know people who remember it. Among the gravestones removed to the old Presbyterian burying-ground were two which bore these inscriptions

r lived until her death in 1821, at the age of seventy-eight. Mrs. Dick's husband had died while on a trip to the West Indies and had been buried at sea. She lived on here the rest of her life with her only child, Robert, and he lived there many years and die

came to the gate to greet the newsboy and

or a good many years. The eastern wing was put on at that time and used as a conservatory.

r in the introduction of indirect heating in buildings, and became an authority on that subject, and on ventilation. His textbooks on the subject were used in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and when Johns Hopkins Hospital was bui

e days, was in charge of government work. His department dealt with the Indians, and he had the distribution of money and supplies to certain tribes to whom he went from time to time, and also looked after them when they came to Washington. They always called him "Father Miller." Mr. Miller's wife was Miss Middleton, from Brooke Court Manor, in Maryland. Hezekiah Miller was a devout member of Christ Church. His daughter became the wife of the Re

ella lived here many years after. The house next door still has its old-time doorway, but, unfortunately, one owner in the eighties spoiled its quaintness by

lthough number 3017 has been somewhat changed in appearance, it is still, I imagine, a good deal like it was when Thomas Beall built it in 1794. Of course, the street has b

he House that Th

ad a frame house on the lot, immediately across the street, now number 3014, but he was becoming exceedingly prosperous and wanted a handsome house. He married first, Lucinda Dick, sister of Thomas Dick, of Bladensbu

Dunlop, Junior, the eldest son of James Dunlop; and his only son, William Laird, married two of James Dunlop's daughters at Hayes, first Helen, by whom he had three children, William Laird, Jr., James Dunlop Laird, who went to California in 1848

James Dunlop represent them both in scarle

d in the Presbyterian Church and its affa

ctive in Georgetown from its early days, and it is a pity

n L

Dunlop

as clerk of the town for a great many years, longer than any other man

girl, remembered them. They used to sit by the front windows a great deal, and the turban which Miss Betsy wore on her head was, of course, very intriguing to a young girl in 1850. They were both almost always dressed in Scotch gingham of such fine quality that it seemed li

s Dunlop. They had been living on the southeast corner of Gay (N) and Greene (29

r some time a law partner of Francis Scott Key, and later was appointed Chief Justice of the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia. He was holding this office at the outbreak of the Civil War and, being a Southerner in hi

sts was making puns on the names of all those present. Judge Dunlop said, "You will not be able to make

he old house before his marriage to his cousin, Miss Sallie Peter, in Rockville. An interesting story is told of their neighbor, Dr. Tyler, coming home one evening and saying to his wife, "I'll have to go over and see what is the matter at Mr. Dunlop'

rick building covered with vines between the house and the stable was the meat house. It is in the garden of this house that the

a messenger to camp and General Washington, hearing of the matter, ordered him home. His youthful ardor was gratified five years later in July, 1799, by his appointment as second lieutenant of the Ninth Infantry, United States Army, by President Adams, and he enjoyed the distinction of receiving his commission from the hands of General Wash

of July, he established the first cantonment on the banks of the Missouri at Bellefontaine and fired the first salute on the return of Lewis and Clarke from their expedition to the Pacif

neralship, which the condition of private affairs compelled him to decline, but in

who afterwards became distinguished citizens. In writing of this battalion, W. W. Corcoran says

member of the Town Council, but had large farms in Maryland. The House of Representatives, however, decided in his favor, and admitted him to take his seat. He was the first Democrat ever elected to Congress from the Sixt

eight, straight as an arro

hter of Governor Plater of Maryland; his second, Agnes Freeland

unty and carried on those farms up to the date of his death, which occurre

George

James

iam

town; Armistead, who practised medicine many years in Georgetown; and Walter Gibson Peter, who met the heroic and tragic death I have alr

, who made it his home until 1834, when it was bought by Miss Elizabeth Dick, but she apparently c

ied back and forth to his office, the forerunner of the present-day brief case, and I know an old lady who can remember him in his pew in Christ Church. He had five daughters and one son. The young man, Richard Wright Red

ry Foxall, and named his youn

he bench, he offered the Justiceship to Mr. Redin, but he refused to take the office of his old friend and neig

battlefield. She died when only thirty-seven, from the fact that no medicines could be gotten for her; nor cou

got permission for them to come to Washington. They came, wearing sunbonnets, and traveling all day long in a box-car from Culpeper to Alexandria, a distance of only fi

suggested that they should go "over to the city" together. On the way down to Bridge (M) Street to take the omnibus, they found they had no small change to pay their fare

e (M) Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, which became the Cap

the hospital in the Seminary. They would cross to the other side of the street, and when the Union officers passed, they

regretted it bitterly, to such an extent that she went into melancholia and committed suicide by taking poison. For a whil

egun to be fashionable again, and on first coming to Washington and hunting for a house, Mrs. Baker told a friend she was discouraged trying to find one with a yard where her three

s were still drawn by horses, she was in a car sitting opposite two women, one of whom was pointing out the sights to the other. They passed Dupont Circle, where she showed the Lei

in its appearance when it was covered with white plaster and approached by a sort of causeway

r daughter, Mrs. Hasle. Next door, on the west, lived the son, Joseph Williamson, whose wife was Marian Woods. Then the Howell family lived there, and from them, Colonel Harrison Howell Dodge, who was superintende

the house and changed the windows on the first floo

." The back portion is very old, and "they say" there is a ghost somewhere about. In t

e is the Decatur house on Lafayette Square in Washington, but we know that Admiral Decatur's widow left it after he was killed in the duel with Commodore James Barron, near Bladensburg, on March 22, 1820, and came to live in George

ashington." She asked us to spend the evening of the tenth with her, or any other evening that suits us better, a very kind note, in short, and we have promised to go on the eleventh. I knew that she would not return my visit before I came. The reason of this peculiarity is that her husband was killed in a duel, and she fears if she were to go into company either morning or evening she might meet his second, who she considers as having been ve

, who lives at Georgetown, which is separated from Washington only by a little creek, across which there is a shabby enough tumble-down looking wooden bridge. There is so thick a fog that we could not see three yards before us, "quite English weather," as our friends here tell us, but not disagreeable to my mind as it was very mild. At the door of Mrs. Decatur's house we met General Van Renss

the house was to which they walked from acr

s way in the world, who certainly was possessed of a most attractive personality, and

Mr. Co

this evening, while the belles are at church, I beg

sinc

Dec

Mr. Co

r my wing today, on the way to heaven, and

sinc

Dec

el, Monda

Mr. Co

esday evening and I hope you will be able to come

sinc

Dec

pray you to come and tell me how your broth

of Mr. J. Corcoran

seems to have remained "fancy free" u

e Carroll family, it is thought. The latter part of her life was spent in a frame house on the brow of a hil

y chess-board and men, and his jeweled toothpick box. The grave of Mrs. Decatur was discovered some

in Stoddert, one of the founders of Christ Church, of which many of his descendants are still pillars. When the Woods lived here, there was at the back of the house a very lovely, un

ge sold the land to John M. Gannt in 1804, who may have built this lovely house. It was purchased by Elisha Williams in 1810; also owned

l for several years and her brother was a translator at the Naval Observatory until he was well up in his eighties. When he was over ninety he used to go o