Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) -- Description and travel; Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) -- History
In 1842 the property was bought by James Keith who was a great friend of
General Washington, Mr. Keith's daughter married Mr. Forrest, and their
son French Forrest was an officer in the United States Navy, but like
many others in this part of the world, went into the Southern Navy
during the Civil War. At the time of his funeral W. W. Corcoran, who was
a very intimate friend, was a pall-bearer. In those days it was the
style for the mourners to wear a long streamer of crepe around their
hats and hanging down a foot or two. Little Douglas Forrest, the son of
the deceased, began to cry, saying he "wanted some funeral on his hat."
Mr. Corcoran took him in hand and insisted that he should have his wish
and be arrayed like the other mourners.
In the other houses of that row lived, at number 3335, just before the
Civil War, a family named Semmes from New Orleans who had several
daughters considered very beautiful. Cora Semmes became the wife of
Colonel Joseph Ives, a brilliant young engineer officer of the United
States Army, who, although of Northern birth, espoused the Southern
cause. He was put on General Lee's staff, and later transferred to be
aide-de-camp to Jefferson Davis where, in Richmond he and his wife
became prominent and useful in entertaining distinguished foreigners, as
she was noted for her charm as well as her beauty.
In number 3333 Judge Robert Ould resided. His father had been one of
the founders of the Lancastrian School. Mattie Ould, whose name still is
a synonym for grace, beauty and wit, spent her childhood here. After the
Oulds went to Richmond this house was for a time the home of Henry
Addison, while he was mayor. Later on the Cropleys lived in it.
William Hunter lived for a great many years in number 3331, when he was
Assistant Secretary of State. Women of my generation still remember him
for his love of little children and his gifts to them of toys and
goodies.
Across on the southeast corner of First (N) Street and Frederick (34th)
Street at 3340 is the house which Harry Hopkins, the great friend of
Franklin D. Roosevelt, bought and moved to with his new wife and his
daughter Diana, when they left the White House where they had been
living for a year or more. This was his home at the time of his death.
On this street used to live the Marburys before they moved to The
Heights, and also the Wheatleys of whom there were several households in
Georgetown in the latter part of the last century.
A block eastward on the same side of the street is another row of
charming old houses, built about 1800 by Colonel James Smith, "lately
returned from the Revolutionary War." In the one on the corner of First
(N) and Potomac Streets used to live Mrs. Gannt and her daughter Clare
and Mrs. Gannt's sister Mrs. Smith. I think they were descendants of the
builder of the row. Their old home was for a time occupied by Mr. and
Mrs. Blair Thaw, the former a poet, the latter an artist.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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