Part 20 (1/2)

AET x.x.xV

HERE ONCE STOOD FORTH A MAN, WHO FROM THE WORLD THOUGH BRIGHT ITS ASPECT TO THE YOUTHFUL EYE, TURNED WITH AFFECTION ARDENT TO HIS G.o.d, AND LIV'D AND DIED AN HUMBLE MINISTER OF HIS BENIGNANT PURPOSES TO MAN.

HERE LIES HE NOW--YET GRIEVE NOT THEN FOR HIM READER! HE TRUSTED IN THAT LOVE WHERE NONE HAVE VAINLY TRUSTED--RATHER LET HIS MARBLE SPEAK TO THEE, AND SHOULDST THOU FEEL, THE RISING OF A NEW AND SOLEMN THOUGHT WAK'D BY THIS SACRED PLACE AND SAD MEMORIAL O LISTEN TO ITS IMPULSE! 'TIS DIVINE-- AND IT SHALL GUIDE THEE TO A LIFE OF JOY, A DEATH OF HOPE AND ENDLESS BLISS THEREAFTER.

In 1807 the vestry included Charles Worthington, Was.h.i.+ngton Bowie, Thomas Corcoran, John Mason, Thomas Plater, Benjamin Mackall, Philip Barton Key, and William Stewart. A little later, in 1811, an old writer says: ”At that time the church was thronged to an over flow with all who were most elevated in station and in wealth from the Capital; the pews in the gallery were rented at high rates and to persons of great respectability. The street before the church was filled with glittering vehicles and liveried servants.”

In 1831 the vestry failed to elect a rector as successor to Reverend Mr.

James. For seven years, the church was closed, worse than closed, for it fell into disrepair to such an extent that the birds and the bats made their nests in it, so that it was called ”The Swallow Barn.” A sculptor rented it for his studio, which scandalized many of its old-time wors.h.i.+ppers who hated to think of the statues of heathen G.o.ds and G.o.ddesses in the temple of the Lord. At last, in 1838, a vestry was elected, and from that time, St. John's has always flourished.

In its chancel are paintings of the four evangelists done by the Reverend Mr. Oertel. He was also a wood-carver and a musician, and was from Nuremberg in Germany which, I suppose, explains why he was always called Master by his wife. They lived for a good while on Gay (N) Street. Mr. Corcoran bought several of his pictures for his gallery. His best known work was called ”Rock of Ages,” and represented a female figure with long hair and floating white garments clinging to an enormous cross. This picture was often used on Easter cards.

Several years ago a large boulder was placed on the bank of the churchyard, bearing this inscription:

COLONEL NINIAN BEALL

BORN SCOTLAND 1625 DIED MARYLAND 1717

PATENTEE OF ROCK OF DUMBARTON

MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF BURGESSES

COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF PROVINCIAL FORCES OF MARYLAND IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF HIS SERVICES ”UPON ALL INCURSIONS AND DISTURBANCES OF NEIGHBORING INDIANS”

THE MARYLAND a.s.sEMBLY OF 1699 Pa.s.sED ”AN ACT OF GRATUITY”

THIS MEMORIAL ERECTED BY THE SOCIETY OF COLONIAL WARS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 1910

Just behind the church and adjoining it on little Potomac Street, is a house where, fifty years ago, used to live two old maid sisters who were absolute hermits. Their food was drawn up in a basket which they let down to an old family retainer containing the money with which to do their purchasing. Whenever the organ was played in St. John's, they used to take a hammer and beat upon the wall as long as the music continued.

The large yellow house at the southwest corner of Market (33rd) and Second (O) Streets is where Thomas E. Waggaman lived in the nineties. He built an addition on the west as an art gallery for his collection of pictures. It is now a separate house. Here, some years ago, lived Jouett Shouse at the time he formed his Liberty League. Recently, Colonel and Mrs. Alf Heiberg made it their home. They placed an eagle over the door and called it ”Federal House.”

Right across the street stood a dear old house some years ago. It was white, with double piazzas all the way across the front. The yard was enclosed by a paling fence and from the gate a double border of box led to the door. It was the home of Dr. Hezekiah Magruder.

About 1833 the family of Admiral James Hogan Sands lived there. William Franklin Sands, author of _Undiplomatic Memories_ was one of his sons.

The old house was torn down about 1890.

Across the street, at number 3318, is the home of Mr. and Mrs. David E.

Finley. He is the Director of the National Gallery of Art.

Number 3322 is the interesting old house where, in the forties and fifties lived Baron Bodisco, Minister from Russia to the United States.

He had a very romantic marriage of which I shall tell later. Just before the marriage he purchased this house from Sally Van Devanter, who had inherited it in 1840 from her husband, Christopher Van Devanter, apparently, the builder of the house. Baron Bodisco, the same day he bought it, gave it to his fiancee, Harriet Beall Williams. Whether it was a wedding gift or whether, as a foreign envoy, he could not hold property, I do not know. She kept the property for twenty years until her remarriage to Captain Douglas Scott, when it was bought by Abraham H. Herr. During the Civil War, it was headquarters for the officers of the Second U. S. Regiment, whose enlisted men were quartered in Forrest Hall.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BODISCO HOUSE]

But to return to the period when it was owned and occupied by the Van Devanter family. During these years, they apparently had a most interesting guest, Mrs. Henry Lee, the widow of ”Light Horse Harry,” and the mother of Robert E. Lee. In Dr. Douglas Freeman's book _R. E. Lee_, he quotes two letters from Mrs. Lee written not long before her death from ”Georgetown.” She did not specify where she was, but Mrs. Beverley Kennon, many years afterwards, said that this was the house in which she resided.

Also, the Van Devanter family, a few years ago, found among old books two books with inscriptions of names of the Lee family, evidently left there during this time.

Here, at a ball one night, a young man who was making his entrance into Was.h.i.+ngton society under the care of a senator had the following experience. (The account is taken from _Harper's Magazine_):