Part 28 (1/2)
Across High Street (Wisconsin Avenue), the house sitting high on the bank was for many years the home of Mr. William Dougal and his family of one son and four lovely daughters. His wife was Miss Adler, and this house was built on part of her father's property. The old brick house, which was back of it some distance north, was the home of Morris Adler.
A small frame house nearer Road (R) Street was where his son, Morris J.
Adler, lived, until he built a house on West (P) Street.
A little way eastward on the same side of Road (R) Street is the famous Dumbarton Oaks. The land was first bought from Thomas Beall in 1800 by William H. Dorsey, first judge of our Orphan's Court, who was appointed by President Jefferson. Mr. Dorsey had previously been living in the old part of the town, for I find an advertis.e.m.e.nt of the sale of his property before he came up here, and from the minutes of a meeting of the Corporation of Georgetown on October 24th, 1801, we find the following: ”William H. Dorsey writes to ask if his removal to his present place of residence will disqualify him from serving on the Corporation. They are of opinion it does not disqualify him as a member thereof.”
He built this house, named it The Oaks, and lived in it for four years.
His first wife was Ann Brooke, the daughter of Colonel Richard Brooke, of Oak Hill, Sandy Spring, whose wife was Jane Lynn, the daughter of David Lynn. In 1802 Mr. Dorsey married Rosetta Lynn, who was the aunt of his first wife.
[Ill.u.s.tration: WILLIAM HAMMOND DORSEY]
William Hammond Dorsey was born at Oakland, in Howard County, and died at Oakley, near Brookeville, in 1818. He was a very handsome man and was nicknamed ”Pretty Billy” by his Quaker neighbors of Sandy Spring.
In 1805 the place was bought by Robert Beverley of Ess.e.x County, Virginia. His wife was Jane Tayloe, a sister of Colonel John Tayloe, who built the famous Octagon House. Mr. and Mrs. Beverley owned the place until 1822. During that time their son James was married to Jane Peter, the daughter of David Peter of nearby ”Peter's Grove,” and this place became their home. They did not remain here long, but went back to Virginia and established themselves near The Plains.
The next owner was James E. Calhoun, of South Carolina. He loaned it to his distinguished brother, John C. Calhoun, who made it his home for some of the time he spent at the capital in the various offices he held.
He was Secretary of War in the cabinet of President Monroe; Vice-President with John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson, and Senator from South Carolina. From here he wrote that the leisure of the office of Vice-President gave him a good opportunity to study the fundamental questions of the day called ”The American System.” At this time the place was known as _Acrolophos_ (Grove on the Hill), a most descriptive name. Later it became Monterey, after the war with Mexico made that battle so famous.
It was in 1846 that the estate was bought by Edward M. Linthic.u.m, and I think it must have been during the time he owned it that the mansard roof was added which, fortunately, has been removed by the present owners. In Mr. Linthic.u.m's day it is described thus:
The house which has been changed, but not improved in appearance, by the addition of a mansard roof and other alterations, was a large, two-story brick, with hall from front to rear ”wide enough for a hay wagon to pa.s.s through,” on either side of which were great parlors beautifully proportioned. The east parlor opened into a bright, sunny dining room, which in turn looked out upon a well-filled greenhouse, with flower gardens on the east, wooded lawn in front, grove of forest trees on the west, and gently sloping well-sodded hills in the rear, all of which were kept in perfect order. During the life of Mr. Linthic.u.m, ”The Oaks” was the show place of the District.
Mr. and Mrs. Linthic.u.m had no children so they adopted a daughter, Miss Kate Mitch.e.l.l, of Lower Maryland, who became the wife of Mr. Josiah Dent. Their son, Edward Linthic.u.m Dent, inherited the place. In those days it was known as ”The Oaks,” the name I always heard it called by in my girlhood.
In 1891 it was bought by Mr. Henry F. Blount, who had made a fortune and came to Was.h.i.+ngton. In 1920 it was purchased by the Honorable Robert Woods Bliss, Amba.s.sador to the Argentine. He and Mrs. Bliss remodeled the house and created the gardens, which comprise over thirty acres and are marvels of beauty. Many more acres at the back were allowed to remain in a delightfully wild condition.
The place was renamed Dumbarton Oaks, a museum was built as a wing on the west to house a library and a collection of Byzantine and pre-Christian material, and in 1940 the estate was given by Mr. and Mrs.
Bliss to Harvard University, with the exception of the part along the stream at the back, which was donated to the District of Columbia as a park. The Dumbarton Oaks Conference which led to the formation of the United Nations was held here, beginning August 21, 1944.
Part of the land at the back is where the Home for Incurables was until it was moved farther out of town. I used to go there to visit some of the patients who were my friends, and for the simple Sunday evening services.
Lover's Lane, at the east of Dumbarton Oaks, separates it from Montrose Park. It is still, as it has always been, I am glad to say, completely unimproved, unspoiled, sweet and rambling and quiet, wending its way along the brook that empties into Rock Creek at the beginning of Oak Hill. I suppose there is hardly a soul of middle-age living in Georgetown who has not fond memories of Lover's Lane, for in the days of our youth we did walk with our lovers; no automobiles or movies filled our Sat.u.r.day or Sunday afternoons, and very little golf.
Through Lover's Lane we went to Normanstone, the home of the two Misses Barnards and their sister, Mrs. Talcott. It was a quaint little house, which stood just about where the British Emba.s.sy now is. The name is commemorated by Normanstone Drive. Mr. Robert Barnard built Normanstone in 1830. It was a Devons.h.i.+re cottage of clay, straw, and pebbles, with walls four feet thick.
The turreted stone mansion nearby was built by Mr. Elverson of Philadelphia. His daughter, Nelly, became the wife of Monsieur Patrenotre, the French Minister. This was in the days before our foreign envoys became Amba.s.sadors.
Our first knowledge of the present Montrose Park was as Parrott's Woods.
Richard Parrott conducted there a ”rope walk.” It seems that when they made rope it was necessary to have a long, even stretch where the rope-makers walked up and down manufacturing the hemp into rope. And, of course, in this town with all its s.h.i.+ps, the making of rope was a lucrative business.
Mr. Parrott evidently was kind in loaning his property for picnics too, for again Mr. Gordon gives us vivid pictures of the Fourth of July annual picnic of all the Protestant Sunday schools. It seems to have been a huge affair, with flags and banners and rosettes of various colors adorning the scholars of the different schools.
In 1822 the property was bought by Clement Smith, of whom I have spoken before as being the first cas.h.i.+er of the Farmers and Mechanics Bank, afterwards becoming its president. He called the place Elderslie. In 1837 he sold it to Mrs. Mary McEwen Boyce, whose daughter, Jane, married George Was.h.i.+ngton Peter, son of Thomas Peter of Tudor Place. In a railroad accident, both Captain Boyce and another daughter were killed.
Mrs. Boyce continued to live here the rest of her life.
It was a very sweet, homelike house, but not a particularly handsome one. There was a conservatory opening off of one of the rooms, for Mrs.
Boyce seems to have been especially fond of flowers. A sweet little story was told me the other day about her. A friend paused one day to admire the roses blooming in front of the house, saying, ”How lovely your roses are, Mrs. Boyce!” ”They are not my roses,” said she. At the surprised look on her friend's face she continued, ”I plant them there for the public.” And still, today, there are lovely roses blooming at Montrose for ”the public,” for after many, many years a movement was set on foot to buy this place with its marvelous old trees of numerous varieties for a park for the people of Georgetown.