Evening Star Newspaper, March 6, 1932, Page 79

THE SUNDAY STAR, drawing of the windows—dressed in the man- ner proposed, came to my hands yesterday. “The drawings sent give a much handsomer appearance to the windows than the original design did, and I am more disposed to en- counter the difference of expense than to les- sen the exterior show of the building, and therefore consent to the proposed alteration.” Another clause in one of his letters demon- strates that the first President was carefully scrutinizing the bills sent him by his contractor, and if he was going to be overcharged, he at least was not going to permit it without ob- jecting to it, and in this respect he wrote: “Your favor of the 13th instant came duly to hand. I am now making arrangements at the Bank of Alexandria for obtaining money. When this is accomplished, I will forward a check on that bank for the $1,000 required by Mr. Blagden & hope it will be in time to answer his purposes. “I have no objection for Mr. Blagden’s frequent calls for money, but I fear the work which is not enumerated in the contract witn him is preity smartly whipped up in the price of it. I had no expectation (for instance) that a well little more than 30 feet decp was to cost me upwards of £70. I may, however, have misconceived the matter from ignorance of the usual rates.” The last letter which Washington wrote from Mount Vernon regarding his houses, and in which he mentions Mr. Blagden, bears date of November 20, 1799, or less than a month before his death, and particularly on this account is especially interesting. In this letter to Dr. Thornton he says: “When I _wrote to you the other day I ex- pected to have settled matters with the Bank of Alexandria so as to have been enabled to have sent you, for Mr. Blagden’s use, a check thereon for $1,000. But not being well enough acquainted with the rules of the bank, I suf- fered what are called discount days, to pass over before I applied; for wktich reason the business there must remain over until after Tuesday or next week. “But, if to do this will be attended with any inconvenience to Mr. Blagden, and he will be at the trouble of riding, or sending any person down here, competent to receive the money— Mr. Lewis, who has it by him, will lend me that sum, and it shall be paid. Of this I would thank you for informing Mr. Blagden.” EORGE BLAGDEN was a member of the First City Council in 1802, serving in the first chamber of that body, and as proof of his popularily we find him also serving in the Fourth Council, and was president of the Common Council in 1812, also an alderman in the Twentieth Council, 1822. - In 1805 he was selected by the City Council a member of the board of trustees of the public schools. and in 1807 a director of the Wash- ington Bridge Company. Today some folks think we are undergoing the only period of depression the United States ever had, but this is not so, as one can easily find out. An early one was fast approaching when, in 1825, a committee was appointed, in- cluding Samuel L. Southard, Secretary of the Navy, president; W. W. Seaton, vice president; George Blagden, John Coyle, jr., secretary, and W. A. Bradley, treasurer, for the purpose of raising funds, fuel and clothing for distribu- tion to the needy. A few years later, Mr. Bryan tells us: “For the first time federal aid was given, the House directing that 50 cords of wood be donated, while no doubt the members, following the example of the President, added their individual contribution to the general fund. The executive departments had no available fund to draw from for such a purpose, but as a pressing need was fuel, the Treasury and the War Departments sold at cost from their sup- plies of wood still largely used to keep going the open fires that were the only means of heating the buildings, and in that way the citizen committees were able to get firewood at much less than the current market price. This form of poor relief was in use in other cities of the day as well as in Washington. Not that other devices were untried. Nearly a decade before some kind-hearted citizens opened a soup house on Capitol Hill. Two years later, what was looked upon as a wiser Ruins of the Blagden Mill which once stood in Rock Creek Park. plan was attempted in the organization of the Howard Society, designed not alone to amelio- rate the condition of the poor by giving im- mediate relief, but to prevent pauperism, wvicz and crime. This was to be accomplished mainly by providing work, encouraging the practice of economy and aiding the corporations to carry out the laws for the punishment of disorderly persons and for the binding out of children found begging on the streets. Bufild- ings were provided on the Eastern Market Square and also on Center Market Square where women were employed in making gar- ments and in spinning, knitting and in picking oakum. In the course of four years the so- ciety, by charging a small profit on the clothes sold, made this part of the work self- R. BLAGDEN did not live long after this effort of his to relieve the distressed, his death being due to an accident occurring at the Capitol—the building he had helped to erect. The National Intelligencer, sometimes gen- erous in its obituary notices, had this to say of Mr. Blagden in its issue of June 5, 1826: “An afflicting dispensation has deprived the community of Washington of one of its oldest and most respectable inhabitants. A fatal accident has robbed his family and friends of the life and example of that estimable and useful citizen, George Blagden. About 6 o'clock on Saturday evening he was standing beneath a bank of earth some six feet high at the southwest corner of the Capitol, inspecting a part of the old foumdation which the digging had uncovered, when the bank caved in as he was going from it, and fell upon him, he falling upon his face before it. His head was not covered, and he was soon dug out and carried home, apparently not severely hurt, sensible, and directing himself how he should be placed. After arriving at his house, half a mile from the scene of the disaster, he was able to sit up in his bed and assist those about him in changing his clothing, but in one short hour he was a corpse. “Thus has terminated the life of one of the best of citizens, parents and friends. He was a native of Attercliffe, Yorkshire, in England, Blagden mansion, Varnum and Eighteenth streets northwest, early home of the Blagden family, once surrounded by the estate known as Argyle. but was one of the first settlers in Washington, having been here frcm the laying of its foun- dation stone. At the time of his death, and for many years previous, he was superintend- ent of the masons employed on the Capitol, an alderman of the city and a director of the Bank of Washington. In every relation he ever held to society, and particularly in his religious ccnrection (as the founder of Rev. Mr. Post’s church), he was esteemed and re- spected. The whole city mourns his sudden death.’ HE writer is not familiar with the descend- ants of George Blagden, except that one of his children was Thomas Blagden, perhaps still known to many, and who for many years conducted an extensive lumber business here, a business we find him engaged in as early as 1843, at the south side of what was then Georgia avenue between Third and Fourth streets southeast, near Third. His residence at that time was on the east side of New Jersey avenue between I and K streets southeast. A Miss Blagden, probably a sister of Thomas, lived on the south side of Indiana avenue between Third and Four-and-a-half streets, no doubt in one of the residences known as Blagden Row, and built by Thomas Blagden. These houses recently have been removed in the clearing of the site fcr the Municipal Center. Thomas Blagden, 2nd, lives in this city, as do other descendants. The New York Blagdens are related. In an article in the Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Dougiass Zevely sheds some light on these houses as well as the members of the Blagden family. He says: “Next to this hcuse is a row of five houses, built in 1852 by the late Thomas Blagden. William Baldwin, one of Almon Baldwin's sons, was the architect of these houses, and they were known when originaliy built as Blagden’s Row. I think this name for them is still re- tained. Robert Toombs of Georgia, at that time United States Senator, occupied one of these houses; also Chief Justice Taney, and the Minister from Peru to this country. In comparatively recent years Senator Christiancy of Michigan was an occupant of one of the houses. Thomas Blagden was the son of George Blagden, who came from England and settled in this city in 1793, where the son was born in October, 1803, and he continued to have his home here until his death, February 2, 1870. Mr. Blagden's second wife is still living, also his two sons and one daughter. The widow and one of the sons have a home near the city, known as Argyle, and a portion of the original estate in that section has been improved in recent years by the construction of suburban hcmes. A brother of Mr. Blag- den's—Rev. George W. Blagden—settled in Boston early in the last century and was at one time pastor of the Old South Church.” INCE the residence of Thomas Blagden is not given in the city directory for 1850, it may be assumed that he moved to Argyle, on Piney Branch road, prior to this date, as the directory generally failed to make mention of people living in the County of Washington. Boschke’s map of 1857-1860 gives him as living there, and he died there, as we find by The Star of February 3, 1870, which prints the following: “Death of an Old Citizen—Thomas Biagden, one of our oldest and most respected citizens, died at Argyle, in this District, this morning in the 65th year of his age. Deceased had been during his whole life one of the most prominent business men of this city, commenc- ing, as he did early, in the lumber business, on what has ever since been known as Blag- den’s Wharf, at the foot of Third street east, and among other results of his prosperity is the row of magnificent residences bearing his name, on Indiana Avenue between Third and Four-and-a-half streets. The father of the deceased was killed by the falling of a bank at the southwest corner of the Capitol during the erection of that building, on the 3d of June, 1826.” A further item regarding the funeral of Mr. Blagden occurs in The Star four days later, which says: “Funeral of the Late Thomas Blagden.—The funeral of the late Thomas Blagden took place yesterday from the New York Avenue Presby- terian Church, which was crowded by the rel- atives and friends of the deceased. After prayer and reading appropriate passage of Scripture, Rev. Mr. Mitchell, pastor of the church, and Rev. Dr. Samson spoke appropriately of the deceased. Two verses of the favorite hymn of the deceased, ‘How Firm a Foundation, Ye Saints of the Lord,’ were sung, after which a cortege was formed, under the direction of the undertakers, Messrs. Harvey & Marr, and proceeded to the Congressional Cemetery, where the remains were placed in the family vault. The pallbearers were Admiral Lee, James P. Tustin, Chief Justice Casey, William B. Todd, Dr. May, Dr. Nichols, J. Carroll Brent and T. M. Hanson. The coffin was of lead, in a wal- nut case, covered with black broadcloth, or- namented with massive silver handles, bestud- ded with silver-head tacks. It was lined with quilted satin and on the lid was a silver plate bearing a record of the name and age of the deceased.” HE late Louis P. Shoemaker, who knew every inch of ground in and around Argyle, said that “Mrs. Blagden, senior, although quite advanced in years, retained her vigor of mind and body until the Autumn of 1907, when her death occurred.” A death notice in The Star of November 7, 1853, records the death of “Emily Silliman wife of Thomas Blagden of this city, and daughter of Gold S. Silliman, esq., of Brooklyn, N. Y.”; this, of course, be- ing Mr. Blagden's first wife. Thomas Blagden, in addition to his other business interests, had a mill which carried his name, though equally well known as Argyle Mills from the land patent name. Mr. Shoe- maker also refers to the old mill in writing of Rock creek, and Allen C. Clark gives a pic- ture and refers to it in his story of the old mills in the records of the Columbia Historical Society. Mr. Shoemaker was born in this vicinity and loved its old landmarks, and did all he could to preserve them, and his love for the scenes of his youth is clearly indicated by what he has said of the Blagden mill: “The Blagden flour mill and the bone mill have been obliterated. If this devastation of relics continues, the last evidence of the ence thrifty commerce, business and utilization of water power along the line of this stream will have forever disappeared. “It was hoped when the United States Government acquired this land for Rock Creek Park, and consequently controlled the stream, with its unparalleled natural beauty and at- tractive features, that the authorities would seek to preserve rather than demolish these evidences of old-time prosperity, particularly as changed conditions had virtually caused their abandonment for business purposes before the land was condemned for a public park. “The Blagden mill, it is true, was dilapidated when acquired by the United States in 1890, through the medium of condemnation proceed- ings. The stone walls could, however, have been strengthened and the relic preserved. In addition to the old Argyle mansion, we have today as a reminder of the past glory of this once beautiful estate picturesque Blag- den avenue, which begins at about Sixteenth and Farragut streets and terminates where it enters Rock Creek Park. Another reminder is Argyle terrace, which, for a distance, parallels Blagden avenue. Down in Congressional Cemetery the writer found the burial vauit of the Blagden family, simply inscribed: “1831. Blagden.” It is a large brick vault, the older part being built in the prevailing Flemish bond of that period. A heavy iron door prevents one from seeing the interior. Adjoining, to the north, is a smaller brick vault marked “G. Coumbe.” To the west, across the walk, is the Samuel Continued on Eleventh Page